Justin Gaethje's coach explains the moment Topuria scared him at UFC Casa Branca.

Ilia Topuria was defeated by Justin Gaethje in the main event of UFC Casa Branca . Photo: UFC Europe / X

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Justin Gaethje delivered a memorable performance at UFC Casa Branca , held last Sunday (14). Considered a five-to-one underdog, the American defeated Ilia Topuria by submission in the fourth round and won the belt. Before having his arm raised, however, the new champion had to withstand moments of great pressure inside the octagon, especially against the strong body shots delivered by the Spaniard, a situation that even worried his coach, Trevor Wittman.

In a statement to Daniel Cormier 's YouTube channel, Wittman praised Gaethje's resilience and described the athlete as extremely tough, highlighting the fighter's ability to withstand attacks. The coach also assessed that Topuria made a crucial mistake by taking the fight to the ground, precisely when his athlete was most weakened.

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“Justin is a gangster. To survive those body blows… I think Ilia made a big mistake when he went to the ground. Justin was hurt, but he’s very smart in those situations. He knows when he needs to breathe. There were even moments in the third and fourth rounds when I thought, ‘Stop resting and fight!’ But, of course, that’s easier said than done,” said Trevor Wittman.

In his overall analysis, Wittman explained that he noticed a shift in the fight's momentum as soon as Topuria grasped Gaethje's level of resilience and competitiveness. From that point on, according to him, control of the fight began to shift. Despite this, the coach emphasized that the body shots landed by the Spaniard were by far the most worrying moments of the entire fight.

“Overall, when Ilia realized who Justin really was, I knew we were starting to take control of the fight. If it weren’t for those body shots… those were the moments that scared me the most,” the coach concluded.

Watch the sequence of Ilia Topuria that scared Justin Gaethje's coach.

ILIA TOPURIA IS GOING TO WORK AGAINST GAETHJE'S BODY!!!

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