Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje (Photo by Imagn Images)

Former UFC Star Warns Justin Gaethje To Avoid One Costly Mistake Against Ilia Topuria

Originally posted on Total Pro Sports | By Pavan Sharma | Last updated Feb 5, 2026 2:00 PM ET

There is no doubt that Ilia Topuria has become a force to be reckoned with in the UFC, having outclassed big names one after another. Meanwhile, with Justin Gaethje set to fight for the title, Daniel Cormier warned Gaethje against trying Max Holloway’s point-to-the-center move against Topuria.

DC said straight up, don’t do that with the UFC lightweight champ. Saying it’s not safe to play that game with him. His reasoning is brutal and based on evidence. Topuria hit so hard that he fought Oliveira. ‘Da Bronx’ was already sleeping by the time he hit the ground. Topuria landed two or three shots on the way down that knocked him completely unconscious.

DC said, “Justin Gaethje is my friend. I’m gonna tell him, don’t do that with Ilia Topuria. You can’t do that with him. Ilia hits so hard – when he and Charles Oliveira were fighting, by the time Charles Oliveira hit the ground, he was already sleeping. Ilia hit him two or three times on the way down.”

Daniel Cormier advises Justin Gaethje not to play the Max Holloway game with Ilia Topuria. ⚠️

"Justin Gaethje is my friend. I’m gonna tell him, don’t do that with Ilia Topuria. You can’t do that with him. Ilia hits so hard – when he and Charles Oliveira were fighting, by the… pic.twitter.com/HOMBG1tdQ2
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) February 5, 2026

That power is different from what Gaethje faced before. Though he has been in wars with elite strikers and survived through toughness and durability. But Topuria’s precision, combined with one-shot knockout power, creates a level of danger Holloway doesn’t possess.

Holloway can stand and trade because his chin is legendary, and his volume overwhelms opponents. That pointing-to-center moment worked against Gaethje because Holloway knew he could absorb shots and keep coming. Meanwhile, from fans to fellow fighters, everyone is backing the Spaniard to get the win.

Colby Covington Feels Ilia Topuria Will Finish Justin Gaethje In Round 1

Ilia Topuria (Image Credits: Imagn)

Covington thinks Topuria will knock Gaethje out very fast. He says it could happen in less than one minute. He feels Gaethje drops his head too much when he fights. Because of that, ‘El Matador’ can hit him with an uppercut and put him to sleep quickly.

In his words, “I see Ilia knocking him out within a minute. I don’t think Justin will last longer than a minute. The way he ducks his head, Ilia’s going to land an uppercut on him, and he’s going to send him to the moon.”

Meanwhile, going into the Paddy Pimblett fight, many people doubted Gaethje’s skills, but he proved everyone wrong. So even with everyone being skeptical again, it’s still possible that Gaethje could surprise and upset everyone.

This article first appeared on Total Pro Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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