Justin Gaethje explains why Ilia Topuria showed weakness

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Justin Gaethje explains why Ilia Topuria showed weakness

Originally posted on HITC | By Harvey Leonard | Last updated May 12, 2026 10:46 AM ET

Justin Gaethje was in attendance last Friday when his opponent got into a heated confrontation.

‘The Highlight’ was part of the group that gathered in Newark for the UFC White House press conference, which took place just before the ceremonial weigh-ins for UFC 328.

Gaethje will be going up against Ilia Topuria in the main event on June 14. It’s a significant fight for Gaethje, who is looking to add an undisputed title to his resume late in his career.

But during that press conference, Topuria’s focus seemed to wander beyond just Gaethje, as there were other storylines unfolding in Washington D.C. that caught his eye.

Justin Gaethje liked what he saw when Ilia Topuria lost it with Josh Hokit during the UFC White House press conference

Josh Hokit was kicked out of the event after getting into it with Topuria on stage, an incident that capped off the press conference right before the face-offs began.

The rising heavyweight has been making headlines for his bold personality, and his comments about Alex Pereira at the presser clearly struck a nerve with Topuria.

Across from him, Justin Gaethje watched as his opponent confronted Hokit, even throwing something at him during the exchange. The moment was picked up by cameras filming episode two of The Art of Violence, which is part of Gaethje’s YouTube series leading up to their June 14 fight.

Gaethje seemed to take something away from how emotionally charged Topuria got in response to Hokit’s behaviour.

“It’s funny because he’s (Topuria’s) very emotional,” said Gaethje. “That was good to see. Although I do get emotional defending my friends as well.

“But you can’t let another man control you like that. Never!”

This upcoming title fight will be Gaethje’s third shot at becoming undisputed champion, having previously come up short against Khabib Nurmagomedov and Charles Oliveira. He’ll be looking to change that narrative by handing Topuria his first loss in MMA.

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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