In case Ilia Topuria needed any more motivation ahead of this weekend's UFC White House event, Justin Gaethje is doing his **** dest to comply.
Topuria is set to make the first defense of his UFC lightweight **** le Sunday in a unification match against interim champion Gaethje on the South Lawn of the U.S. White House. The matchup headlines a historic seven-fight card in the nation's capital, and for Topuria, it doubles as a return to competition following a lengthy absence caused by issues in his personal life — namely the champ's recent divorce and custody battle with his ex-wife.
Tensions between Topuria and Gaethje have escalated as the event nears, with Gaethje recently calling his rival "an annoying little **** " and mocking Topuria's divorce in an interview with FOX Sports. "I can say this: I would leave him [too]," Gaethje said of Topuria. "That's all I'm saying. I would leave him. No way I would put up with his s***."
As fight week kicks off, Topuria issued a two-part response on Monday.
Said Topuria in the debut edition of the event's "UFC Embedded" series, while flipping Gaethje off with a double-bird salute: