Topuria vows no post-fight handshake after Gaethje's divorce jab ahead of UFC White House title defence

Ilia Topuria has declared there will be no post-fight handshake or reconciliation with Justin Gaethje after Sunday’s lightweight title bout at the UFC White House event, regardless of the result — and he is placing the blame squarely on Gaethje for letting the rivalry turn personal.

Topuria, who makes the first defence of his lightweight championship in the headline bout, told reporters at a media scrum on Tuesday that his feelings toward Gaethje shifted dramatically after the interim champion referenced Topuria’s recent divorce during a promotional interview. Gaethje, while targeting Topuria’s ego, suggested he understood why Topuria’s ex-wife had wanted out of the marriage.

“I always had the desire to knock him out,” Topuria said. “But this time it was like if after I knocked him out, I would shake his hand and show him some respect. This time, it’s not going to be like that. I’m not going to show him any respect.”

Topuria admitted the divorce comment stung, though he claimed it did not entirely surprise him given his pre-existing view of Gaethje’s character. “I always had the perception that he was kind of an idiot,” Topuria said. “He just confirmed that. So it wasn’t any surprise to me.”

The Georgian champion entered the build-up to the fight with no particular animosity toward Gaethje, viewing the matchup primarily as an opportunity to compete on one of the most high-profile stages in UFC history. The escalating trash talk over recent weeks has since eroded whatever goodwill existed between the two camps.

On the fight itself, Topuria was unequivocal: he expects a first-round finish and has no intention of letting the contest go further. Gaethje enters as a decided underdog, and Topuria acknowledged that an upset is the scenario his opponent’s team is banking on — though he dismissed it as wishful thinking.

“This is what they hope and that’s what they’ve been saying during this whole time,” Topuria said. “They are hoping for a miracle.”