Javier Mendez cannot get enough of Justin Gaethje’s championship victory over Ilia Topuria.
The veteran MMA coach has watched their wild encounter nine times and believes its constant momentum swings made it unlike anything he has witnessed before.
Gaethje dethroned the previously unbeaten Topuria in the main event of UFC Freedom 250 at the White House in June, capturing the undisputed lightweight championship.
Justin Gaethje vs Ilia Topuria 🚨 | NO COMMENTARY
Javier Mendez Calls Gaethje vs. Topuria Unlike Any Other Fight
Speaking on Submission Radio, Mendez explained why the fight continues to stand out to him.
I’ve watched that sucker nine times now,” Mendez said.
The contest delivered dramatic shifts in momentum across four rounds. After a competitive opening round, “El Matador” came close to finishing Gaethje in the second, hurting him with body shots and threatening him with submission attempts.
“The Highlight” weathered the danger and gradually found his rhythm, landing significant strikes over the following rounds while Topuria continued to threaten. The fight ultimately ended after the fourth round when Topuria’s corner stopped the contest, handing Gaethje a technical knockout victory and Topuria the first professional defeat of his career.
For Mendez, the uncertainty surrounding the outcome was what made the matchup so compelling. He argued that neither fighter controlled the contest for long enough to make the result feel inevitable.
This one here, from the beginning till the finish, there’s no way in hell you’re going to tell me that it was one-sided,” Mendez said. “That thing went back and forth from the beginning.
The coach then challenged fans to think of another MMA fight that delivered comparable swings in momentum.
Where in the history of MMA, seriously, think about this, when have you seen it back and forth like that? Never.
Mendez has plenty of experience watching high-profile lightweight clashes. As a coach at American Kickboxing Academy, he was part of Khabib Nurmagomedov’s team when the Russian defeated Conor McGregor at UFC 229 in October 2018.
Despite the enormous attention surrounding that rivalry, Mendez revealed that he had watched Nurmagomedov’s submission victory over McGregor only three times, compared with nine viewings of Gaethje vs. Topuria.
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