Ilia Topuria vs Justin Gaethje
Age
29|37
Height
5'7"|5'11"
Reach
69"|70"
Stance
Orthodox|Orthodox
Career Statistics
| Statistic | Ilia Topuria | Justin Gaethje | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Striking | |||
| Sig. Strike Accuracy | 50.1% | 57.6% | — |
| Sig. Strikes Landed/min | 4.8 | 6.3 | ► |
| Sig. Strikes Absorbed/min | 4.0 | 6.8 | ◄ |
| Strike Differential | 0.8/min | -0.5/min | ◄ |
| Grappling | |||
| Takedown Accuracy | 57.1% | 26.7% | ◄ |
| Takedown Defense | 95.2% | 73.3% | ◄ |
| Takedowns Landed/15min | 1.7 | 0.3 | ◄ |
| Submission Attempts/15min | 0.9 | 0.0 | ◄ |
| Control Time/15min | 3:04 | 0:59 | ◄ |
| Finishing Ability | |||
| KO/TKO % of Wins | 66.7% | 63.6% | — |
| Submission % of Wins | 11.1% | 0.0% | — |
| Decision % of Wins | 22.2% | 36.4% | — |
| Avg Fight Time | 10:25 | 12:38 | — |
| Secondary Stats | |||
| Knockdowns/15min | 1.2 | 0.7 | — |
| Reversals/15min | 0.0 | 0.0 | — |
| Edges | 7 | 1 | 1 even |
Fight Dynamics
Career Striking Volume
Ilia Topuria
Justin Gaethje
League median
| Statistic | Ilia Topuria | Justin Gaethje | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fight Shape | |||
| Fight Completion Rate | 52.1% | 56.2% | — |
| Avg Fight Time | 10:25 | 12:38 | — |
| % Fights Inside the Distance | 80.0% | 75.0% | — |
| Strength of UFC Schedule | |||
| Opponent UFC Win % (all) | 75.4% | 77.2% | — |
| Opponent UFC Record (all) | 92-30 (75.4%) | 190-56 (77.2%) | — |
| Opponent Record (among wins) | 82-25 (76.6%) | 120-35 (77.4%) | — |
| Positional Profile | |||
| % Time at Distance (approx.) | 73.3% | 90.2% | — |
| % Time in Control | 20.5% | 6.6% | ◀ |
| % Time Controlled | 6.3% | 3.3% | — |
| Control Rate of Clinch/Ground Time | 76.5% | 66.8% | — |
| Distance Striking | |||
| Distance Sig. Landed / Min | 5.07 | 5.84 | — |
| Distance Sig. Absorbed / Min | 5.01 | 6.75 | ◀ |
| Distance Striking Differential / Min | +0.05 | -0.91 | ◀ |
| Distance Strike Accuracy | 45.8% | 54.9% | ▶ |
| Distance Strike Defense | 63.4% | 52.8% | ◀ |
| Power & Pressure | |||
| KDs per 100 Power Strikes | 2.16 | 0.96 | ◀ |
| Knocked Down per 100 Absorbed | 0.30 | 0.34 | — |
| TD Attempts per 5 Distance Min | 1.38 | 0.41 | — |
| TDs Faced per 5 Distance Min | 1.38 | 0.82 | — |
| Fade Index (R3 / R1 pace) | 0.93 | 1.04 | — |
UFC fights only. Metrics with insufficient data show "—" and award no edge.
Methodology →
Last 5 Fights (Averages)
| Statistic | Ilia Topuria | Justin Gaethje | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sig. Strike Accuracy | 50.3% | 53.4% | — |
| Sig. Strikes Landed/min | 5.6 | 5.0 | — |
| Sig. Strikes Absorbed/min | 4.6 | 5.8 | ◄ |
| Takedown Accuracy | 75.0% | 27.3% | ◄ |
| Takedown Defense | 100.0% | 70.0% | ◄ |
| Control Time/Fight | 1:35 | 1:48 | — |
| Edges | 3 | 0 | 3 even |
Last 3 Fights
Ilia Topuria
LOSS
vs. Justin Gaethje
UFC Freedom 250 • Jun 2026LightweightTITLE
Ilia Topuria97/16260%TD 1/3Ctrl 2:32KD 1
Justin Gaethje91/19247%TD 0/5Ctrl 1:32
WIN
vs. Charles Oliveira
UFC 317: Topuria vs. Oliveira • Jun 2025LightweightTITLE
Ilia Topuria21/2972%TD 0/0Ctrl 1:01KD 1
Charles Oliveira9/1656%TD 0/2Ctrl 0:21
WIN
vs. Max Holloway
UFC 308: Topuria vs. Holloway • Oct 2024FeatherweightTITLE
Ilia Topuria75/14452%TD 2/2Ctrl 0:45KD 1
Max Holloway79/20439%TD 0/0Ctrl 0:00
Justin Gaethje
WIN
vs. Ilia Topuria
UFC Freedom 250 • Jun 2026LightweightTITLE
Justin Gaethje91/19247%TD 0/5Ctrl 1:32
Ilia Topuria97/16260%TD 1/3Ctrl 2:32KD 1
WIN
vs. Paddy Pimblett
UFC 324: Gaethje vs. Pimblett • Jan 2026LightweightTITLE
Justin Gaethje144/25457%TD 3/3Ctrl 5:55KD 2
Paddy Pimblett156/31150%TD 0/5Ctrl 0:48
WIN
vs. Rafael Fiziev
UFC 313: Pereira vs. Ankalaev • Mar 2025Lightweight
Justin Gaethje72/13454%TD 0/3Ctrl 1:32KD 1
Rafael Fiziev68/11957%TD 2/2Ctrl 0:40
Common Opponents
vs. Charles Oliveira
Ilia Topuria
WIN
UFC 317: Topuria vs. Oliveira • Jun 2025LightweightTITLE
Ilia Topuria21/2972%TD 0/0Ctrl 1:01KD 1
Charles Oliveira9/1656%TD 0/2Ctrl 0:21
Justin Gaethje
LOSS
UFC 274: Oliveira vs. Gaethje • May 2022Lightweight
Justin Gaethje21/3364%TD 0/0Ctrl 0:13KD 1
Charles Oliveira30/4764%TD 0/1Ctrl 0:39KD 1
vs. Max Holloway
Ilia Topuria
WIN
UFC 308: Topuria vs. Holloway • Oct 2024FeatherweightTITLE
Ilia Topuria75/14452%TD 2/2Ctrl 0:45KD 1
Max Holloway79/20439%TD 0/0Ctrl 0:00
Justin Gaethje
LOSS
UFC 300: Pereira vs. Hill • Apr 2024Lightweight
Justin Gaethje103/19952%TD 0/0Ctrl 0:00
Max Holloway181/30959%TD 0/0Ctrl 0:00KD 1
Analysis Summary
Striking Volume: Justin Gaethje is the busier striker, landing 6.3 significant strikes per minute vs 4.8. Their opponent absorbs 4.0 strikes per minute on average — Justin Gaethje's output should find a target.
Grappling: Ilia Topuria shoots at 57% accuracy but Justin Gaethje stops 73% of attempts — the takedown path looks difficult.
Finish Threat: Ilia Topuria finishes 78% of wins (67% KO/TKO, 11% sub). Justin Gaethje finishes 64% of wins (64% KO/TKO, 0% sub).
Fight Length: Justin Gaethje's fights average 12:38 vs 10:25 for Ilia Topuria. If this reaches the championship rounds, Justin Gaethje's conditioning history becomes a factor.