Former interim UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje has started ramping up his strength and conditioning work ahead of his scheduled clash with undefeated champion Ilia Topuria. The two are set to face each other at UFC Freedom 250 on June 14 at the White House.

Recent workout videos of Gaethje’s training camp have emerged on Isaac Sprinkle's, a sports performance coach, Instagram account. The videos showcase Gaethje partaking in intense strength training drills.

The video, captioned "Strength and power work for @justin_gaethje at @onxlabs... 4 weeks out - big focus on getting strong and using our strength to be as powerful as possible."

The video features Gaethje throwing a medicine ball at high velocity, an exercise known as MB Overhead Slams. The exercise uses a small medicine ball to improve explosive power.

Next, follow heavy pull-ups, building upper-body strength and grip strength. Adding a weighted belt to the drill increases muscle and strength gains.

The next clip features Gaethje performing banded speed trap bar deadlifts, to maximize lower-body power. The addition of a resistance band increases tension in the body, forcing him to push through the movement rather than slow down.

He ends the training with banded speed benches, Plyo pushups, and medicine ball (MB) throws. These exercises increase his strength and activate fast-twitch muscles.

The ONX Labs tagged in the Instagram video is a high-end combat sports gear and performance company created by legendary MMA coach Trevor Wittman, a three-time MMA Coach of the Year winner.

The high-intensity footage highlights Gaethje's preparation for the unification match.

What Makes the Topuria vs Gaethje Fight So High-Stakes

Ilia Topuria is returning in one of the UFC’s biggest settings yet, headlining the Freedom 250 card at the White House against Justin Gaethje in a lightweight title unification bout.

According to Damon Martin of MMA Fighting, the matchup carries added weight because Topuria has not fought since defeating Charles Oliveira to win the vacant lightweight belt after Islam Makhachev moved out of the division. His return was delayed after taking time away during a divorce from his ex-wife.

Meanwhile, the UFC created an interim title fight between Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett at UFC 324. Gaethje dominated the five-round fight and secured a unanimous decision victory to capture interim gold.

Now, both champions meet to unify the lightweight titles in the main event of the historic White House card announced by UFC CEO Dana White.

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Written by

Avantika Das

Edited by

Rudra Dubey