Justin Gaethje has revealed that he targeted what he viewed as a predictable pattern in Ilia Topuria’s footwork before defeating him to claim the UFC lightweight title at UFC Freedom 250.

Gaethje survived a difficult second round before taking control of the contest, with a corner stoppage eventually securing him the championship at the UFC’s White House event. The American has since detailed the tactical approach he used against Topuria, focusing on his opponent’s tendency to move forwards and backwards without regularly changing his rhythm.

“I guess the best explanation for you to understand is his feet never change rhythm,” said Gaethje, according to his interview with UFC Hall of Famer Demetrious Johnson. “He never changes rhythm with his feet. It’s forwards or backwards. So, ultimately, it’s about timing his feet and interrupting. The game plan was to interrupt his feet, especially when it’s so constant.”

Gaethje also said Topuria’s confidence entering the fight played a role as the contest progressed into the later rounds. “Those are emotional mistakes in preparation,” said Gaethje. “So, he wasn’t prepared for what happened that night. And that’s his fault, because he didn’t think that it was possible for someone to be there with him for that long, or whatever it was; he forgot who he was and how dangerous his game is.”

The result leaves Gaethje as the UFC lightweight champion following the stoppage victory, while Topuria will be looking to respond after Gaethje’s strategy disrupted his approach over the course of the title fight.

Gaethje stressed that previous performances ultimately had little bearing on how he approached the matchup with Topuria. “Every fight is so individual and nothing matters,” he added.