Justin Gaethje is making things personal with Ilia Topuria just two weeks prior to UFC Freedom 250.

Gaethje and Topuria are set to collide in a lightweight title unification bout on June 14. In the buildup to the fight, things had been fairly cordial between “The Highlight” and “El Matador” outside of the typical competitive talk. Things took a bit of a turn when Topuria released a video of himself attending a mock funeral for all of his fallen opponents, and included Gaethje as his next “victim.”

Gaethje’s father referred to Topuria as “another little short guy.” Of course, Topuria responded and said, “fathers hope, champions know.” It appears that interaction was enough for Gaethje to make things personal during an appearance on FOX News Australia. The interim UFC lightweight titleholder took a dig at Topuria’s divorce from Giorgina Uzcategui (h/t MMAJunkie).

“All that guy is, is a gimmick,” Gaethje said. “He calls himself the king. He thinks he’s a God. What an annoying little bastard. I couldn’t imagine being in a room with him for 30 minutes listening to him talk about himself.

“And I can say this: I would leave him. That’s all I’m saying. I would leave him. No way I would put up with his sh*t.”

Gaethje has yet to earn the undisputed distinction under the UFC banner. This is his second run with interim gold, and it might be his last chance to be recognized as the main champion of a division in the top MMA promotion.

Topuria is focused on continuing to build his legacy having already won titles in two weight classes. His ultimate goal is to meet Islam Makhachev for the UFC Welterweight Championship at some point.

What do you make of Justin Gaethje getting personal with Ilia Topuria? Was the comment justified, or did Gaethje step out of line? Share your opinion in the comments below.