Ilia Topuria Levels Strong Accusation Against Justin Gaethje After UFC Loss
Ilia Topuria Accuses Justin Gaethje After First Career Defeat
Ilia Topuria has broken his silence on social media with a sharp claim aimed at Justin Gaethje. This comes after the brutal loss he suffered to Gaethje in June, marking the first defeat of his MMA career.
The Spanish-Georgian fighter entered the UFC Freedom 250 event as the clear favorite but faced a difficult night. Except for the second round, the fight heavily favored Gaethje. In the third round, Gaethje landed a damaging left-right combo that left Topuria badly bloodied, prompting doctors to suggest stopping the fight during the extended break between rounds.
Referee Marc Goddard, however, decided not to stop the bout, citing concerns about Topuria’s vision. The fight eventually ended when Topuria's corner threw in the towel due to the injuries sustained, giving Gaethje a TKO victory in the main event.
After winning the UFC lightweight title, Gaethje was celebrated in the Octagon by former USA President Donald Trump, who was present to mark his 80th birthday and the nation's 250th anniversary.
Topuria left the fight with non-displaced fractures in both orbital bones, suffering more damage to his right eye. These injuries make him more vulnerable to serious harm in future matches. Despite this, Topuria is ready to return to competition and has announced it publicly.
Topuria’s Bold X Post
On X, Topuria revealed he has passed his final medical exams and is cleared to fight again. Alongside this news, he threw a serious accusation at Gaethje:
"Final medical tests done. I’m back. To all the clowns who’ve been talking s*** and counting me out this whole time, here I am. Now let’s see who’s got the balls. Thanks to everyone for the support. Next time I’ll make sure they check Justin’s gloves so he doesn’t put anything weird on them. See you soon."
Gaethje responded quickly, dismissing the claim with a sharp reply on X:
"94 days and the best you could come up with is a lame excuse. As terrible as your last performance. Do better, kid."
Later, Gaethje addressed the allegation in a video conversation with a fan, saying:
"People don't believe that. I've done that to everybody's face that I fought. Am I willing to [rematch him]? I just beat the s*** out of him, of course I would. That's not the way to [try and get a rematch]."
Though Gaethje had ruled out a rematch right after their June fight, this latest dispute makes a second bout unlikely. That leaves Ilia Topuria searching for a new opponent as he prepares for his comeback.
