Almost three months after losing his lightweight title on the White House lawn, Ilia Topuria says he is fit to fight again. His comeback message also included a dig that has reopened an old argument: a hint that Justin Gaethje had something in his gloves that night. Gaethje has now answered, and he was not impressed.
Key takeaways
- Topuria says he passed his final medical tests and is cleared to return to MMA.
- In the same post he suggested Gaethje's gloves should be checked next time. There is no evidence that anything was wrong with them.
- Gaethje replied: "Do better, kid."
- Dana White says Topuria is ready and names two options: a Gaethje rematch or Paddy Pimblett.
A one-sided night in June
Gaethje's win over Topuria at UFC Freedom 250 in June was one of the most surprising results of the year. The veteran beat up the champion for four rounds, and Topuria stayed on his stool before the fifth. His face showed how hard the fight had been, and it later emerged that he had suffered two broken orbital bones.
Recovery took time. Weeks after the fight, the 29-year-old was still seen with red eyes when he was photographed without sunglasses. His strength and conditioning coach, Jesus Gallo, told Spanish media that a return before the end of the year was still realistic.
Cleared to fight, with a message for Gaethje
On 16 September, Topuria posted on X that his final medical checks were done and that he was back. He aimed most of the post at the critics who had written him off. The last line, though, was about the man who beat him.
"Next time I'll make sure they check Justin's gloves so he doesn't put anything weird on them. See you soon."
— Ilia Topuria, on X
The idea is not new. Straight after UFC Freedom 250, a small group of fans claimed the damage to Topuria's face was too severe to be explained by gloves alone. No evidence has ever been produced to support the claim, and nothing suggests Gaethje did anything illegal.
Gaethje: "a lame excuse"
Gaethje had already laughed off the rumours during an appearance on Joe Rogan's podcast. He said that being accused of doping or of hiding bricks in his gloves was really a compliment, because it showed how dominant he had been.
After Topuria's post, he responded on X with a short message:
"94 days, and the best you could come up with is a lame excuse. As terrible as your last performance. Do better, kid."
— Justin Gaethje, UFC lightweight champion
Separately, a clip of Gaethje walking through an airport has been shared on social media. In it he says people do not believe the claims, points out that he has done the same kind of damage to everyone he has fought, and makes clear he would happily give Topuria a rematch, since he had just beaten him so badly.
What comes next for Topuria?
UFC president Dana White had already said last week that Topuria was ready. Speaking on The Jim Rome Show, he said the promotion is in regular contact with Topuria's team. He is not booked yet, but the UFC is ready when he is.
White did not pick one fight over the other. He said both a rematch with Gaethje and a fight with long-time rival Paddy Pimblett would work for the UFC. He called the Gaethje rematch "incredible" and pointed to how much Topuria and Pimblett dislike each other.
The bottom line. Topuria is healthy again, but his first move was to question how he lost rather than name an opponent. That only gives Gaethje more reason to mock him. If the UFC goes for the rematch, it will be sold on this feud. If Pimblett gets the fight instead, Topuria will have to return without the chance to put the White House defeat right.
