Ilia Topuria took his beating like a warrior. Just hours after being handed the first loss of his MMA career — and in brutal fashion — Topuria took to social media to offer sincere congratulations to Justin Gaethje and a promise about his future.
Via Topuria’s Instagram, the former featherweight and lightweight champion wrote:
Justin, congratulations. You said you’d leave your mark on my face… and you did.You took the sight from my right eye in the first round, and by the end of the second, from my left too.No excuses.I had one of the best camps of my life. I came in sharp, prepared, and ready. Last night was your night.That’s the nature of this game. Glory and pain walk side by side.I’ll heal. I’ll rest. And I’ll return stronger, wiser, and far more dangerous.And trust me… this story between us is far from over.We will have our rematch.
After suffering the brutal fourth-round TKO loss to Gaethje by corner stoppage, there wasn’t a more honorable way for Topuria to acknowledge defeat. Despite all of the bitter words exchanged between the two men leading up to the fight, you could tell there was real mutual respect between the combatants.
Gaethje, a former two-time interim titlist, is now the undisputed UFC lightweight champion after the biggest win of his career. The victory further cemented a legacy that already had Gaethje destined for the UFC Hall of Fame.
He had lost both of his previous title shots, including a 2020 unification bout against Khabib Nurmagomedov. He’d also suffered his own brutal loss on another of the promotion’s biggest shows. At UFC 300, Gaethje was knocked out cold by Max Holloway in arguably the most viral KO in MMA history.
The stumbles made the moment on the South Lawn that much sweeter. For Topuria, it was a first defeat in 18 pro fights and the first blemish on a résumé that had him in the pound-for-pound conversation.
The moment Topuria captured in his corner after the fight was stopped was the purest example of what combat sports can and should be.
The fight itself was one of the best of the year, and one of the most memorable lightweight clashes in history, and that would have been the case even if the event hadn’t taken place at the White House.
The fight had everything: epic exchanges on the feet, thrilling grappling with near-submission finishes and massive momentum shifts. In the second round, it looked like Topuria was going to get the finish after he landed a series of brutal body shots and nearly tapped Gaethje out with a triangle choke attempt.
Gaethje weathered the storm and badly beat Topuria in the third. The doctor nearly stopped the fight at the end of that round because Topuria’s vision was impaired from the punches and perhaps a few thumbs to the eye.
The fight was allowed to continue after referee Marc Goddard and officials seemed to muscle the doctor off his initial stance, which proved to be correct based on Topuria’s own statement.
As it is, Topuria fought well in the fourth but seemed to suffer more damage around the eyes, and his corner made the wise decision to end the fight and let their champion live to fight another day.
What a fight. What a warrior.
As for his future, Topuria should take some time away to heal. Whether Gaethje will still be champion by the time he returns is unknown. Gaethje has flirted with retirement before, and he could also take another fight and lose.
Topuria wants a rematch, and he deserves one, but only time will tell.