Ilia Topuria loss to Justin Gaethje and planned return, Digi Mart USA News: Ilia Topuria has finally lost a fight, and according to the publisher, that loss has set him free to be better than ever. In June, Topuria defended his lightweight title against Justin Gaethje in the main event of UFC White House.
Topuria was a heavy favorite and won, and it was widely expected that he would have the rare chance to pursue triple-champ status by moving up to challenge Islam Makhachev for the welterweight title.
Instead, Gaethje scored one of the upsets of the year, battering Topuria to a corner stoppage at the end of the fourth round. Since the loss, Topuria has mostly kept quiet.
Earlier this week, UFC CEO Dana White revealed that the promotion was planning for Topuria’s return in early 2027, and Topuria has begun making media appearances again.
On Thursday, ABC Diario released a preview clip of an upcoming interview in which Topuria addresses the loss to Gaethje and his comeback. In the clip, he said, “I’ve been in the worst situation a fighter can possibly be in.
I’ve experienced the worst day of my career. What’s worse than that?
Dying?”
Topuria also said he has faced questions over the past five or six months about whether something was off. “One thing is clear: you either win or you lose, and I lost,” he said.
He added, “If I wake up in the morning and look in the mirror and it was like, ‘No, no, no, no, no, this is not me.'”
Topuria appears to be at peace with the defeat. While he intends to return to action, the former two-division champion suggested he might even retire afterward.
“I’ve achieved everything, and after this fight, what else?” he said. “Maybe I’ll even retire.”
For now, Topuria is focused on his return, which he promises will show a fighter better than ever. “Like you have never seen him before,” he said.
“From April onward is when we are considering returning. I have always been aware that in this life, not everything is a bed of roses, even though I’ve never had it before.”
When he does come back, one name is on his mind: longtime rival Paddy Pimblett. “Paddy, Paddy, Paddy,” Topuria said.
“I’ll eat him like a sausage, which he is.”
