Ilia Topuria's face appears completely healed following his bout with Justin Gaethje, according to footage confirmed by his barber to have been filmed after the fight.
New footage confirmed by Ilia Topuria's barber shows the Spanish contender's face fully recovered following his lightweight bout against Justin Gaethje, with the images verified to have been taken after the fight.
Topuria, known as "El Matador," enters the post-fight period as the number-one pound-for-pound fighter in the world and the number-two ranked lightweight. The 29-year-old Spaniard carries a 17-1-0 record and trains out of Climent Club. Standing five-foot-seven with a 69-inch reach, Topuria fights out of an orthodox stance and averages 4.81 significant strikes per minute at 48 percent accuracy, while also mixing in nearly two takedown attempts per 15 minutes.
Gaethje, nicknamed "The Highlight," is the reigning UFC Lightweight Champion and brings a 28-5-0 record into the aftermath of the contest. The 37-year-old American trains at Genesis Training Center and is one of the division's most prolific strikers, landing 6.48 significant strikes per minute at an impressive 58 percent accuracy. The five-foot-eleven Arizona native has a 70-inch reach and fights orthodox.
Why it matters
- Topuria's clean bill of health following a championship-level fight carries obvious implications for his timeline back to competition
- With Topuria ranked number two at lightweight and Gaethje holding the title, the division's landscape hinges on the outcome and what comes next for both men
- The physical contrast between the fighters — Topuria's wrestling-strike blend versus Gaethje's high-volume pressure striking — made for a compelling stylistic clash at the top of the 155-pound division
