Justin Gaethje’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, shut down any chance of an immediate rematch with Ilia Topuria “He’s not fighting Justin Gaethje next. Only one guy in the past did that. His name is Conor McGregor, and he’s not Conor McGregor... I believe Justin Gaethje will beat him 9 out of 10 times. Justin has his number. You will never—this fight will never happen.” Topuria must now work his way through other contenders before getting another shot Via:(@submissionradio2)
Ali Abdelaziz, the manager of lightweight champion Justin Gaethje, has made clear that a rematch between Gaethje and Ilia Topuria will not be happening anytime soon, pushing back firmly on any suggestion that Topuria deserves an immediate second shot.
Abdelaziz was blunt in his assessment, invoking Conor McGregor as the only fighter in recent memory to receive back-to-back title opportunities, and drawing a sharp distinction between McGregor and Topuria. He went further, expressing confidence that Gaethje holds the edge in a hypothetical rematch, suggesting Gaethje would win nine times out of ten. His position is that Topuria must earn his way back through the contender ranks before the fight is revisited — if it ever is.
Gaethje, 37, carries a 28-5 record and holds the lightweight title. The Arizona-based fighter out of Genesis Training Center is one of the division's most active strikers, landing 6.48 significant strikes per minute at a 58 percent accuracy rate — numbers that place him among the elite in the 155-pound class.
Topuria, ranked first in the lightweight division and currently atop the pound-for-pound rankings, holds a 17-1 record. The Spanish fighter, who competes out of Climent Club, is 29 years old and operates at five-foot-seven with a 69-inch reach. He lands 4.81 significant strikes per minute and supplements his striking with nearly two takedown attempts per 15 minutes, making him a multi-dimensional threat.
Why it matters
- Abdelaziz's comments effectively close the door on any fast-tracked rematch, reshaping the lightweight division's short-term landscape.
- Topuria, despite his pound-for-pound status, will need to work through other contenders before getting another crack at the title.
- The stylistic contrast between Gaethje's heavy volume striking and Topuria's well-rounded attack makes any future matchup between them one of the division's most compelling potential bookings.
