💔 Ilia Topuria believes his brother Alex SAVED his career by stopping his fight against Justin Gaethje! The former UFC champion revealed that continuing the fight could have permanently damaged his vision and potentially ended his career. 🗣️ “If he hadn’t stopped the fight, I probably wouldn’t have been able to fight again in my life.” Despite the devastating loss, Topuria is already looking ahead. He's called out Paddy Pimblett and made it clear he also wants a rematch with Gaethje! 👀🔥 On @Kalshi there is a 49% chance that Ilia Topuria will fight Paddy Pimblett next.
Ilia Topuria says his brother Alex's decision to stop his fight against Justin Gaethje protected both his eyesight and his future in the sport. Speaking after the defeat, the former UFC champion said that had the fight continued, he probably would never have been able to compete again.
Topuria's comments reframe a painful night. Gaethje stopped him in the fourth round of their lightweight title fight at UFC Freedom 250 on June 14, 2026, a bout the record lists as a KO/TKO. Topuria has not let the loss slow his plans. He has called out Paddy Pimblett and made clear he also wants a rematch with Gaethje. On the prediction market Kalshi, there is a 49 percent chance that Topuria fights Pimblett next.
The fighters
Topuria, 29, is 17-1 and still ranked number one in the lightweight division and number one pound-for-pound. The Spanish-Georgian fighter from Climent Club lands 4.81 significant strikes per minute at 48 percent accuracy. Before the Gaethje loss, he had stopped Max Holloway in the third round at UFC 308 and Charles Oliveira in the first round at UFC 317, both in title fights.
Gaethje, 37, is the lightweight champion at 28-5. The American out of Genesis Training Center lands 6.48 significant strikes per minute at 58 percent accuracy, a higher rate than Topuria on both measures. He defended his title against Pimblett by unanimous decision at UFC 324 in January 2026 before beating Topuria.
Why it matters
- Topuria's loss to Gaethje is the only defeat on his record, and it came in a title fight.
- A Gaethje rematch would be a second meeting between two fighters whose only previous bout ended in a fourth-round stoppage.
- Pimblett lost to Gaethje by unanimous decision in January, so a Topuria-Pimblett fight would pair two men who have each lost to the current champion.
The age and size gaps are notable. Gaethje is eight years older than Topuria, but he stands six-foot-nothing... more precisely five-foot-eleven, 180 cm, against Topuria's five-foot-seven, 170 cm, and holds a three-centimeter reach edge at 178 cm to 175 cm.
