The hottest topic in the UFC right now is who Justin Gaethje will face once he recovers from the injuries he suffered at UFC Freedom 250. “The Highlight” picked up a huge win on June 14, battering Ilia Topuria and forcing the Spaniard to quit on his stool at the end of the fourth round.
While Gaethje initially rejected the idea of an immediate rematch, his stance appeared to change after Topuria revealed his plans to return and accused him of tampering with his gloves. However, plenty of critics believe a champion who got battered, quit, and never defended his title during his reign shouldn’t be handed another title shot.
That brings Arman Tsarukyan into the picture. UFC 331 turned into a huge night for Tsarukyan as the Armenian scored a vicious first-round knockout over Mauricio Ruffy. The co-main event ended at the 4:56 mark, with Tsarukyan landing a nasty elbow in the corner and sending Ruffy into the shadow realm.
Since then, Tsarukyan has gotten back into Dana White’s good graces and added more fuel to his rivalry with Gaethje by accusing the veteran of ducking him. With a six-fight winning streak and a spot at the top of the lightweight rankings, Tsarukyan certainly has a strong case for a title shot.
While the UFC’s matchmaking process can be unconventional, Gaethje’s manager Ali Abdelaziz has now seemingly ruled out another fight with Topuria.
Ali Abdelaziz Confirms Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje 2 Won’t Happen Next for UFC Gold
In an interview with Submission Radio, Abdelaziz said, “He’s not fighting Justin Gaethje next. He doesn’t call the shots. Only one guy in the past did that, and his name is Conor McGregor, and he’s not Conor McGregor. Nobody is.”
He added, “He was a favorite because everybody thought he was better than Justin. I believe Justin Gaethje will beat him nine out of 10 times. You know why? Justin has his number. I don’t think he can beat Justin Gaethje.”
Abdelaziz argued that Gaethje has nothing to gain from facing Topuria again, while another loss would be disastrous for the Spaniard. He added, “He thinks he can, and he should think he can. He was close to beating Justin Gaethje, but he didn’t. At the end of the day, this fight will never happen. I can tell you this: Justin Gaethje has zero gain to beat Ilia Topuria again.”
He concluded with, “And the UFC, they do good business. Why put a chance for one of your biggest champions you could have to lose again, and he’ll be damaged goods for life? It will be crazy.”
Ali Abdelaziz confirms we will not see a Justin Gaethje/Ilia Topuria rematch next:
“He’s not fighting Justin Gaethje next… I believe Justin Gaethje will beat him nine out of 10 time. You know why? Justin have his number… this fight will never happen. I can tell you this.”… pic.twitter.com/QzGtm4Dkzn
— Submission Radio (@SubmissionRadio) September 22, 2026
ALSO READ: Former UFC Champion Warns Ilia Topuria Against Jumping Straight Into Justin Gaethje Rematch
Abdelaziz also addressed Topuria’s accusations that Gaethje allegedly had something unusual inside his gloves on June 14. Dana White and CSAC director Andy Foster have already dismissed the claims, and the manager believes Topuria brought them up to push for another fight while taking attention away from Tsarukyan’s UFC 331 performance.
He added, “If this is what he wants to say, that he had rocks in his gloves. That’s a compliment to Justin Gaethje, how hard he punches,” Abdelaziz said. “I’m not going to be insulted by that, because the Las Vegas Commission was there, the D.C. Commission was there, Andy Foster from California was there. He had three commissions watching him about the gloves.”
The MMA manager concluded with, “But he said that (during) Arman’s fight week to take away from Arman and Ruffy’s hype. This is what Conor used to do, and he did a good job. He got himself in the media.”
White has expressed interest in both Topuria and Tsarukyan potentially getting title shots down the line. For now, though, all eyes will be on the UFC to see who gets the nod first once Gaethje is ready to return.
Kshitiz Kumar Singh is a UFC Writer at NY Fights with over three years of experience in sports journalism and content creation. Known for his sharp storytelling and passion for combat sports, he has written in-depth features on stars like Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, and Ilia Topuria. Before joining NY Fights, Kshitiz worked as a UFC Editor at EssentiallySports while currently serving as a WWE Editor at FirstSportz. His admiration for legends like Georges St-Pierre continues to inspire his detailed and engaging MMA coverage. Whether he’s covering the Octagon or the squared circle, Kshitiz is committed to delivering accurate, high-quality content. Outside the world of sports, he’s a dedicated cinephile, often found practicing monologues from his favorite Al Pacino films, combining his love for cinema with storytelling.
