Ever since Ilia Topuria announced on social media that he is ready to return to the UFC, fans have been wondering who the Spaniard will face next. After suffering the first MMA loss of his career against Justin Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250, Topuria has a tough road ahead. However, “El Matador” has made it clear that he doesn’t want to take a step back and is pushing for an immediate rematch with Gaethje.
But is that really the best idea? Considering the beating Topuria took on June 14, there is certainly a case for giving him some time. The Spaniard suffered two broken orbital bones, a cracked septum, and a broken foot in the fight. The damage also appeared to take an emotional toll on him.
Topuria admitted that he couldn’t even look at himself the day after the Gaethje fight. His aura of invincibility also appears to have taken a hit after suffering his first professional loss. That could be why Israel Adesanya doesn’t believe Topuria should jump straight back into a title fight.
Israel Adesanya Urges Ilia Topuria to Get Another Win Before Fighting for UFC Gold
The former two-time middleweight champion knows exactly what it takes to reclaim a belt immediately after losing it. Adesanya lost his 185-pound crown to Alex Pereira via fifth-round knockout at UFC 281. Their fight was also fueled by their long-standing kickboxing rivalry, with Pereira having already beaten Adesanya twice.
That made it three straight wins for “Poatan” over Adesanya when he captured the UFC middleweight title. However, “The Last Stylebender” bounced back in the immediate rematch at UFC 287, knocking Pereira out to reclaim the belt in spectacular fashion. Despite having successfully followed that path himself, Adesanya is advising Topuria to take a different route.
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During a recent episode of his Precision podcast, Adesanya said, “Ilia said he’s just cleared to fight recently, so he could probably fight. I think he should fight around the same time or right before. I think this year, December’s good.”
He added, “Ilia’s still a big name. I’m not going by what the internet says; I was trying to think: is it good for him to just wait and get an immediate [title shot]? After a beating like that—because again, I’ve been on the receiving end of one of them—you have to realize, OK, how can I come back from this?”
Izzy further said, “Because I know how it is as a fighter when you take an L, and you feel like, ‘Man.’ Best way I can say is, Pereira, I went back straight away because I already had an immediate rematch clause or whatever. I don’t know if Ilia has that, but I’d advise him not to take it with Justin, because I think getting another win before cracking the title shot again would be best for him.”
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Topuria was forced to quit on his stool at the end of the fourth round after taking a brutal beating from Gaethje. The result was even more surprising given that Topuria entered the fight as a massive favorite and was coming off consecutive knockout wins over Charles Oliveira, Max Holloway, and Alexander Volkanovski.
Gaethje has also recently opened the door to a rematch with Topuria after the Spaniard accused him of tampering with his gloves ahead of their June 14 clash. Meanwhile, Arman Tsarukyan just added another highlight-reel win to his record, and Dana White finally appears to be back in his corner. With all of that happening, the lightweight title picture could look very different by the time Topuria returns.
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.
