Just a day ago, Ilia Topuria made some explosive claims about his first-ever defeat at UFC Freedom 250. While he was humble in the immediate aftermath of the fight and promised not to make any excuses, his stance appears to have changed three months after the event.
Topuria took to social media and suggested that Justin Gaethje may have tampered with his gloves during their June 14 bout. He pointed to the immense damage he suffered in the fight, including two broken orbital bones and a shattered septum, while making the accusation.
With his trainer recently revealing that Topuria will be ready to fight from February onward, the former champion also announced that he is now medically cleared for his next fight. He wrote, “Final medical tests done. I’m back. To all the clowns who’ve been talking shit and counting me out this whole time, here I am. Now let’s see who’s got the balls. Thanks to everyone for the support.”
Final medical tests done. I’m back. To all the clowns who’ve been talking shit and counting me out this whole time, here I am. Now let’s see who’s got the balls. Thanks to everyone for the support. Next time I’ll make sure they check Justin’s gloves so he doesn’t put anything…
— Ilia Topuria (@Topuriailia) September 16, 2026
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He added, “Next time I’ll make sure they check Justin’s gloves so he doesn’t put anything weird on them. See you soon.” Naturally, the post drew a response from Gaethje, who fired back at Topuria and dismissed the accusation as an excuse.
He wrote, “94 days and the best you could come up with is a lame excuse. As terrible as your last performance. Do better, kid.” However, the back-and-forth appears to have changed Gaethje’s stance on an immediate rematch with Topuria, something he had rejected ever since his win, when he made the Spaniard quit at the end of the fourth round.
Gaethje previously said Topuria needed to beat a top contender before getting another shot at the belt. He also revealed that he did not plan to fight again this year. However, “The Highlight” now seems open to running it back with Topuria.
While addressing the accusations, Gaethje told Joe Andaloro, “I’m just going to enjoy being the champ. People don’t believe that. I’ve done that to everybody’s face that I’ve fought.”
He then gave his nod to a potential rematch, saying, “We’ll see; time will tell. Am I willing to? I just beat the shit out of him. Of course I would.”
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The change in tone isn’t too surprising, especially with reports of a potential mega-rematch between the two floating around internally. Dana White was also recently asked about Topuria’s return and appeared open to an immediate rematch with Gaethje or even a potential blood feud with Paddy Pimblett.
For now, the lightweight title picture remains wide open, and Topuria’s return could add another major twist to the division.
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.
