The ugliest beef in the lightweight division just got even messier, and now UFC boss Dana White is catching heat for being totally out of the loop. Ilia Topuria has been all over social media, claiming Justin Gaethje tampered with his gloves before breaking Topuria’s face at UFC Freedom 250.
But when Nina Drama brought up the cheating allegations to White live on stream, he had absolutely no idea what she was talking about.
Dana White Dismisses Ilia Topuria’s Glove-Tampering Allegations
The root of this goes back to UFC Freedom 250 in June, where Justin Gaethje stopped Ilia Topuria via corner stoppage at 5:00 of round four, taking the lightweight title. He not only handed “El Matador” the first loss of his career but also left him with two broken orbital bones.
The former champion’s team demanded a rematch, but Gaethje rejected it, claiming that Topuria “quit on the stool.” Sidelined for three months during their respective physical recoveries, the division’s top two stars remained quiet until Topuria was medically cleared.
On Wednesday, Topuria accused Gaethje of glove-tampering, indirectly calling the new lightweight champion a cheater. His allegation on X garnered over 10 million views in less than 24 hours.
The controversy finally reached UFC CEO during a live Kick stream with influencer Nina-Marie Daniele at a Power Slap event. When asked if he had been tracking the online warfare between his two top lightweights, White admitted he was completely unaware of the glove-tampering allegations.
He brushed the entire saga off with a blunt, NSFW line: “No, I missed that. I try to stay away from the fight stuff cause most of it is bulls***. Social media is full of s***.”
Dana White told Nina Drama he didn’t know Ilia Topuria accused Justin Gaethje of loading his gloves
“I missed that… I try to stay away from the fight stuff. Social media is full of sh*t.” pic.twitter.com/uJFf1CVveK
— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) September 18, 2026
The glove-tampering controversy has officially become the single biggest talking point in the MMA community. And White’s lack of interest in the Topuria back-and-forth has led to even more chatter online.
Justin Gaethje Changes His Mind After Ilia Topuria’s Allegations
Gaethje fired back at the accusations, dismissing them as a “lame excuse” for a terrible performance. While Gaethje previously rejected an immediate sequel, Topuria’s viral trash talk has actually changed the champion’s mind.
In a recent interview, Gaethje opened the door to a second fight, stating, “Am I willing to? I just beat the sht out of him; of course I would.”
An immediate fight will not happen soon due to injuries. Gaethje stated he will not fight again in 2026 while he heals a severe knee bone bruise and hand injuries. He plans to return in early 2027.
While White has considered scheduling Gaethje vs. Topuria 2, the UFC CEO also mentioned matching Topuria against Paddy Pimblett first. Other top contenders like Arman Tsarukyan, Charles Oliveira, and Max Holloway want title shots as well. Both Gaethje and Topuria will likely face other opponents before they meet again.
