UFC commentator Jon Anik stated that the promotion may be planning a rematch for the lightweight title between Georgian-born Spaniard Ilia Topuria and American Justin Gaethje. Last fight was timed to coincide with the 250th anniversary of the United States and took place on June 14, the day of President Donald Trump's 80th birthday, on the South Lawn of the White House. Then the American fighter won by technical knockout after the fourth round.
As a result of that fight, 37-year-old Gaethje became the UFC lightweight champion for the first time in his career. He has 28 wins and 5 losses at the professional level. 29-year-old Topuria then suffered the first defeat of his career with 17 victories.
“If you have Ilia Topuria as a promoter, wouldn't you want to think about bringing him back into a title fight, given how big UFC Freedom 250 was? I think this is being seriously considered. Gaethje's second fight against Topuria would be absolutely huge. And, as I assume, this is exactly what will happen,” said Anik.
Gaethje, according to Anik, “is much more concerned about the fee than who he will fight.” The commentator also mentioned that “there is a clear basis” for a fight between Topuria and British fighter Paddy Pimblett.
At the same time, podcaster and promotion commentator Joe Rogan spoke out against an immediate rematch, citing Topuria’s serious injuries. Noting the fractures of two orbital bones, he stressed that the athlete “will need about six months before he can spar again.”
“He [Топурия] will be back and in better shape than ever. Sometimes defeat is the most important thing that can happen to a fighter. You can only have a few of these tough fights in your career. Many fighters, including great ones, have made the mistake of coming back too early,” Rogan said.
Topuria is very strong psychologically, and in this regard he will be able to recover faster, the podcaster noted. At the same time, Rogan emphasized that after such injuries one cannot rush to return, especially in a situation where the fighter is already “established and recognized”: in this case, the athlete, according to the ex-commentator, “has no need to rush.”
At the time of writing, no official statements from the UFC regarding the rematch have been published.
