Ilia Topuria Says Brother Saved His Career by Stopping Gaethje Fight
Topuria reveals the injuries that nearly ended his career and why his brother made the right call.
Ilia Topuria now calls the worst night of his professional career the one that may have saved it.
The former two-division champion told One on One MMA that his brother Aleksandre's decision to stop his fight against Justin Gaethje after the fourth round at UFC Freedom 250 in June prevented what could have been permanent damage. Topuria suffered fractures to both orbital bones, his nose and his foot during the lightweight title bout, his first professional loss.
"I respect the decision that my brother took in that moment," Topuria said, per Sherdog. He described blood pooling in his eyes and a sensation like thousands of crystals inside them, leaving him unable to see.
Asked whether the stoppage was necessary, Topuria did not hesitate. He said it was 100 percent the right call and that without it he would probably not be able to fight again. The corner stoppage drew mixed reactions from fans at the time, but the injury list puts those complaints to rest.
Topuria has not yet been cleared for contact training. He expects to resume full training in January 2027 and is targeting a return to competition between April and June. He wants a rematch with Gaethje, though no bout has been announced and Gaethje's management has publicly said the rematch will never happen.
This is the part of fighting nobody glamorizes. You have got a guy who held belts in two weight classes, could not see out of both eyes, had bones broken in his face and foot, and his brother had to make the hardest call a corner can make. Aleksandre Topuria saved his brother's career that night. Full stop.
I have seen too many corners let their guy take punishment because they do not want to be the ones who quit. That family made the right choice, and now Ilia can actually come back. The timeline he is laying out, April to June 2027, is smart. No need to rush. Let everything heal right, then come back with a purpose.
Whether or not the Gaethje rematch happens, Topuria at full health is still one of the most dangerous fighters on the planet. But he is only dangerous if his orbital bones are intact.
