TLDR
- Ilia Topuria lost his lightweight title to Justin Gaethje in June at UFC Freedom 250 in Washington, D.C.
- Topuria’s brother stopped the fight, which Gaethje’s manager Ali Abdelaziz says may have saved Topuria’s career
- Gaethje’s team has shut down Topuria’s request for a rematch, calling chances ‘practically zero’
- Topuria is now targeting a fight with Paddy Pimblett, possibly as coaches on The Ultimate Fighter
- Gaethje is considering retirement, which could leave the lightweight title vacant again
Sources: yardbarker.com | mmafighting.com | sports.yahoo.com
Former UFC two-division champion Ilia Topuria is calling for a rematch with lightweight champion Justin Gaethje, but the request has been firmly rejected. Topuria lost his lightweight title to Gaethje in June at UFC Freedom 250, held on the White House South Lawn in Washington, D.C.
Topuria recently asked his Instagram followers who they wanted to see him fight next: Gaethje or Paddy Pimblett. Over 400,000 people voted for the Gaethje rematch.
However, Gaethje’s manager Ali Abdelaziz quickly shut down the possibility. “The rematch will never happen, and I agree with him – his brother saved his life,” Abdelaziz wrote on social media.
Ilia Topuria says Justin Gaethje is a "nobody" and doesn't call the shots 😬
"He won't have any say in absolutely anything. He doesn't call any shots. This is between the UFC and me. Whatever we decide, whatever's best for us, that's what Justin will do.
Justin is a nobody.… pic.twitter.com/5Qkjr5qzPr
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) November 6, 2026
Abdelaziz said that recovering from the trauma of a title fight loss like that is extremely difficult. “I’ve seen Justin do this to many people, and coming back wasn’t easy for them,” he added.
Brother’s Intervention May Have Prevented Serious Damage
Topuria’s brother stopped the fight during the June championship bout. Abdelaziz’s comments suggest the stoppage may have prevented more serious damage to the former champion.
Topuria had previously moved up from featherweight to lightweight, where he knocked out Charles Oliveira to win the vacant lightweight title at UFC 317. The victory made him a two-division champion before Gaethje defeated him.
Gaethje became the undisputed lightweight champion after the June fight. He had previously won interim gold by defeating Pimblett at UFC 324 in January.
Pimblett Fight Could Be Next
With the Gaethje rematch off the table, Topuria has turned his attention to Paddy Pimblett. The two fighters have been rivals for years but have never faced each other in the cage.
“Paddy, Paddy, Paddy… I’ll eat him up like the sausage he is!” Topuria told ABC.es. “With that head of his, you just aim the punch that way and hit him.”
Rumors suggest the UFC could feature Topuria and Pimblett as opposing coaches on The Ultimate Fighter. Neither the UFC nor Dana White has confirmed these plans.
Topuria said he hasn’t had official conversations with the UFC about The Ultimate Fighter yet. “When we resume talks with them, we’ll see if we’re on the same page,” he explained.
Pimblett has also expressed interest in the matchup, suggesting they could “bring the ratings back” to the reality show. After losing to Gaethje, Pimblett entered the cage to confront Topuria when he was lightweight champion.
Topuria dismissed Pimblett’s abilities compared to Gaethje. “Justin is a dog; he knows how to dodge punches, he’s very experienced, and he’s very freestyle,” Topuria said.
He claimed Pimblett is predictable with no knockout power or unexpected techniques. “Paddy has nothing, no knockout punch, no unexpected takedowns, no submissions out of nowhere,” Topuria stated.
If a potential fight between Topuria and Pimblett happens, it could serve as a title eliminator. However, the lightweight division remains uncertain.
Gaethje has not decided whether to continue fighting or retire from MMA. If he retires, the lightweight title would become vacant again.
Topuria believes a strong performance against Pimblett could put him back in title contention. “You’re only as good as your last fight,” he said.
The UFC has not confirmed several early 2027 event dates or locations. For now, the lightweight division remains in a holding pattern as Gaethje considers his future.
