Topuria breaks silence after Gaethje loss; Makhachev
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- Ilia Topuria lost the lightweight championship to Justin Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250 at the White House, suffering eye damage from a first-round right uppercut before his corner stopped the fight before the fifth round
- Topuria posted a gracious concession on social media, captioning a post-fight embrace photo: "No excuses. I had one of the best camps of my life... Last night was your night," and admitted Gaethje "took the sight from my right eye in the first round"
- Topuria left the door open for a rematch, writing "trust me... this story between us is far from over," though the article notes an immediate rematch is unlikely given his recovery needs
- Islam Makhachev, the UFC welterweight champion and longtime Topuria rival, taunted him on Sunday: "He who exalts himself will be humbled! There are levels in this game!"
- Paddy Pimblett called Topuria "a little bitch" and "pretender chorizo" for "quitt[ing] on your stool," and called for his own undisputed title rematch with Gaethje, whom Pimblett fought in January
- The division's next contenders include Arman Tsarukyan and a resurgent Charles Oliveira, while Pimblett faces Benoit Saint Denis in the UFC 329 co-main event
Why it matters: Topuria entered UFC Freedom 250 ranked No. 2 pound-for-pound and was expected to dominate; his corner-stoppage loss to a 38-year-old Gaethje vaults Tsarukyan and Oliveira into title contention and gives Makhachev and Pimblett fresh ammunition in their long-standing rivalries with Topuria.
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