Newly-crowned lightweight champion, Ilia Topuria appears to have gone back on his word of promise to former interim champion, Justin Gaethje, playing down a showdown after his title coronation overnight at UFC 317.
Topuria, who vacated his featherweight crown earlier this year, managed to add the lightweight crown to his mantle overnight, finishing former gold holder, Charles Oliveira.
And predicting a knock out win inside the opening three minutes, the Spaniard follow through on that assertion, dropping and stopping the Sao Paulo favorite in devastating fashion.
Seemingly lined up to defend his lightweight crown against the polarizing, Paddy Pimblett in the immediate aftermath of UFC 317, Ilia Topuria was joined in the Octagon by the Liverpool grappler for an expletive-filled face-off.
However, prior to his win overnight, Topuria welcomed the chance to defend his crown against former interim and symbolic BMF champion, Gaethje, describing the Arizona native as the most deserving of a charge to the throne.
Ilia Topuria plays down title fight with Justin Gaethje next
But overnight, the unbeaten Spanish knockout star speculated that fans would not be receptive to a pairing, citing an apparant lack of interest in the showdown.
“Fighting against Justin Gaethje, I don’t think that’s gonna be something exciting for the fans,” Ilia Topuria told ESPNMMA after his win at UFC 317. “We need new blood in the division. We need new faces that come hungrier than the guys that we are used to seeing in the past.”
And news of Topuria’s change in tune could spell bad news for fans of perennial contender, Gaethje.
Sidelined since UFC 313, Gaethje claimed through his manager he would retire if he was overlooked for a title shot in his return, following a short-notice rematch decision win over recent UFC Baku winner, Rafael Fiziev.
“If anyone says he doesn’t deserve it [title shot], he [Gaethje] said, ‘I’m not gonna fight for the title? I’m just gonna hang up by gloves,” Ali Abdelaziz told Submission Radio. “. . . He said, ‘I’m not gonna get a title shot, I feel disrespected. . . I love the UFC, but I feel the UFC have to love me back.’ He doesn’t feel the love right now.”
