“El Matador” relinquished the lightweight crown to Gaethje in the UFC White House headliner on Sunday night, falling to his American adversary via fourth-round technical knockout when his corner waved off the fight. After looking nearly invincible for the majority of his professional tenure, Topuria was bloodied and battered by one of the sport’s most respected veterans.
The Georgian-Spaniard acknowledged as much in a post on Instagram.
“Justin, congratulations. You said you’d leave your mark on my face… and you did,” Topuria wrote. “You took the sight from my right eye in the first round, and by the end of the second, from my left too.
“No excuses. I had one of the best camps of my life. I came in sharp, prepared, and ready. Last night was your night. That’s the nature of this game. Glory and pain walk side by side.”
Another Chapter Yet to Come? Topuria emer…