According to
Ultimate Fighting Championship two-division champ Ilia
Topuria, he’s back.
Current lightweight king and former featherweight beltholder
Topuria (17-0) declared on Thursday that he was going to return
soon to competition. The Spanish fighter born in Germany to
Georgian parents has settled his case out of court with ex-wife
Georgiana Uzcategui, with Spanish outlet Marca first breaking the news that the two had
come to an agreement.
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Per Marca, the settlement offer initially given by Topuria has been
accepted, resulting in Uzcategui withdrawing her lawsuit against
him. Recent rumors were dispelled by his post, including that he
had been forced to sell his home in Madrid, Spain. Topuria ended
any doubt by posting training
videos in that house, a standalone gym that includes ample training
gear and even a few recovery tanks like a hyperbaric chamber.
We’ll Be the Main Event
In his post on social media on Thursday, the lightweight kingpin
did not mince words. His caption, in its entirety, read, “The Champ is back!!!” It
accompanied a few photos of the athlete as well as a pair of videos
taken in his sprawling home gym that rivals professional gyms
elsewhere. If Topuria had his way, he would come back on the June
14, which is expected to be the fight card held at the White House.
Should that come to pass, he would attempt to unify his lightweight
strap with interim titleholder Justin
Gaethje.
The aforementioned Gaethje picked up interim gold—the second time
he has done so in his UFC career—by beating up on Paddy
Pimblett across five rounds. “The Highlight” agreed with
Topuria that they need to compete at the White House event this
summer. During his Thursday appearance on “The Pat
McAfee Show,” Gaethje reiterated his ideal next matchup.
“I’ve been a huge fan of this sport, and nobody is as consistent or
as exciting as me,” Gaethje boasted. “Ilia Topuria on the White
House [event]. Has to be. Has to be. No other option. Walking out
of the Oval Office into the cage, wearing the flag…I’ve been
speaking it into existence since I fought [Rafael]
Fiziev last year, I’m gonna fight—I thought it would be Topuria
in January, and then I would defend my belt on the White House card
in June.”
He continued, with a laugh, “I think we’re going to main event [the
White House card]. I think we’ll be the main event. I’m totally
guessing, throwing s–t against the wall right now. But, what else?
They had us—specifically, me, above Amanda
[Nunes] and Kayla
[Harrison], and that’s the biggest fight in women’s MMA, and
they had me above them, so I can’t imagine who would headline [over
us.]”
“The Highlight” further explained that his match with Pimblett took
a lot out of him, and that he has been recovering while not
strictly adhering to his dietary plans. With the event over four
months away and no bouts booked for it, Gaethje will soon keep
himself ready for the call he expects to come shortly.