Justin Gaethje says Ilia Topuria must prove himself before a
rematch. | 📷: Getty/UFC


Justin
Gaethje believes Ilia
Topuria has to work his way back into title contention.

Gaethje challenged Topuria for the undisputed
Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight title at
UFC Freedom 250. While Topuria was a massive betting favorite
and nearly found a finish in the second round of their bout,
Gaethje rallied to pile on the damage in the next two frames.

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The fight ultimately ended due to a corner stoppage before the
final round and Gaethje was crowned the new undisputed champion.
Topuria subsequently vowed to make amends in a rematch on social
media, but the Georgian-Spaniard will need to return to the win
column before another title shot, according to the new lightweight
king.

UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje says Ilia Topuria must
return to the win column

Gaethje was recently asked if he would consider an immediate
rematch against Topuria. „The Highlight“ shut down the idea,
doubting whether Topuria would even ask for an immediate rematch.
The American believes Arman
Tsarukyan is way more deserving of the next lightweight title
shot and notes that he didn’t dispatch Topuria with a lucky shot.
The UFC lightweight champion further added that Topuria hasn’t been
seen much in public since the brutal loss.

“No, he’s not fighting me next,” Gaethje told RMC Sport Combat.
“Why would he fight me next? Arman deserves it way more than him… I
didn’t knock him out, I didn’t get lucky, I beat him up. He’s gonna
have to get a win before he fights for a championship… He didn’t
say he wanted a rematch. If he uses his mouth and says, ‘I want a
rematch,’ I will be very surprised. We haven’t even seen him.”

Topuria (17-1) was undefeated with consecutive knockout wins over
Alexander
Volkanovski, Max
Holloway, and Charles
Oliveira before facing Gaethje (28-5). „El Matador“ isn’t the
only contender gunning for a rematch with Gaethje, with Paddy
Pimblett and Holloway, who returned to winning ways at
UFC 329, also in the running for a shot at the 155-pound
title.

IMAK ADMIN

By IMAK ADMIN

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