The first fight apparently wasn’t enough.
Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje are already finding reasons to start talking about round two.
Topuria has been medically cleared to return to competition after suffering the first professional loss of his MMA career against Gaethje, a defeat that also cost him the UFC lightweight championship.
And instead of quietly easing himself back into the conversation, Topuria immediately brought some controversy with him.
While discussing a potential second fight, Topuria suggested that Gaethje’s gloves should be checked if they meet again , effectively adding another layer to a rivalry that didn’t exactly need help becoming personal.
Gaethje wasn’t impressed.
He dismissed the suggestion as an excuse and pushed back against Topuria’s comments. But when it came to the part fans actually care about :whether he’d fight him again ,Gaethje made clear that he’s open to it.
That doesn’t mean you should start marking a date on your calendar yet.
The UFC has not officially announced or booked a Topuria-Gaethje rematch, and there are other possible matchups surrounding the lightweight title picture.
Still, the ingredients are very obviously there.
Topuria wants another opportunity. Gaethje isn’t shutting the door. And now there’s enough trash talk happening to keep MMA Twitter occupied until the UFC decides what comes next.
Their first fight settled who won that night.
It clearly didn’t settle the rivalry.
