Anthony Smith urges Ilia Topuria quick return after Gaethje loss

Anthony Smith thinks Ilia Topuria needs to get back in the cage before the year ends.

Topuria dropped his lightweight title to Justin Gaethje at UFC White House on Sunday when his corner stopped the fight after four rounds. The previously undefeated Georgian-Spaniard entered as a heavy favorite and had predicted a first-round knockout, even hosting a pre-fight celebration dinner. Gaethje bloodied him in the opening frame, weathered a second-round surge, then unloaded brutal punishment in rounds three and four until Topuria's team threw in the towel.

Why Smith wants Topuria back in action soon

Smith told The Ariel Helwani Show that sitting on the loss will compound the mental damage, especially given the spotlight Topuria commands. "I'd like to see him at the end of the year," Smith said, per Sherdog. "You don't want to sit on that too long because it'll f*ck with you. It'll mess with how you feel about yourself, especially when you're the level of superstar that he is."

The former heavyweight/" class="internal-link text-bone underline decoration-ash/30 hover:decoration-gold underline-offset-2">light heavyweight title challenger noted that Topuria talked big before the fight and will have to live with that for a while. "He had a celebratory dinner beforehand, and people were practically holding a funeral for Gaethje before the fight," Smith said. "You're going to have to eat that s**t for a minute. The quicker you can get back, be healthy, and try to get that monkey off your back, the better."

Gaethje captured the undisputed lightweight strap in his third title attempt, handing Topuria the first defeat of his professional career. No timetable has been announced for Topuria's next appearance.

Reported via:

• Sherdog — Longtime UFC veteran encourages Ilia Topuria to make quick return