Makhachev On Topuria's UFC 250 Loss To Gaethje

Islam Makhachev expects Ilia Topuria to recover from the first loss of his professional career.

Topuria suffered a broken orbital and was stopped after four rounds by Justin Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250 in June, ending his undefeated run and costing him the lightweight title. The former two-division champion reportedly could not continue for the fifth round after absorbing significant boxing damage from Gaethje despite landing a body shot that dropped the challenger earlier in the fight.

Makhachev Predicts Topuria Can Reclaim Gold

Speaking to UFC Hall of Famer Demetrious Johnson, Makhachev offered a measured assessment of Topuria's future. "He's still young bro, he has time. I hope he will come back," Makhachev said, per BJPenn.com. "Ilia's a good fighter bro. He has good punches, good wrestling. If he focuses, maybe he'll be champion again. But this fight changed his life. But we don't know which way."

The lightweight champion's comments carry weight given Topuria had previously called him out before moving up in weight. Topuria's striking earned him knockout wins over Alexander Volkanovski, Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira before Gaethje handed him his first professional defeat.

Topuria has been spotted in public as his facial injuries heal. Questions remain about whether the beating will affect his willingness to engage in the pocket, where his boxing had previously made him one of the sport's most feared finishers.

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• BJPenn — Islam Makhachev shares words of encouragement for Ilia Topuria: “I hope he will come back”