Brown Warns Topuria On Gaethje Rematch After UFC 250 Loss

Former UFC fighter Matt Brown believes Ilia Topuria should take a tuneup bout before considering a rematch with Justin Gaethje following his devastating loss at UFC Freedom 250.

Play-by-play announcer Jon Anik recently indicated the UFC is weighing a potential Gaethje-Topuria sequel after Gaethje stopped the featherweight champion in brutal fashion last month. Topuria suffered orbital fractures in both eyes and did not answer the bell for the fifth round, losing his lightweight title in the process. As BJPenn.com first reported, Brown cautioned against rushing the former champion back into that matchup.

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"The downside of that fight, you might ruin Ilia Topuria's life," Brown said on MMA Fighting's "The Fighter vs. The Writer" podcast. "If that first fight repeats itself, I'm not sure Ilia comes back the same. I'm not sure he comes back from the first one already. If you actually care about Ilia's life, you need to put him in there with someone like a [Renato] Moicano."

Why Brown Thinks Topuria Needs A Proper Return Fight

Brown compared the situation to boxing, where fighters coming off brutal wars typically receive easier assignments before jumping back into elite competition. He referenced the Arturo Gatti-Micky Ward trilogy as a rare exception where immediate rematches after damaging fights made sense. Brown suggested a matchup against someone like Moicano would allow Topuria to rebuild confidence and his career trajectory.

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Gaethje has said he would prefer facing Max Holloway, Charles Oliveira, or Arman Tsarukyan next rather than running back the Topuria fight. The lightweight contender reportedly does not believe Topuria deserves an immediate rematch after quitting on his stool between rounds.

Tsarukyan is scheduled to face Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 331 on September 19.

Reported via:

• BJPenn — Ilia Topuria’s life could be ruined with Justin Gaethje rematch, says former UFC KO artist: “He needs a proper return fight”