Ilia Topuria: “He quit on the stool”

Justin Gaethje is in no mood to hand Ilia Topuria a rematch after UFC Freedom 250. ‘The Highlight’ shocked the world with his performance at the grand event as he dethroned Topuria to become the new lightweight champion.

This was Gaethje’s biggest win ever, and there have been calls from some corners to retire while at the top of the game.

Joe Rogan asked Gaethje about this possibility during the latest episode of the Joe Rogan podcast, and Gaethje shot that down immediately:

“Right now, I’m planning on it [to continue fighting]. There’s not something natural in me that feels like it’s over.”

The UFC commentator and podcaster then asked if Arman Tsarukyan should be Gaethje’s first title defense, but the American wasn’t thinking of who he would fight next:

“I can’t say that I have a name.”

Rogan then pushed for a rematch against Topuria, but Gaethje immediately shot that down, too:

“He doesn’t get a rematch. He can try, but he doesn’t get one. He quit on the stool. He quit twice, I stopped him twice. What else do I have to f****** do?”

Topuria’s corner had to stop the fight at UFC Freedom 250. This took place in the fourth round, while the doctor also checked on Topuria at the end of the third round, and it seemed that the clash would come to a halt then.

Gaethje also suggested that Topuria should fight someone else next, and that could be Paddy Pimblett.

“His next challenge can’t be me. He needs to fight Paddy or someone like that.”

Check out Justin Gaethje speaking about Ilia Topuria below:

Justin Gaethje claims Ilia Topuria wanted to quit

In the same episode of the Joe Rogan podcast, Justin Gaethje claimed that Ilia Topuria telling the doctor that he could not see at the end of the third round was clear proof that ‘El Matador’ wanted to quit.

While Marc Goddard and the doctor allowed Topuria to continue and fight in the fourth round, Gaethje claimed a fighter should never make that statement:

“He wanted out. He wanted out. You know for a fact you do not ever as a fighter say ‘I cannot see’, it’s over. And he was counting on that. He had already stated it, he didn’t need to say it again.”

Gaethje, however, claimed that Topuria changed his mind and continued to fight, but believed that he stopped the former champion twice:

“I stopped him twice. I stopped him twice that night, no doubt about it.”