Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje have been handed six-month suspensions following their brutal title fight last weekend at the UFC's White House card. Gaethje stopped Topuria in the fourth round to become the UFC lightweight champion, with the Spaniard's corner pulling him out after the round.
Medical Suspensions Imposed
Both fighters must serve six-month suspensions unless cleared by a doctor. Topuria specifically requires the green light from an oral and maxillofacial surgeon after suffering two broken orbital bones. He was also handed a mandatory 60-day suspension due to the fight ending in a technical knockout.
Alex Pereira, who was stopped in the co-main event by Ciryl Gane in their interim heavyweight title fight, also received a six-month suspension, but Gane was handed just an eight-day ban. Aiemann Zahabi, stopped by Sean O'Malley, was the fourth fighter to receive the maximum suspension.
Topuria's Recovery and Reaction
Topuria will not require surgery on his injuries and is recuperating at home in Spain. He broke his silence on social media, congratulating Gaethje and vowing to return. “Justin, congratulations,” he said. “You said you’d leave your mark on my face… and you did. You took the sight from my right eye in the first round, and by the end of the second, from my left too. No excuses. I had one of the best camps of my life. I came in sharp, prepared, and ready. Last night was your night. That’s the nature of this game. Glory and pain walk side by side. I’ll heal, I’ll rest and I’ll return stronger, wiser, and far more dangerous. And trust me… this story between us is far from over. We will have our rematch.”
Gaethje's Perspective
Reflecting on his win, Gaethje said: "I said it in the press conference leading up... he really backed himself into a corner, saying he's going to be so dominant. And I said it; when we go to the second round, you're going to be like, 'What the f***?' Then the third round, and that's what I did today. I never felt he was broken because he was so dangerous the whole time, but in the third round, when I started landing those jabs, when I started finding his back foot, I knew something was different."
