Ilia Topuria lost to Justin Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250, with Gaethje becoming the new lightweight champion.
What happened?
Gaethje successfully dethroned Ilia Topuria, but the fight was intense, with Topuria showing flashes of brilliance and hurting Gaethje with body shots.
Gaethje believes Topuria's actions after landing the shots led to his demise, as Topuria tried to finish the fight but ended up exhausting himself.
Why it matters for Ilia Topuria
Ilia Topuria has established himself as a knockout artist, but he also has more career submission victories than knockouts, which made Gaethje understand why Topuria welcomed the grappling exchanges.
Gaethje attributes his win to Topuria's mistake, comparing it to Shane Carwin's energy crash against Brock Lesnar.
What comes next?
Ilia Topuria will look to bounce back from this loss, having previously won titles in two divisions and cementing himself as the number two pound-for-pound in the world.
Gaethje's win has significant implications for the lightweight division, with Topuria's loss marking a major upset.
And Gaethje's ability to thrive in chaotic moments was on full display, as he endured punishment to get the win.
But Topuria's expertise in striking and submissions makes him a formidable opponent, and he will look to regain his footing in the division.
So the question remains, what's next for Ilia Topuria after this tough loss to Justin Gaethje.
Ilia Topuria had landed some clean shots, and Gaethje thinks that made Topuria sense he was in trouble and hurt, leading to Topuria's mistake.
Gaethje said he told Trevor that Topuria hurting him to the body was one of the main reasons he won, as it made Topuria dump everything and try to take him out.
Gaethje's experience and skill ultimately paid off, as he was able to outlast Topuria and secure the win.
Ilia Topuria's loss at UFC Freedom 250 was a significant upset, and he will look to learn from his mistakes and come back stronger.