Unbeaten Ilia Topuria Is Down, And Justin Gaethje's New Undisputed Title Already Has Two Major Challengers Circling

Okay, fam. You guys. Seriously. If you missed the absolute BOMB that dropped in the UFC last Sunday night, you have GOT to hear this. Justin Gaethje, our absolute warrior, pulled off one of the most unbelievable upsets we've seen in forever, right there at the White House! The man walked in as a major underdog, facing Ilia Topuria, who, let's be real, was absolutely unbeaten. Nobody thought it would happen, but Gaethje just walked out with the undisputed lightweight title! Can you believe it? After almost a DECADE in the UFC, our guy finally holds that belt outright. And guess what? The ink's barely dry, and he's already got a massive target on his back, with two familiar contenders literally lining up to take what he just earned.

Charles Oliveira Wants His Symbolic Belt Back

So, who's first to make their move? None other than Charles Oliveira! Dude wasted zero time, hitting up X this Monday, calling for a rematch with Gaethje. And get this, he's offering to put his *symbolic belt* on the line. That's huge! It's not just another fight, you know? Gaethje has held it before, and a rematch like this, with that kind of history? It's appointment viewing. Their first clash at UFC 274 back in May 2022 was pure, unadulterated chaos. Oliveira, the Brazilian star, was actually stripped of his title after missing weight before that fight, meaning only Gaethje could actually win the belt. But then, in a twist nobody saw coming, Oliveira goes and submits him with a rear-naked choke in the first round! Like, what?! It was absolute madness while it lasted. 'The Highlight' even dropped Oliveira twice in that fight, only for the former champ to just recover, hurt him, and finish the whole thing on the ground. You just know that rematch would be electric!

Paddy Pimblett Is Making His Play

And if that wasn't enough drama, guess who else wants a piece of Gaethje? Paddy 'The Baddy' Pimblett, that's who! The Brit has made his position crystal clear, even with Benoit Saint-Denis waiting in the wings for International Fight Week on July 11. Pimblett went toe-to-toe with Gaethje in their interim lightweight title fight back in January, a bout that everyone still remembers partly because of some serious eye-poke complaints. You can't make this stuff up! Pimblett's out there on his YouTube channel, not holding back one bit. He's literally calling his shot: "I’m gonna finish BSD and I want that rematch with Justin Gaethje for the undisputed title… Me vs Justin, let’s do it. No eye pokes and we’ll see how the fight goes." The man is not shy, and he's not messing around! So, there it is. Justin Gaethje, after putting in almost a decade of grinding, fighting, and proving himself, finally has the undisputed lightweight title around his waist. He shocked the world by taking down an unbeaten Topuria. But what's next? He's immediately got a target on his back, with Charles Oliveira and Paddy Pimblett breathing down his neck, demanding a shot at what he just earned. The lightweight division is officially on FIRE, and honestly, we're all just here for the fireworks. Get ready, folks, because this is going to be a wild, wild title reign, and we're strapped in for every single second!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.