Ilia Topuria Lost His Belt, And Alexander Volkanovski Says Nobody Is Ready For His Rematch

Okay, so you guys saw that, right? My jaw hit the floor at UFC Freedom 250 on Sunday, and I bet yours did too. Ilia Topuria, the guy who felt unbeatable, the dude who knocked out our champ Alexander Volkanovski back in 2024 and then went on to grab a second belt at lightweight in 2025, just lost his lightweight crown. Justin Gaethje pulled off the unthinkable, a huge upset win via a fourth-round stoppage. It was Topuria's first career defeat, and guess who was right there in the White House watching history go down? Volkanovski himself, still the reigning two-time UFC featherweight champion, saw his old rival stumble. What a wild turn of events.

The Gaethje Blueprint and Ilia's Costly Charge

Volkanovski didn't waste any time breaking down what happened, chatting about it on "The Ariel Helwani Show" on Wednesday. He gave massive props to Gaethje, saying he came in with an "unreal game plan" and was "very disciplined." Gaethje knew "when to fire, he knew when to block, he knew when to put himself in safe positions." Seriously, the execution was just phenomenal. But Volkanovski also pinpointed what he believes went wrong for Topuria. He thinks "Ilia was very aggressive" and "tried to rush everything very early," which meant he started "taking damage pretty early." Even when Topuria was having success in those first rounds, that damage was already building up. He was getting "busted up straight away." Gaethje's jab was relentless, even when he was "jabbing on the back foot," staying safe while Ilia pressed. Volkanovski saw Gaethje roll with Topuria's "nice, beautiful one-two" shots, rattli

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ng him but never putting him "lights out" and always getting back to safety. Gaethje "slowly, slowly wore on him," and eventually, his success just kept compounding.

The Price of Power: Why Topuria's Aggression Backfired

Gaethje's hard, consistent jabs were a problem from the start, even though Topuria was determined to eat them and keep pushing forward. Topuria did get some steam back in the second round, but Volkanovski felt like the former champ's power started to fade after such an explosive, aggressive beginning. "It was a risk that Ilia took. That was a choice he made. It could have paid off for him," Volkanovski admitted. He even said Topuria "did hurt Justin a few times," but Gaethje's survival instincts were just next level, being "that little bit safe enough to do work." That aggressive start cost Topuria big, causing him to "run into shots, run into punches, and you will gas." And that's exactly what Volkanovski believes happened. So, what's next for "El Matador"? Volkanovski, who's been sidelined after cornering Mauricio Ruffy, has a hot take. Despite everything, despite the mistakes, he believes a rematch is totally winnable for Topuria. He flat out said, "Ilia wins the rematch." He's not knocking Gaethje at all, admitting Topuria "was a favorite for a reason." But for Volkanovski, it's simple: "I just think that Ilia, if he doesn't rush as much, fights at a little bit better distance, and then does what he usually does, sets up nice traps, he'll eventually find him. But being so aggressive is sort of what cost him, I believe." Get ready, because if these two run it back, the stakes will be astronomical. Topuria has to learn from this, or his reign might be over for good.

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