Ilia Topuria is reportedly still struggling to fully open his eyes following UFC 250, according to a close friend.
Justin Gaethje ended Topuria’s unbeaten run in the main event of UFC Freedom 250 on Saturday night.
The fight was a tightly contested affair until ‘El Matador’s’ corner made the call to pull him out after round four.
The decision looked justified when it was later confirmed that Topuria had broken an orbital bone in both eyes during the bout.
Topuria hoping for Gaethje rematch in Spain
On the bright side, Topuria’s injuries don’t require surgery, so his return could come sooner than expected.
Still, his friend Pablo Motos mentioned that just days after the fight, Topuria was struggling to open his eyes properly following their meeting on the South Lawn.
Motos told El Hormiguero: “This morning I was with Ilia, he has fractures in his orbital bones, in his nose. This morning they were treating his wounds and he still couldn’t open his eyes properly.”
He added: “Then we were talking about something we’re gonna do this summer, making jokes, and then he said a phrase I loved.
“He looks at me with his eyes closed and says: ‘Champions when we fall, we fall hard.’ They’re already looking toward the future. He was telling me: ‘I’d love to do the rematch in Spain with Gaethje.’”
The UFC has never held an event in Spain, but there were growing expectations that Topuria’s title reign might change that.
But Gaethje isn’t interested in a rematch. After the fight, he made it clear that Topuria will have to work his way back up through the division.
The decision now rests with the UFC — whether Topuria has done enough in his career so far to deserve another shot at the belt right away remains to be seen.
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