"This Rematch Will Never Happen": Abdelaziz Slams The Door On Topuria–Gaethje 2
“This rematch will never happen, and I agree with him – his brother saved his life. It's very hard to come back from the trauma of a fight like that. I've seen Justin do this to many people, and coming back wasn't easy for them. Wishing him the best of luck.”
Ilia Topuria spent the week demanding a rematch with Justin Gaethje, the man who took his lightweight title at the White House in June. On Sunday, Gaethje's manager Ali Abdelaziz gave him his answer — in a post on X that he later deleted: the rematch "will never happen," and Topuria's own brother is the reason why.
LAS VEGAS — The post did not stay up for long, but screenshots preserved it, and there was nothing ambiguous about it. Responding to Topuria's public push for a second fight, Abdelaziz wrote:
"This rematch will never happen, and I agree with him – his brother saved his life. It's very hard to come back from the trauma of a fight like that. I've seen Justin do this to many people, and coming back wasn't easy for them. Wishing him the best of luck."
The manager's message capped a week in which Topuria, 29, ended five months of relative silence with his first interviews since the loss, speaking to Adam Catterall on the One On One podcast and to Álvaro Colmenero of ABC.es. He also took his case directly to the fans, running a social media poll on who he should face next. After 24 hours, Gaethje had beaten Paddy Pimblett by 474,000 votes to 385,000 — and Topuria tagged UFC CEO Dana White in the results.
Topuria's argument is that the first fight settled nothing, because he was finished long before it officially ended. This week he revealed the full extent of the damage he took that night.
"I had four broken bones: my two orbital bones, my nose and my foot," Topuria said.
The fight was stopped on his stool after the fourth round by his brother and chief cornerman, Aleksandre Topuria, after Ilia told him he could not see. Topuria now says that call saved his career — the very admission Abdelaziz seized on.
"If he didn't stop the fight, I probably wouldn't be able to fight again in my life," Topuria said. "I'm so grateful to my brother that he decided to stop me, because I love what I'm doing."
On the rematch itself, he was direct: "I want to have my rematch, and it's going to happen at some point." And speaking to ABC, he dismissed the idea that the champion's camp can stand in the way. "He won't have any say in absolutely anything," Topuria said. "He doesn't call any shots. This is between the UFC and me. Whatever we decide, whatever's best for us, that's what Justin will do. Justin is a nobody."
The dispute traces back to June 14 and UFC Freedom 250, the UFC's historic card on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C. Topuria, undefeated at 17-0, put the lightweight title on the line against interim champion Gaethje, who had claimed the interim belt by outpointing Pimblett at UFC 324 in January. Gaethje, 37, came in as a heavy underdog and produced the upset of the year. The ringside doctor examined Topuria before the fourth round and allowed him to continue, but after another five minutes of damage, his corner had seen enough: Gaethje won by TKO (corner stoppage) at 5:00 of round four, handing Topuria the first defeat of his career.
Sunday's post was not a new position. Abdelaziz said the same in September on Submission Radio, after Topuria first floated the rematch. "He's not fighting Justin Gaethje next," Abdelaziz said. "He doesn't call the shots. Only one guy in the past did that, and his name is Conor McGregor, and he's not Conor McGregor. Nobody is." He added: "I believe Justin Gaethje will beat him nine out of 10 times. You know why? Justin has his number. Justin Gaethje has zero gain to beat Ilia Topuria again."
Where it leaves the division is unresolved. Gaethje (28-5) has not fought since winning the undisputed title and has made no secret that retirement is on the table; he has said he will return only for a massive fight, and Abdelaziz has previously said he wants Gaethje's next bout to be the most lucrative one available. Topuria (17-1) remains the No. 1 contender in the UFC's official lightweight rankings, with Arman Tsarukyan waiting at No. 2, and after being medically cleared in September he plans to resume contact training in January ahead of a return in the first half of 2027. The UFC, which will make the final call, has announced no opponent or date for either man.
For now, the champion's camp has said its piece — twice, seven weeks apart, in exactly the same terms. Topuria insists the story is not over. Gaethje's side insists it ended on the White House lawn.
