Boxing star Ryan Garcia is the latest to taunt Ilia Topuria following the now-former UFC champion’s first career loss.
Now-former UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria’s first title defense resulted in a stunning upset against Justin Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250. After a dominant run of knockouts inside the Octagon, Topuria got a taste of his own medicine, losing to Gaethje by TKO (corner stoppage) in the UFC Freedom 250 main event.
Since suffering his first career loss, Topuria has heard from many of his longtime adversaries, including boxing legend Terence Crawford and UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev. Topuria previously teased potential crossover fights against the likes of Shakur Stevenson, Ryan Garcia, and Crawford before falling to Gaethje on Sunday.
After watching Topuria’s performance, Garcia didn’t let his defeat go unaddressed. Garcia blames Topuria’s overconfidence for his loss to Gaethje.
Ryan Garcia: Ilia Topuria’s ‘ego’ led to shocking loss at UFC Freedom 250
In a recent live stream on Kick, Garcia got the last laugh in his recent feud with Topuria.
“Ilia, I told you, pride comes before the fall,” Garcia said of Topuria.
“He was too cocky, overlooked his opponent like crazy and he got humbled. Simply how it is. I think he’s the better fighter than Gaethje, but he decided to let his pride get before him. He thought he was beating me, Terence Crawford, even said something about Canelo at one point that he could box him one day.
“This guy’s head was out of this world!” Garcia continued on Topuria. “He was going crazy on everybody, and that’s the truth.”
This is far from the first time that Topuria and Garcia have traded barbs in recent months. After Topuria called out Garcia for a potential boxing match, Garcia pushed Topuria to ‘stay in his lane’, as echoed by Stevenson and Crawford in recent months.
Topuria was handed a six-month medical suspension due to the injuries suffered at UFC Freedom 250. Pending a doctor’s clearance, he could miss only 60 days.
What’s next for Ilia Topuria after UFC Freedom 250? Let us know in the comments!
