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If Ilia Topuria gets an immediate rematch against Justin Gaethje, it would not surprise UFC commentator Jon Anik.
Topuria was battered in the first loss of his pro MMA career back in June. “El Matador” suffered a fourth-round TKO loss to Justin Gaethje via corner stoppage to conclude the UFC Freedom 250 broadcast. In the process, Topuria lost the UFC Lightweight Championship.
While Gaethje has said he doesn’t think Topuria should get a rematch right away, does the UFC brass feel differently? In a video uploaded on the “Anik Bros” YouTube channel, Anik said he thinks there are real talks about a potential rematch between Gaethje and Topuria (via MMAFighting).
“I think there are internal conversations to potentially try to do Gaethje vs. Topuria 2,” Anik said. “A lot of people wonder aloud, ‘What is next for Ilia Topuria?’ And there’s certainly an obvious foundation for a fight between him and Paddy Pimblett. But if you have Ilia Topuria, as a fight promoter, would you not want to think about putting him back in a championship setting, given how big UFC Freedom 250 was?
“I think there’s strong consideration there.”
Gaethje has appeared to be more interested in getting a chance to avenge losses against Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira. At the moment, Oliveira doesn’t have a fight booked, and Holloway is coming off the quick TKO win over Conor McGregor due to an injury.
“The Highlight” recently told SI that both of his hands are still injured and he won’t be fighting again until 2027. That could leave the door open for Arman Tsarukyan to get a title fight if he’s able to get past Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 331 on Sept. 19. If Tsarukyan falls short, it would be one less hurdle for Topuria to get a rematch.
Do you think UFC will book an immediate rematch between Justin Gaethje and Ilia Topuria, or do you see the promotion going in a different direction? Tell us what you think in the comments below.
This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM
