Outside Source
Current lightweight king and former featherweight beltholder Topuria (17-0) declared on Thursday that he was going to return soon to competition. The Spanish fighter born in Germany to Georgian parents has settled his case out of court with ex-wife Georgiana Uzcategui, with Spanish outlet Marca first breaking the news that the two had come to an agreement.
Per Marca, the settlement offer initially given by Topuria has been accepted, resulting in Uzcategui withdrawing her lawsuit against him. Recent rumors were dispelled by his post, including that he had been forced to sell his home in Madrid, Spain. Topuria ended any doubt by posting training videos in that house, a standalone gym that includes ample training gear and even a few recovery tanks like a hyperbaric chamber.
We’ll Be the Main Event
In his post on social media on Thursday, the lightweight kingpin did not mince words.
His caption, in its entirety, read, “The Champ is back!!!” It accompanied a few photos of the athlete as well as a pair of videos taken in his sprawling home gym that rivals professional gyms elsewhere. If Topuria had his way, he would come back on the June 14, which is expected to be the fight card held at the White House. Should that come to pass, he would attempt to unify his lightweight strap with interim titleholder Justin Gaethje.
The aforementioned Gaethje picked up interim gold—the second time he has done so in his UFC career—by beating up on Paddy Pimblett across five rounds. “The Highlight” agreed with Topuria that they need to compete at the White House event this summer. During his Thursday appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” Gaethje reiterated his ideal next matchup.
“I’ve been a huge fan of this sport, and nobody is as consistent or as exciting as me,” Gaethje boasted. “Ilia Topuria on the White House [event]. Has to be. Has to be. No other option. Walking out of the Oval Office into the cage, wearing the flag…I’ve been speaking it into existence since I fought [Rafael] Fiziev last year, I’m gonna fight—I thought it would be Topuria in January, and then I would defend my belt on the White House card in June.”
He continued, with a laugh, “I think we’re going to main event [the White House card]. I think we’ll be the main event. I’m totally guessing, throwing s–t against the wall right now. But, what else? They had us—specifically, me, above Amanda [Nunes] and Kayla [Harrison], and that’s the biggest fight in women’s MMA, and they had me above them, so I can’t imagine who would headline [over us.]”
“The Highlight” further explained that his match with Pimblett took a lot out of him, and that he has been recovering while not strictly adhering to his dietary plans. With the event over four months away and no bouts booked for it, Gaethje will soon keep himself ready for the call he expects to come shortly.
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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