Outside Source
Topuria (17-1) was a massive favorite going into his title unification bout against Justin Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250 last month. However, the latter handed “El Matador” a brutal beating, forcing his corner to stop the fight after the fourth round. While Gaethje finally captured gold in his third crack at the crown, Topuria suffered his first career loss.
Ilia Topuria’s first UFC loss and Jon Jones’ comeback advice
Jones, who is essentially undefeated with his lone career loss being a controversial disqualification, believes Topuria can come back stronger from the defeat. “Bones” claims to have heard that the former two-division champion is humble and honest in defeat, and believes acknowledging one’s own mistakes instead of making excuses is the key to returning from a loss.
Jones told Red Corner MMA: “Ilia’s gonna be in a good position. He has faith. He has a strong team. And that’s a lot of what it takes. He has a work ethic. I think he’s honest with himself… What I heard was that he’s humble. That he’s honest. That he realized that he just didn’t perform well. I think that’s the number one step of getting back into the ring in a healthy way. It’s the guys who make excuses, that’s when it’s hard to come back and win that rematch… Honesty with yourself is the key to MMA.”
What adds to the weight of Topuria’s loss are his pre-fight antics. Topuria had repeatedly predicted a first-round knockout win, changed his record on his social media bio, and even celebrated a day before the fight, traditions he might opt against going forward.
Jon Jones believes Ilia Topuria already has what it takes to bounce back from the first loss of his career.
While praising Topuria’s mindset, Jones said he’s “honest with himself” and understands that Ilia just didn’t perform well. He believes fighters who make excuses are the… pic.twitter.com/F7wQbaWAKL
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) July 1, 2026
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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