Former UFC light heavyweight contender and current analyst Anthony Smith believes that Ilia Topuria should make a speedy return to the UFC.
Topuria lost the UFC lightweight title against Justin Gaethje in the main event of UFC Freedom 250. In what was one of the biggest upsets in UFC history, Gaethje poured on the damage to Topuria’s face and body for four rounds until his corner threw in the towel at the end of the fourth round. It was a shocking way for Topuria to lose his undefeated record, and given the amount of damage he took in the fight, most believe he will be out for a while while he heals up from his injuries.
Smith, however, thinks Topuria should get back into the Octagon as fast as possible to erase the sour taste of defeat from his mouth.
Anthony Smith Says Ilia Topuria Should Come Back Quickly
Speaking to Ariel Helwani, Smith explained why he thinks Topuria should return to the Octagon as soon as possible.
“He definitely took big damage, but I definitely didn’t feel like he was wobbled a bunch. I really feel like the damage at the end was that knee to the body. I mean, facial cuts and lacerations, they look terrible. I bet he heals quickly. I bet in a week, he’s going to look almost new. So, I’d like to see him at the end of the year, though you don’t want to sit on that too long because it’ll (expletive) with you,” Smith said (h/t MMAjunkie.com).
“It’ll mess with how you feel about yourself, especially when you’re at the level of superstar that he is and the attention that he has, and he’s going to be eating that one for a while – especially with the (expletive) that he says. I mean, he had a celebratory dinner before and had a funeral for Gaethje. You’re going to have to eat that (expletive) for a minute. So, the quicker you can get back and be healthy and 100 percent and try to get that monkey off your back, the better.”
Ilia Topuria Medically Suspended After Loss
Although Smith believes Topuria should make a speedy return to the Octagon, that might not be up to him.
After the fight, the Association of Boxing and Combative Sports Commissions (ABC) released the medical suspensions for all 14 fighters on the UFC Freedom 250 card.
According to MMAjunkie.com, Topuria was “suspended 180 days or until cleared by oral and maxillofacial surgeon; also suspended 60 days for TKO.” He could be cleared to return sooner, but it does feel like he is going to be out for some time due to the injuries he suffered against Gaethje.
While Smith is right in that Topuria would likely love to get back into the Octagon and get back into the win column, he also needs to be smart about things. He just fought in a 20-minute war where he suffered an incredible amount of attrition, so while he would surely like to get back into the cage as soon as possible, he should also take his team and make sure he’s completely healed up before he does so.
Anthony Smith Says Ilia Topuria Should Make Speedy UFC Return