Masvidal backs Topuria to reverse Gaethje defeat: 'I would bet the house'

Jorge Masvidal has declared he would “bet the house” on Ilia Topuria if the former UFC lightweight champion gets a rematch with Justin Gaethje, citing a telling moment from their June bout at the White House as the basis for his confidence.

Topuria (17-1) entered that fight as a heavy favourite, defending his lightweight title against then-interim champion Gaethje (28-5). Despite dropping Gaethje with a body shot during the contest, Topuria could not finish the job, and his corner stopped the bout after the fourth round — handing him the first defeat of his professional career.

Speaking on the “Double Coverage” podcast, Masvidal — a long-time training partner of Topuria — argued that the knockdown moment reveals a path to a different outcome. “He dropped Gaethje. Gaethje is the current champion. He dropped him with a body shot,” Masvidal said. “Maybe, had he not gone for the submission, his mind was a little clouded, maybe could have got stopped. I would bet the house on Ilia in a rematch.”

Masvidal’s backing carries some weight given his history with Topuria. “Gamebred” was among the first prominent voices to champion the Georgian fighter before he rose to become a two-division champion, and his praise predates Topuria’s headline-making knockout run.

That run was formidable: Topuria claimed the featherweight title with a knockout of Alexander Volkanovski, then successfully defended it against Max Holloway before moving up to lightweight and stopping Charles Oliveira to become a two-weight world champion. The loss to Gaethje was the first blemish on that record.

Whether a rematch materialises remains to be seen, but Masvidal’s assessment adds to the narrative that Topuria’s defeat was far from one-sided — and that the lightweight title picture is far from settled.