Topuria hospitalised with suspected broken orbital after Gaethje stops him to claim UFC lightweight title

Ilia Topuria was taken directly to a Washington D.C. hospital after suffering the first defeat of his career, a fourth-round corner stoppage at the hands of Justin Gaethje in the UFC White House main event that stripped him of the undisputed lightweight title.

UFC CEO Dana White confirmed Topuria was escorted out of the octagon before Gaethje’s hand was even raised. “We literally had him get out of the octagon before the hand was even raised and sent him to the hospital,” White said at the post-fight press conference. “Ilia’s in the hospital. He’s busted up. I’m not a doctor but his eye looked like he probably has a broken orbital. I don’t know that. That’s not a fact. I’m just assuming.”

Topuria had started the fight sharply, coming close to a finish in the second round, but his momentum stalled as the rounds wore on and Gaethje’s output began to take a visible toll. By the end of the third round, Topuria’s left eye had swollen almost completely shut, forcing a ringside physician examination before he was cleared to continue.

He came out with renewed intent at the start of the fourth, but Gaethje continued to land heavy shots throughout the round, capping it with a devastating knee to the body just before the horn. Topuria made it back to his corner, but his coaches waved off the fight rather than send him out for a fifth round, handing Gaethje the undisputed championship.

White said his immediate priority is Topuria’s recovery, not his next fight. “My plans are for him to go home and rest and recover. Take his time and tonight was a rough night for him. I just want to make sure he’s healthy and good and not even thinking about him fighting again. I just want him to go home and relax and rest and heal.”

The defeat is the first blemish on Topuria’s professional record. The extent of his injuries and his timeline for returning to competition will depend on medical assessments in the coming days.