Topuria breaks five months of silence after his White House defeat

Ilia Topuria is talking again. After five months of silence, the Spanish-Georgian fighter has given his first interview since his shock loss to Justin Gaethje.

He sat down in Tbilisi, Georgia's capital, and the interview is due out this Friday at 7 pm. The man nicknamed El Matador reportedly shows a more human side than fans saw during his rise to stardom.

A quick recap: in June 2025, Topuria knocked out Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 and won the lightweight title. On 14 June 2026, he headlined the UFC card held at the White House for Donald Trump's 80th birthday. He had been the clear favourite, but Gaethje beat him and ended his unbeaten record.

Fans have wondered ever since what was going through his head and what comes next. Now he has given a first hint.

"I'm someone who will always keep going, someone who will never give up," he says. He adds that he had squeezed everything out of the sport and could even think about retiring.