Topuria was punished by Gaethje in the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram/UFC
Renato Moicano already has a name in mind for Ilia Topuria 's return to the UFC: himself. After the Spaniard was defeated by Justin Gaethje at UFC Casa Branca , fans and experts began discussing the best paths for the former champion's comeback. In an interview with MMA Fighting, the fighter and YouTuber assessed that Topuria needs an opponent who will allow him to regain confidence before facing the top names in the division again.
In Moicano's view, the UFC could choose to pit Topuria against Paddy Pimblett in a high-stakes matchup or select an opponent that allows the Spaniard to regain his rhythm and confidence. The Brazilian believes that Topuria can recover quickly if he manages a decisive victory in his next fight.
“ Ilia Topuria . That’s a name. He needs an easy fight, right? That’s the truth. We know how the UFC works. Either they sacrifice him and put Paddy Pimblett against him, or they’ll give him a fight to…”
"Keep moving forward so that the guy can regain his confidence. And I think his confidence is shaken. And he can come back. He can come back, knock out his next opponent and get back on track," said Renato Moicano.
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Moicano also believes that a fight against Topuria would make sense for his own UFC career. Despite this, the Brazilian acknowledged that he doesn't yet know if the organization would be willing to promote the fight and stated that he hasn't even decided if that would be the fight he would request if given the opportunity to choose his next opponent.
"I think that fight would make sense (Topuria vs. Moicano). I don't know if the UFC will make it happen. I don't even know if that's the fight I'll ask for," concluded the Brazilian.
Justin Gaethje transformed Ilia Topuria's face at UFC Casa Branca
After a balanced first round, Ilia Topuria returned for the second determined to justify his five-to-one odds against Justin Gaethje at UFC Casa Branca . Despite landing some good strikes and coming close to finishing the fight, the American held on, and the Spaniard returned for the third round already showing clear signs of fatigue.
With Topuria slowing down, Gaethje began to find his range with precise jabs and even managed to stagger the former champion with a powerful straight punch. Gradually, the Spaniard's face became deformed from the accumulated damage, until, in the break between the fourth and fifth rounds, his team opted to stop the fight.
After the fight, it was confirmed that Topuria suffered fractures to the orbital bones of her face and to her nose.
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