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Justin Gaethje thinks Ilia Topuria is too small for lightweight, says Arman Tsarukyan is ‘next in line’

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3 weeks ago

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Justin Gaethje thinks Ilia Topuria is too small for lightweight, says Arman Tsarukyan is ‘next in line’

Justin Gaethje thinks Ilia Topuria is too small for lightweight.

At UFC White House, Gaethje scored one of the biggest upsets in MMA history, stopping Topuria to claim the UFC lightweight title. It was the first loss of Topuria's MMA career, and one he's had trouble accepting, recently accusing Gaethje of loading his gloves before the fight.

Speaking on the FLAGRANT podcast, Gaethje dismissed Topuria's accusations entirely and offered his own explanation for why “El Matador†struggled against him: he's too small.

“He honestly has to believe that I cheated, because if not, how could you do it again? I broke his face,†Gaethje said.

“… I don't think he's a lightweight. I think he should go down. I think he can beat [Alexander] Volkanovski and be champion at featherweight. I don't think he'll ever be champion at lightweight. He can't beat Arman [Tsarukyan]. He's going to have a difficult time with Paddy [Pimblett]. There's a bunch of dogs. This sport is crazy, so obviously a little luck, a little chance always involved. Can he get lucky, and is he skilled enough? Absolutely. I think he's undersized for lightweight. That's what I felt.â€

Topuria spent most of his MMA career at featherweight, winning the UFC title and defending the belt once before moving up to 155 and knocking out Charles Oliveira to claim the vacant lightweight title. But after losing the title to Gaethje, Topuria is lobbying for an immediate rematch, but Gaethje isn't entirely sure he'll ever fight again.

“Everyone is like, ‘You f*cking fight Arman!' I don't know what the fight — I have injuries I have to take care of. I haven't made a decision,†Gaethje said. “But I am 37 years old. My first fight was 2008. I've had 40 fights, including my amateur fights. So I don't know.

“Who knows? I don't need to. This has never been about money for me. It's about health. …â€

“I do not feel like I have anything left to prove,†added later. “My first fight was in ‘08. I'm 37 years old. But I know that I also just performed better than I've ever performed, so I'm stuck in between a rock and a hard place. I have my faculties. I want to keep my faculties. I have nothing left to prove. So, I don't know. I don't know what's going to happen. It's interesting. Fun. It's a good position to be in.â€

Gaethje went on to mention Conor McGregor as a fight he would like, adding that after beating Topuria, he no longer feels the need to get revenge on Charles Oliveira and Max Holloway, the last two men to defeat him.

“Obviously, the people that beat me, I want back,†Gaethje said. “And I know how big of a bitch I sound when I say this, but the fact that Ilia knocked out Charles Oliveira and Max Holloway, which are the only two people who are still there that have beat me, I'm OK. I'm OK with those. I'm OK with them beating me, and I'm OK making the guy quit that finished them. As stupid as that — I don't know if that's cowardly, but I'm just OK with it.â€

But ultimately, if he does choose to continue fighting, Gaethje knows it doesn't matter who he might want to fight; there's only one man who deserves the next lightweight title shot.

“It's not that I don't want to fight Arman; it really isn't. He's the next in line,†Gaethje said. “If and when I defend this championship, that will be who I fight. I just don't know right now. … I gave a lot of myself for this fight in January and June. Luckily, I came out on top, but it cost me a lot, so I need to recover. I need to rest my brain, because a lot of training went into those fights.

“I'm going to enjoy being champion the rest of the year. I'm going to make a business decision and a life decision whenever the time comes.â€

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MMA

Michael ‘Venom’ Page says 3 Misfits fights will pay more than 6 in UFC

Published

7 hours ago

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October 13, 2026

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Michael ‘Venom’ Page says 3 Misfits fights will pay more than 6 in UFC
Michael
“Venom” Page says his new deal will pay him more than he earned
during his
Ultimate Fighting Championship tenure.

Page had promised an exciting performance against Nursulton
Ruziboev in September, the final bout of his UFC contract. He
won by unanimous decision, but the promotion opted not to re-sign
him. The Englishman now says his move to Misfits Boxing will bring
a substantial increase in earnings.

Michael Page compares three-fight Misfits contract with
earnings from six UFC appearances

Page produced highlight-reel knockouts in Bellator,
but all six of his UFC appearances went the distance. He finished
5-1 in the promotion, with his only loss coming against Ian
Garry.

Page (26-3) said he received offers from several promotions before
signing with Misfits. He expects to earn more from the three-fight
agreement than he did from his six UFC bouts, describing his new
compensation as roughly double what he previously earned. He also
said Misfits intends to launch an MMA show with him as a leading
figure.

“Misfits came with an absolutely crazy deal, which means I’ve
continued to grow and get better financially,†Page told Ariel
Helwani. “They have vision for the future. They're trying to get an
MMA show going, with me kind of lead that way, be the face of that…
I’ve left the UFC and I’m making more money. Like two times more,
maybe just over, and in a shorter period. In a three-fight deal,
I’ll make more than I have my whole UFC contract.â€

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MMA

Alistair Overeem tells Rico Verhoeven to ‘stop hiding’, box him at Fury vs. Joshua card

Published

9 hours ago

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October 13, 2026

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Alistair Overeem tells Rico Verhoeven to ‘stop hiding’, box him at Fury vs. Joshua card

Alistair Overeem wants to be part of the Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua boxing card on Dec. 11, and he wants Rico Verhoeven standing across the squared circle.

Overeem shared a post on social media suggesting the bout after mentioning his interest in transitioning to boxing, and issued a callout on his Instagram stories.

“Stop hiding,†Overeem wrote. “Let's make history.â€

Fury vs. Joshua takes place at Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, and airs live on Netfilx.

Verhoeven was part of a massive boxing show this past May in Egypt, where he lost via controversial 11th-round stoppage in his boxing debut against heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk.

Prior to that match, Verhoeven remained undefeated in kickboxing for over a decade, reigning as the GLORY heavyweight champion. He was slated to face Overeem in 2021, but the MMA veteran withdrew due to an injury.

The former Strikeforce titleholder won four of his past six UFC bouts, all by knockout, between 2018 and 2021, including a first-round stoppage over Sergei Pavlovich. His UFC run also includes wins over former and future champions Fabricio Werdum, Frank Mir, Brock Lesnar, Junior dos Santos and Andrei Arlovski.

Watch more of Overeem's boxing journey below.

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MMA

Ismael Bonfim removed from UFC roster after gigantic weight miss

Published

1 day ago

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October 13, 2026

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Ismael Bonfim removed from UFC roster after gigantic weight miss
Ismael
Bonfim has been removed from the
Ultimate Fighting Championship roster.

Bonfim's UFC tenure ended after a loss to Francisco
Prado at
UFC Vegas 122 on Saturday. The Brazilian missed the non-title
lightweight limit by 7.5 pounds and forfeited 25% of his purse. He
then suffered a first-round technical knockout before being removed
from the roster.

Ismael Bonfim exits UFC with 2-5 record after third weight miss
and Francisco Prado TKO

This was Bonfim's third weight miss during his UFC tenure. He came
in 3.5 pounds overweight for a scheduled fight against Vinc Pichel
in 2023, prompting the bout's cancellation. Bonfim missed weight by
five pounds against Chris
Padilla last year and lost by knockout. He was finished in his
last four UFC appearances.

Before news of his departure, Bonfim posted a statement Sunday
reflecting on the loss. The 30-year-old thanked his supporters and
said his career was not over.

“Always grateful to God for life, health and every opportunity He
gives me,†Bonfim wrote on Instagram. “Everything doesn’t go as
planned, results don’t always come as desired, but my faith remains
unshakable. Because, above my plans, are God’s plans, and I choose
to trust, even when I don’t understand. Thank you to every person
cheering me on, praying for me and standing by my side no matter
the outcome. You are all part of my story! There are no excuses, no
shame, and much less reason to give up. We’ve come here the hardest
way, facing battles few know about, overcoming fears, breaking
barriers, and fighting against things that go far beyond what
happens inside an octagon. The result of a battle does not define
the value of a warrior, and defeat will never be able to erase the
entire history we have built. I keep my head held high, my heart at
peace and my faith even stronger. Because who knows where he came
from, everything he faced and how much he had to fight to get here,
doesn’t give up because of a result. My story doesn’t end here. God
is still writing the next chapters, and I trust Him completely. All
honor and all glory be given to God!â€

Bonfim earned a UFC contract on
Dana White's Contender Series in 2022 and won his promotional
debut with a flying knee knockout of Terrance
McKinney. He went 1-5 afterward, finishing his UFC tenure at
2-5.

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