Justin Gaethje isn’t interested in a rematch with Ilia Topuria after defeating him in the main event of UFC Freedom 250 on Sunday night.
“He doesn’t get a rematch. He can try but he doesn’t get one,” Gaethje said during an appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience (h/t ESPN). “He quit on the stool. He quit twice. I stopped him twice, what else do I have to f–king do? His next challenge can’t be me. He needs to fight Paddy [Pimblett] or someone like that.”
Gaethje wrapped up a fourth-round TKO win over Ilia Topuria to capture the UFC lightweight championship in front of the White House.
Topuria reflected on their fight in a recent Instagram post, expressing his desire for a rematch.
“Justin, congratulations,” Topuria wrote in the caption. “You said you’d leave your mark on my face… and you did. You took the sight from my right eye in the first round, and by the end of the second, from my left too. No excuses. I had one of the best camps of my life. I came in sharp, prepared, and ready. Last night was your night. That’s the nature of this game. Glory and pain walk side by side. I’ll heal. I’ll rest. And I’ll return stronger, wiser, and far more dangerous. And trust me… this story between us is far from over. We will have our rematch.”
Gaethje will have several options to potentially face as he looks to defend his new title including Arman Tsarukyan, Charles Oliveira and Mauricio Ruffy.
A rematch with Topuria doesn’t seem to be occurring anytime soon, though.
