Joe Rogan Issues Ilia Topuria Medical Update as He’s Rushed to Hospital After Gaethje Loss

Ilia Topuria’s victory ahead of UFC Freedom 250 seemed almost certain, considering he had beaten three legends in a row to earn the favorite tag. However, Justin Gaethje proved to be a much tougher challenge than any of ‘El Matador’s previous opponents. In a grueling showdown, ‘The Highlight’ significantly altered the Georgian-Spaniard’s face, leaving the Octagon bloodied. Now, more details have emerged regarding a potentially serious injury suffered by Topuria.

According to UFC color commentator Joe Rogan, former lightweight champion may have suffered a broken orbital bone during his clash against Justin Gaethje.  

“Who knows what kind of damage he took, because we could be looking at a broken orbital bone,” Rogan said during the post-fight coverage with Daniel Cormier and Jon Anik. “We have seen a lot of broken orbital bones. We know what it looks like. That’s what it looked like, and it looked like that.”

So far, Topuria’s team has not officially confirmed whether the former champion actually suffered a fractured orbital bone. However, Daniel Cormier appeared to agree with Rogan’s assessment during the broadcast, while UFC featherweight contender Sodiq Yusuff also suggested on social media that Topuria may have sustained the injury.

Though official confirmation has yet to arrive, Rogan and others may not be far off with their concerns. Throughout the fight, Gaethje landed a total of 79 head strikes to Topuria, targeting the Georgian-Spaniard’s entire face. Also, much of the visible swelling appeared around the eye socket area, which could potentially indicate damage to the orbital bone.

If Topuria did indeed suffer a fractured orbital bone, he could be sidelined for several months. However, the exact recovery timeline would ultimately depend on the severity of the injury and whether surgery is required. At the same time, Topuria would not be the first fighter to suffer such damage against Gaethje.

June 28, 2025, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA: Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira fight in the 5-round Lightweight Title Main Event bout during the UFC 317 event at T-Mobile Arena on June 28, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. /Pximages Las Vegas USA – ZUMAp175 20250628_zsa_p175_217 Copyright: xAlejandroxSalazarx

In fact, Tony Ferguson also sustained a broken orbital bone during his clash with Justin Gaethje at UFC 249, which is one of the classic performances by the Arizona native. 

Now, as the former lightweight champion heads to the hospital for further evaluation, the newly crowned 155-pound champion has already reacted to Topuria’s title loss. 

Justin Gaethje blames Ilia Topuria’s mindset for sending him to the hospital after the UFC White House loss 

For the most part, Ilia Topuria has remained highly confident in his skills and backed his ability to knock out anybody on the planet. He also largely proved that belief by knocking out Max Holloway, Alexander Volkanovski, and Charles Oliveira back to back. However, Justin Gaethje believes Topuria developed an invincibility mentality along the way, which eventually contributed to this crushing loss. 

“I’m such a fan of this man, but where do you go from here?” Gaetjhe said in a Paramount+ post-fight interview. “It’s gonna be a very tough climb back for him. Well, I have never had the mindset he has. I have never thought myself to be unbeatable or infallible. 

“I knew, I said it from day 1, I’m gonna get knocked out the way I fight with how crazy this sport is. Again, I don’t wanna say anything bad about this guy. He was a world champion, but he is in a hospital right now. And I’m not.”   

Regardless of how Topuria lost the fight, the bottom line is that Justin Gaethje is now the lightweight champion. But as the former champion looks to recover from this tough loss, it will also be intriguing to see what the UFC has in store for the newly crowned titleholder.

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