WASHINGTON, D.C. — Ilia Topuria spent most of the last year in a very different battle than the UFC fighter is used to. On Sunday, the lightweight champion returns from the longest layoff of his UFC career to unify titles with Justin Gaethje. The unification comes months after his separation from his ex-wife.
Topuria stepped back from fighting amid a highly publicized divorce from Giorgina Uzcategui, with whom he shares two children. The separation became tabloid fodder in Spain, where Topuria’s popularity extends well beyond the UFC. It forced Topuria, who is accustomed to solving problems through discipline and preparation, to confront a situation largely outside of his control.
“I learned so many things,” Topuria told CBS Sports. “We see the faces but don’t know the hearts.”
Topuria calls the fan support he’s received “a blessing,” but admits it was difficult having strangers weigh in on intimate parts of his life. After all, having his private life play out in the public eye impacts more people than just himself.
“Yeah, of course it is [difficult], because when everyone is talking about your personal relationships, it’s not only about me. It’s about my kids and my family,” Topuria said. “When you have these things involved in social media, and when everyone is giving their opinion, it’s tough.”
Topuria has handled the sensitive matter responsibly. He recently posted on social media defending his ex-wife, condemning unprivileged parties from insulting the mother of his children. He’s approached the challenge with the same philosophy that guides him in fighting, a belief that adversity is only as useful as the lessons you take from it.
“It’s a learning opportunity. It’s an experience. It is what it is,” he said. “I always try to have a good approach to things like this. I had to live it. There are always two options: to live it in a bad or good way.
“When I say in a good way, I mean you realize that things happen in life for a reason and that you have to learn from those experiences,” he said. “Or in a bad way, saying, ‘Why did it happen to me? Blah, blah, blah.’ You know what I mean? So I lived it in a good way.”
That mindset has been tested repeatedly through fight week.
UFC Freedom 250’s main event didn’t need more storylines. The event itself is the star attraction. Taking place on the White House South Lawn, Sunday’s event ranks high among the most unique venues in MMA history. Then there’s the title unification, Gaethje’s potential retirement and the return of a pound-for-pound top star. This week, the fight took on a much more personal tone.
Topuria believes Gaethje crossed a line when Gaethje alluded to Topuria’s divorce, something Gaethje denied doing in a separate interview with CBS Sports.
“He came out and started talking about my divorce,” Topuria said. “Like, ‘If I were his ex-wife, I would leave him too. I couldn’t share a room with him’ and some bullshit like this. Listen, first of all, we are fighting, we are not dating. I’m not looking for a roommate.”
While Topuria insists the comments didn’t sting, he believes certain subjects should remain off limits.
“It’s not like I take it personally,” Topuria said. “But he shouldn’t take it this direction.”
Family has become a recurring theme throughout Topuria’s recent media appearances. Last month, he nearly came to blows with UFC heavyweight Josh Hokit, even throwing a water bottle at him, after Hokit insulted Alex Pereira’s mother. More recently, Topuria addressed Gaethje’s father, John Ray Gaethje, after the elder Gaethje diminished Topuria as a “little short guy.”
“I thought you should keep your father far from this,” Topuria said. “If you allow your father to speak like this in front of the cameras, you also allow me to make my comments because you don’t see my father, mom, or anyone from my family talking like that about my opponent.”
Gaethje accused Topuria of stirring up drama by replying to his dad. Whether Topuria’s response crossed a line is largely a matter of perspective. His view is that he never insulted Gaethje’s father.
“I didn’t mention his father in a bad way at all. I respect his father,” Topuria said. “He has nothing to do with me. He’s a normal human being. Whoever knows me knows that I respect everyone’s fathers. I respect any human being on this planet.
“But if you want to talk about me, and if you want to call me ‘a short guy,’ and you want to be disrespectful to me, I’m not going to stay quiet. I’m not that kind of person. They were the ones who started to cross the line.”
Topuria enters the biggest fight of his life, with the most eyes watching, after spending months under the magnifying glass. Like the publicity around his divorce, the Gaethje fight is taking on a life of its own. Topuria can only control how he responds to it. His recent experiences have taught him that every setback presents two choices: learn from it or let it consume you.