It’s been over five months since UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria tweeted that he is temporarily stepping away from defending his belt. When his divorce from Giorgina Uzcategui Badell became public, it was already one of the most talked-about stories in MMA. Giorgina had been a fixture at cageside through every one of Topuria’s UFC victories – from his featherweight title win over Alexander Volkanovski to his lightweight title win over Charles Oliveira. UFC commentator Joe Rogan’s statement about their separation went viral on the internet at the time, and it looks like Giorgina still remembers how it affected her.
“She’s taking photos with rappers and stuff,” Rogan said in an episode of the Joe Rogan Experience with fitness influencer Derek from More Plates More Dates. “They try to steal your soul. This is the mother of your children, and this lady is a monster.”
The episode aired on December 5, and today, when a fan on Instagram asked Giorgina if she found peace after everything she went through, she opened up about how she was harassed and hated for it.
“To experience how a group of people wanted to change the narrative, even using a picture of my brother, and trying to portray an image of me that does not exist. This has caused a lot of harassment, hate, and even people threatening to kill me and my daughter.”
Apparently, the photo Joe Rogan referred to was allegedly a photoshopped/AI-generated image of Giorgina with her brother, whom Rogan mistook for her new boyfriend. It prompted her to file a formal complaint with the Spanish National Police against Rogan and the online trolls.
Joe Rogan, on the other hand, has yet to address the issue. That said, Topuria’s legal battle around the divorce is over, and he’s all set to fight at the UFC Freedom 250 event. Ahead of his much-anticipated comeback, the lightweight champion talked about his current state of mind after separating from his ex-wife.
Ilia Topuria’s mindset, despite the lows of life, is unbelievable
Despite winning the legal battle, Topuria doesn’t feel the same anymore. In an interview, ‘El Matador’ opened up about his life after the divorce, stating that his life completely changed after Giorgina left, leaving him with a void after years of togetherness.
“It’s strange because, honestly, everything changed overnight. It’s like you’re not really aware of things until you’re the one going through them. It’s changed me a lot. But at the same time, those who know me know that when something is out of my control, I don’t live it from a negative place.”
“I don’t sit there asking, ‘Why did this happen to me?’ There are two ways to deal with it, right? Either way, I have to go through it. I can experience it negatively, or I can simply accept my reality and move forward.”
With that mindset, Ilia Topuria has yet again proven why he is a champion, even outside of the Octagon. He is back at the gym, training harder than ever. With the MMA world wanting to see him make a return, the man who will welcome him on the other side of the cage is ‘The Highlight’ Justin Gaethje, who is pumped up for his last dance. How much Ilia Topuria has changed as a person and as a fighter is something only the UFC White House card can tell.
