For Ilia Topuria, it was evident that his recent loss to heavy underdog Justin Gaethje would bring some hostile reactions towards him. Proving that point, Islam Makhachev didn’t waste any time taking a dig at the Georgian-Spaniard for what he perceived as Topuria effectively quitting against his opponent in the UFC Freedom 250 main event.

“He who exalts himself will be humbled!” Islam Makhachev remarked on X. “There’s levels in this game! Congratulations, Justin, you deserve this belt more than anyone!”

The reigning welterweight champion appeared to be taking a shot at Topuria’s supposed arrogance rather than simply his fight performance. Throughout their rivalry, the Georgian-Spaniard has repeatedly threatened Islam Makhachev with a knockout and often dismissed the Dagestani’s wrestling credentials. He also previously accused Makhachev of ducking him and making excuses about injuries when the two were earlier rumored to fight each other at UFC Freedom 250.

For all those reasons and more, Makhachev seemingly implied that Topuria’s confidence ultimately made his defeat even more difficult to swallow. However, the welterweight champion did not stop there. Shortly after, he fired off another post, this time mocking the former champion for being unable to continue after four rounds against Gaethje.

“To quit in the biggest fight of your career is something not everybody can do,” Makhachev posted. “Real La Leyenda 😃”.

By mentioning ‘La Leyenda,’ the welterweight champion referenced Topuria’s brief nickname change before UFC 317. Ahead of his title fight against Charles Oliveira, the Georgian-Spaniard replaced ‘El Matador’ with ‘La Leyenda,’ which translates to “The Legend” in English. The nickname was meant to reflect his growing legacy in the sport, although he returned to his original moniker shortly after.

Despite Makhachev’s claim of Ilia Topuria quitting on the stool, the truth is that the 29-year-old appeared willing to continue fighting at the end of the third round despite the damage he had absorbed by then. At the end of the third round, when the former lightweight champion’s eyes had already swelled up and he couldn’t see well, the cageside physician wanted to call off the fight after examining Topuria. But the Spaniard wanted to keep fighting. As a result, referee Marc Goddard allowed the fight to continue. But once his team realized that additional punishment could be detrimental, at the end of the fourth round, they ultimately decided to stop the fight while Topuria sat on the stool.

A loss in his very first title defense at lightweight would definitely sting at this point. This has also become ammo for the former lightweight kingpin. After Topuria failed to establish his dominance at lightweight, Makhachev is seemingly using the nickname change against him as a way of highlighting what he perceived as overconfidence causing his downfall. In that sense, the former lightweight champion’s defeat gave the Dagestani another opportunity to revisit one of the key moments that shaped their rivalry.

As Ilia Topuria deals with the first loss of his UFC career, criticism from his rivals has continued to pour in. And following Makhachev’s comments, several of his familiar foes have also decided to weigh in on the former champion’s brutal loss to Justin Gaethje.

Paddy Pimblett and Arman Tsarukyan thrash Ilia Topuria after recent loss

Just like Islam Makhachev, Topuria’s other rivals like Paddy Pimblett and Arman Tsarukyan also had plenty to say. After the former lightweight champion suffered his first career defeat at UFC Freedom 250, both men joined in on the criticism and took shots at the Georgian-Spaniard.

“The only thing you had to do was beat a 38-year-old coming off of a 5-round war with me,” Pimblett wrote on X. “Instead, you quit on your stool like the little b–ch you are 🤣 I’m a real fighter and went 5 rounds you’re a little pretender chorizo! Congratulation.”

It appears that Paddy Pimblett had been waiting for an opportunity to respond. After all, when the Englishman lost to Gaethje earlier this year at UFC 324, Topuria also took to social media and mocked him similarly. It seems Paddy The Baddy was just returning the favor.

Soon after, Arman Tsarukyan also joined the conversation. Unlike Pimblett, however, the Armenian kept his reaction brief. Taking aim at the former champion, Tsarukyan gave him a new nickname and wrote, “Ilia ‘No Mas’ Topuria.” The phrase ‘No Mas’ roughly translates to “no more” and is often associated with being unable to continue a fight. The No.1 ranked lightweight’s jab appears to be in direct reference to Topuria’s corner stopping the fight after the fourth round, with just one more round to go.

Even with the loss, there is little doubt that Ilia Topuria remains one of the most talented fighters on the UFC roster. However, after suffering the first defeat of his UFC career and losing his lightweight title in the process, every move he makes from this point forward will likely carry even greater significance for his legacy.