Ilia Topuria put his lightweight crown on hold for the first quarter of 2026, citing “going through a difficult moment in my personal life” on X to be the underlying reason. People have quickly jumped in with their speculations on a breakdown in his marriage, with rumors filling social media. UFC podcaster Joe Rogan has cleared his footing on the matter, too.

While divorce rumors remain in the shadows, Topuria’s wife, Giorgina Uzcategui Badell, deleted every picture of her with her husband from her Instagram account, clearly hinting at a rough patch in their relationship. Amid the ongoing frenzy, a fake snap of ‘El Matador’s wife alongside a UK rapper surfaced on the internet. But Rogan seems to be unaware of the nuances, commenting on Giorgina.

Joe Rogan bashes the lightweight champion’s wife for infidelity

Giorgina Uzcategui’s picture of hanging out with a rapper made a viral hit across all platforms, only to be debunked as a picture from 2023, originally with her brother. Regardless, the clear-cut slander to add spice to the Topuria divorce saga has pushed forward narratives of betrayal and infidelity on Giorgina’s side. The latest episode of The Joe Rogan Experience with Derek from More Plates More Dates added a new chapter to the story.

“Well, she’s taking photos with rappers and stuff. Oh, yeah, I’m putting it on Instagram. No. Yeah, you know how they do it. They try to steal your soul. Do you put a knife right in your spirit? Yeah, man, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned,” Rogan called out Giorgina on the infamous rapper picture.

“This is the mother of your children, and this lady is a monster, and there’s nothing worse than feeling psychologically duped by somebody,” he added. The comments on the grounds of a picture that has been proven to be edited feel harsh and set in crumbling stone. But Rogan’s allegations only go farther south from here.

“You hooked up with a guy who’s an incredibly special human being, the rarest of the rare. Not just a UFC world champion, but a two-division world champion, superstar, who the whole world wants to see, and you’re his wife. So you think, oh, look at me, I’m married to the baddest motherf*****r alive, and then he doesn’t want to be with you anymore. Like, oh, really? Well, I’m gonna take you down,” the podcaster accused.

But the cruelest twist to his words was a direct slander on femininity. “And women — that’s what they love: reputation destruction. That’s what they’re really experts in when s**t goes sideways,” Rogan’s words landed as a throwoff to the persona he’s created over the years on his platform. And it stands in contrast with Giorgina Uzcategui’s tweet that started it all.

When Topuria was asked to comment on their supposed separation, he made a “zip your lips” gesture to say that he won’t comment.

Is Giorgina Uzcategui foreshadowing a divorce in her empowering statement?

Ilia Topuria wasn’t alone in taking the tough stretch online. In fact, it was Giorgina Uzcategui’s cryptic Bible verse post that sparked the rumors online, with fans catching a subtle undertone in the message. She captioned it with:

“Toda la verdad oculta, siempre sale a la luz” (“All hidden truth always comes to light”).

The passage referred to “evil men” and to the deception of those who “resist the truth” eventually coming to light. Following this message, Giorgina deleted every post of hers alongside Topuria from her account. This feels too intentional to be a mere coincidence. Another post of female empowerment on X shortly after added the last straw.

“A mother’s true superpower is not being alert to danger, it’s building a world where her daughter can grow up brave, free, and unafraid,” Giorgina wrote on X.

From Ilia Topuria’s UFC hiatus to his wife quoting biblical verses on her story, the situation has unfolded too dramatically to be ruled out as a simple make-believe engagement bait. Is this real drama or just the internet doing too much? Drop your thoughts below.