Five months after suffering a brutal defeat to Justin Gaethje, Ilia Topuria is finally healthy and plotting a grand return in 2027. The former two-division champion is looking ahead to an April clash against Paddy Pimblett. But as Topuria prepares for his comeback, his position could have been very different if his brother, Aleksandre Topuria, had not made a crucial decision in his last fight that essentially saved his career. 

In a recent interview with Adam Catterall on the One on One podcast, Topuria recalled how Aleksandre’s decision to stop the fight in the fourth round against Justin Gaethje at UFC White House on June 14th protected his future in the UFC.

“If my brother wouldn’t stop me in the fourth round, what do you think I would do? I would stand up, and I would keep fighting,” Topuria said.

Topuria made it clear that he was in no mood to stop fighting Gaethje. This admission prompted Catterall to ask the former champion once again how he felt about his brother stopping the fight despite his willingness to keep fighting.

“Me personally… I wouldn’t say, ‘stop it.’ But I respect the decision that my brother took in that moment,” Ilia added. “I would’ve done the same. I couldn’t see. I couldn’t open my eyes.” 

Though Topuria admitted he would personally have chosen to keep fighting, he ultimately gave 100% credit to his elder brother’s call in that fight, which he believes saved his career.

“Oh, 100%. If he wouldn’t stop me from fighting, probably I wouldn’t be able to fight again in my life. Actually, I’m so grateful to my brother that he decided to stop me because I love what I’m doing.

“I had a bad experience, but I still have a lot of things ahead of me. So, it would be very sad for me if I would hear from a doctor or anyone that I wouldn’t be able to fight anymore.”  

Aleksandre Topuria served as the chief cornerman for Ilia Topuria in his White House fight against Justin Gaethje. As the primary cornerman, Aleksandre was concerned about his fighter’s safety and ended up doing what he felt was necessary.

By the fourth round, Gaethje’s strikes had left Topuria’s face almost unrecognizable. The Georgian-Spaniard was bloodied and bruised, and he was in no condition to continue past that round. That is the exact moment Topuria recalled when Aleksandre Topuria threw in the towel and saved his younger brother from taking further punishment. 

It’s the first time Ilia Topuria has credited his brother for saving his career, but some prominent personalities praised Aleksandre’s decision.

Even Marc Goddard, who refereed the fight, praised Aleksandre Topuria for making the right call. Later, Justin Gaethje’s coach, Trevor Wittman, told the ONX Sport podcast that “Ilia’s brother did the right thing to stop the fight.”    

Aleksandre Topuria’s decision to stop Ilia in the fourth round saved him from undergoing surgery after he suffered two broken orbital bones, a broken nose, and a fractured foot.

Plus, the former two-division champion was cleared by doctors in September, all because of his brother’s one crucial call. For this, it is no surprise that he credits Aleksandre and trusts him with his life.

In fact, Aleksandre also sounded proud of his brother right after the UFC White House loss. 

Aleksandre Topuria explains why he stopped Ilia Topuria’s fight vs. Justin Gaethje 

For Ilia, it was indeed a rough outing against Justin Gaethje. However, the bout was tough for Aleksandre Topuria as well, because his brother was visibly battling for survival inside the Octagon.

After realizing that Topuria was in danger, he stopped caring about a win and stopped the fight to protect his little brother.

“He was willing to die to win this fight,” Aleksandre Topuria wrote on his Instagram story. “For you it’s ‘El Matador.’ For me, it’s my little brother. I had to stop it.”

Later, Aleksandre Topuria also made it clear that he is proud of his little brother’s accomplishments.

“Proud of everything you do and have done, my brother,” he wrote. “In victory or in learning, always grateful to God for everything.”

Ilia Topuria and his brother Aleksandre have been training together since they were in their teens. They have spent countless days backing each other through wins and adversities. 

‘El Matador’s’ loss to Gaethje marked another of those moments where Ilia needed his brother, and Aleksandre showed the utmost support he could.