Ilia Topuria issues statement on UFC return five months after brutal Justin Gaethje loss

Ilia Topuria is getting closer to his UFC return. The two-division UFC champion lost the lightweight title to Justin Gaethje at the White House in June, when nasty facial injuries forced him to retire on his stool. Topuria revealed after the main event of the iconic event that Gaethje, now the reigning lightweight king, blinded him in both eyes during their fight. However, after taking time out of the limelight following his defeat, Topuria is ready to make a comeback. The 29-year-old revisited his Georgian roots this week with a message to his fans ahead of an imminent UFC return.