New photo sheds light on how Ilia Topuria looks two weeks after title loss

Ilia Topuria's facial injuries from his UFC Freedom 250 title loss to Justin Gaethje are healing well, according to a photo shared two weeks after the bout by Georgian reporter Giorgi Kokiashvili. The image shows the former two-division champion posing with a young fan, and reveals that swelling around his eyes has subsided significantly and bruising has largely faded. Cuts sustained during the fight also appear to be healing properly.

Gaethje inflicted substantial damage to Topuria's face throughout their title fight, opening a cut under the Georgian's eye in the first round and escalating the assault in the third and fourth rounds. The eye injury proved critical: Topuria acknowledged that Gaethje had effectively blinded him on one side by the end of the second round. Unable to continue, Topuria's corner threw in the towel before the fifth round, costing him the championship.

Despite the loss, Topuria has maintained a professional and resilient demeanor. In an Instagram post shortly after the fight, he congratulated Gaethje and acknowledged the American's superior performance that night, writing: "You took the sight from my right eye in the first round, and by the end of the second, from my left too. No excuses." Topuria vowed to return "stronger, wiser, and far more dangerous," and made clear that his rivalry with Gaethje is far from settled, explicitly calling for a rematch. The photo evidence of his healing suggests he is on track to make a full recovery.