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Gaethje Reveals Ilia Topuria Wanted Out After Eye Injury in Title Fight

Joe Rogan Experience · JRE MMA Show #181 with Justin Gaethje & Trevor Wittman · June 20, 2026
Gaethje Reveals Ilia Topuria Wanted Out After Eye Injury in Title Fight
Joe Rogan Experience
Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #181 with Justin Gaethje & Trevor Wittman
"You do not ever as a fighter say, I cannot see. It's over. And he was counting on that. He said, he had already stated it, he didn't need to say it again. He did not think they were gonna say— So you think that he called Goddard a turkey internally? He was like, when he said, oh, you're gonna go fight, he's like, hey, I was playing that."
Justin Gaethje made the stunning claim that Ilia Topuria was attempting to exit their White House title fight by complaining about eye damage. Gaethje argued that Topuria expected referee Mark Goddard to stop the fight when he stated he couldn't see, but Goddard allowed it to continue. This revelation contradicts Topuria's public narrative about the fight and suggests mental breakdown rather than physical limitation.
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Joe Rogan Experience
Joe Rogan Experience

JRE MMA Show #181 with Justin Gaethje & Trevor Wittman

August 3, 2026 · 5 Egleze moments
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