Joe Rogan Thinks Justin Gaethje Put an End to Pre-Fight Celebration Ritual of Ilia Topuria After Freedom 250 Forever

Ilia Topuria’s rise to stardom was defined not only by his knockout power, but also by his unwavering confidence. The Spaniard regularly predicted his fights and showed no fear against any opponent. He carried that same belief into his title defense against Justin Gaethje, only to be brutalized and lose his belt. In the aftermath, Joe Rogan questioned whether Topuria’s confidence can ever fully return.

The defeat was far more brutal than the final result suggested. Topuria even dropped Gaethje in the second round before the momentum shifted. Gaethje then took control with relentless pressure and damaging strikes, leaving his opponent badly marked before his corner stopped the fight after four rounds. The former champion absorbed heavy punishment as Gaethje claimed the lightweight title.

Topuria’s confidence was clear throughout fight week. The former champion celebrated before the bout alongside boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk, and updated his Instagram bio to 18-0 ahead of his bout with Gaethje. On The Joe Rogan Experience, Rogan asked Gaethje whether Topuria would continue that tradition in future fights. However, the lightweight champion had a clear stance on that.

There is no way. Just the expectations; he never thought that he would have to be here.

Justin Gaethje via PowerfulJRE

Joe Rogan doubts Ilia Topuria will be doing any pre-fight celebrations after what Justin Gaethje did to him.

🗣️Joe : "I wonder if he'll still have those celebration dinners the night before"

🗣️Justin : "There's no way"

(via @joerogan ) pic.twitter.com/bRm49DLu5U

— FREAK.MMA (@FREAKMMA1) June 20, 2026

Topuria’s confidence was evident from the moment the fight was announced against Gaethje. The Spaniard quickly framed the matchup as another dominant performance and even sent a message to US President Donald Trump claiming he would make short work of his opponent. In the final Paramount+ promo for UFC Freedom 250, he also dedicated a white rose to Gaethje as a warning ahead of their clash.

Rogan was one of Topuria’s biggest supporters throughout his UFC career. He even expressed willingness to travel to Spain to commentate his fights following the Spaniard’s dominant performance over Charles Oliveira at UFC 317. The UFC commentator also described Topuria’s knockout wins over Alexander Volkanovski, Max Holloway, and Oliveira as the greatest three-fight winning streak in UFC history.

Despite the knockout loss, Ilia Topuria has already expressed interest in a rematch with Justin Gaethje. He is currently serving an 180-day medical suspension after UFC Freedom 250. His return depends on recovery and medical clearance. Joe Rogan’s comments questioning whether El Matador’s confidence will return to its previous level have added attention to whether he can rebuild and run it back.

Justin Gaethje weighs in on Ilia Topuria’s potential attitude if he had won at UFC Freedom 250

The initial exchanges between Justin Gaethje and Ilia Topuria were notably respectful, with both fighters openly acknowledging each other’s skills and accomplishments. Both also made it clear that, despite mutual respect, the challenge ahead would be extremely difficult. However, in the days leading up to UFC Freedom 250, that respect faded as both began trading personal shots on social media.

During the ceremonial face-offs, tensions escalated when Topuria shoved the American veteran, showing how personal the rivalry had become by fight week. After the fight, however, both men acknowledged the war they delivered on the night of June 14th at the White House. The newly crowned lightweight champion recently weighed in on how Topuria’s attitude would have looked had he come out on top.

I just want it to be known how disrespectful he would’ve been if he beat me. If he put me to sleep, can you imagine how he would have been? I was fighting for so much.

Justin Gaethje via PowerfulJRE

Justin Gaethje has also rejected an immediate rematch for Ilia Topuria after UFC Freedom 250, insisting he effectively stopped him twice through sustained damage and a corner stoppage. He acknowledged Topuria had early success but maintained he took control and clearly dictated the fight afterward. ‘The Highlight’ added that the Spaniard must rebuild momentum before any rematch can be considered.

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