Ilia Topuria cleared, accuses Gaethje of glove tampering
UFC fighter Ilia Topuria has been medically cleared to return to competition but is facing backlash for suggesting Justin Gaethje tampered with his gloves during their June 2026 fight. Both Gaethje and his coach have dismissed the accusations as baseless conspiracy theories.
Why it matters
The story highlights the intersection of fan-driven conspiracy theories and professional sports integrity.
Ilia Topuria is officially back — and apparently armed with one of the wildest excuses imaginable.
The former two-division Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champion announced today (Weds., Sept. 16, 2026) that he has completed his final medical tests and is cleared to resume his career following the horrific beating he suffered against Justin Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250 in June 2026.
However, buried inside Topuria’s fiery return announcement was an absolutely insane suggestion that Gaethje may have loaded or otherwise tampered with his gloves before handing “El Matador” the first loss of his professional career.
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