Ilia Topuria‘s undefeated streak came to an end as Justin Gaethje defeated him to capture the UFC lightweight championship. Topuria took more damage than he had in any fight in his career. His corner stopped the fight before the 5th round, sealing a stunning upset.
Soon after the fight, Darren Stanton, a body language expert, analyzed Topuria’s reaction and made a striking observation. He believes ‘El Matador’ accepted inevitable defeat and said it seemed he was forced to continue after the 3rd round.
Gaethje proved the oddsmakers wrong by defeating Topuria to unify the lightweight championship at UFC Freedom 250 at the White House. It is unclear how long Topuria will be sidelined from the damage he took as he will aim to bounce back.
Body Language Expert Analyzes Crucial Moment from Ilia Topuria’s Loss to Justin Gaethje
GettyWASHINGTON, DC – JUNE 14: Justin Gaethje of the United States lands a kick against Ilia Topuria of Georgia in the UFC Lightweight Championship bout during UFC Freedom 250 at the White House on June 14, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Body language expert Darren Stanton made a surprising claim about Ilia Topuria following his loss to Justin Gaethje. The former lightweight champion was battered and bloodied with significant swelling on his eye.
After the 3rd round, the cageside doctor initially waved the fight off. However, he then changed his mind after Topuria informed him and the referee of his desire to continue.
Stanton was not convinced of Topuria’s intention to continue. Instead, he believes it was performative to not affect the UFC star’s public perception.
“Topuria was an absolute mess. I believe this exchange was quite performative. At first, the initial doctor shook his head to wave off the fight, but the referee stepped in and gave it the all clear. This altercation was used to create tension as normally, if the doctor calls off the fight – it shouldn’t continue as he was a bit of a mess,” Stanton told PlayUK. “There was a big reluctance from Topuria to carry on after [the 3rd round]. Too much money and pressure on the line for Topuria to not follow through with it and he was almost coerced into it.”
He added:
“When the doctor called the fight, there was a bit of a relief in Topuria’s body language initially. When the fight was deemed okay to continue, he didn’t seem thrilled,” he said. “Even when his head was bowed and covered in blood, his corner still tried to make him carry on. He was a broken man both facially and from a posture point of view.”
Darren Stanton Says Topuria Should Have Stopped Sooner
Darren Stanton also said that ‘El Matador’ should have stopped sooner rather than continue fighting.
The ‘Human Lie Detector’ believes Topuria was already defeated and that his team should not have protected him from further damage.
“[Topuria] shouldn’t have been allowed to carry on at that point anyway. In the first clip I watched [of the doctor intervening after the 3rd round], he wanted to save face rather than carry on. His team were still encouraging him but by the end, he was a broken man,” Stanton told PlayUK. “He just kept his head down, his face smashed to a pulp and he didn’t even make an effort to get up. His spirit had left him.”
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