Ilia Topuria announced in a statement on Monday that he was vacating the UFC lightweight title while he deals with a divorce and fends off allegations of domestic abuse.
“Over the past several weeks, I have made the difficult decision to temporarily step away from defending my title,” Topuria said the statement. “This was not a decision I took lightly.”
“However, when circumstances arise that threaten your personal integrity, your family, and your reputation, there comes a point when you must address them directly.”
Topuria denied the allegations and claimed he’s being extorted. Upon hearing the news of the abuse allegations, former Topuria rival Bryce Mitchell went off in a video post on Instagram. “Ilia the wifebeater. I wanna rematch. coward,” Mitchell captioned the video.
“Ya’ll remember when I fought Ilia and he won and then afterwards he got a pair of overalls and was making fun of me because I run a farm and I run around in overalls? And he thought that was hilarious,” Mitchell said.
Related: Ilia Topuria approves of Justin Gaethje vs. Paddy Pimblett interim title fight
“Well, I’ve got something for you b*tch. It’s called the wife beater special. That’s right. I’ve got my wife beater on for Ilia Topuria. That b*tch puts his hands on a woman.
“You know, I grew up without a dad. Never seen my dad. Never will see my dad. And you know what? I’d rather not see my dad than have my dad there beating on my mom. Let me tell you something, that’ll get you killed around these parts, son. That sh*t ain’t no joke. There ain’t nothing funny about it, and I just had to let you know that you’re a straight up b*tch for that. And your brother’s a b*tch too. I’ll fight him. I’ll beat his ass. You got lucky I was sick or I would have beat your ass,” Mitchell continued.
“Look, you don’t deserve to get to see your kids, son, because you put your hands on their mother. You’re a coward. That shit is sickening.”
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After going scorched Earth, Mitchell urged Topuria to repent, stop drinking, or face an eternity of damnation. He then offered the former two-division champion some relationship advice.
“But anyways, bro, who am I to judge? I fall short of the glory of God too. Ilia you need to repent, return to Jesus Christ. If you repent, you won’t rot in hell, bro. But you better really mean it and better really repent. And probably stop drinking too. You probably got a drinking problem man,” Mitchell said. “Return to Jesus Christ. You will be forgiven. And if not, you’re going to rot in hell, bro, because that’s where women beaters go.
“One more thing for you Ilia, wives ain’t like belts. Okay? It ain’t the more the merrier. You’re supposed to have one man, one woman. Two become one. You’re out running around working on your third wife. You think they’re championship belts and you’re trying to get three or four. You’re an idiot, dude. You need to take notes from a guy like me.”
At this point, the allegations against Topuria are unproven. They were brought to light by Topuria himself, but details remain elusive. A clearer picture of the situation will come with more information.
Topuria and Mitchell fought at UFC 282 in December 2022. Topuria defeated Mitchell in the second round via submission.
