Anthony Joshua reveals eerie impact that Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje UFC fight had on him

Anthony Joshua has shed light on the more eerie part of being a professional combat sports athlete, seemingly suggesting that the fight game is quite different from other sports. 

"AJ" cited the high-profile MMA matchup featuring then-UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria and then-interim UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje, which headlined UFC Freedom 250 last month.

He notably highlighted the terrifying consequences that Topuria faced, suffering worrisome facial damage and reported non-displaced orbital bone fractures, in the fight despite being a significant favorite to win it. 

Anthony Joshua revealed the eerie effect Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250 had on him

The UFC lightweight championship unification showdown saw Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje come close to stopping one another multiple times.

Brutal striking battles between the two knockout artists, as well as crafty grappling exchanges, ultimately saw Topuria being unable to continue into the fifth and final round. 

Gaethje thereby bagged the undisputed UFC lightweight belt via fourth-round TKO, which was an outcome that surprised many, as they felt that the comparatively younger and then-unbeaten Topuria would dominate him. 

During a recent conversation with Combat Evolved, in collaboration with Pure Digital PR, boxing's former unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua addressed his upcoming fight and more. 

When asked about his goals, he replied that he aimed to improve as a fighter, be injury-free, and steer clear of "haters." The English pugilist was of the view that most people don't understand what being a fighter entails, further insinuating that it isn't as glamorous a life as some may like to believe. 

Expounding upon the same from his gym in Valencia, Spain, Joshua stated, "It is not what people think it is. It is not all fun and games. This is a serious, serious, serious job, man... I think that when I watched that Ilia Topuria fight..." 

Joshua proceeded to ask who the other individual in the matchup was, to which he was told it was Justin Gaethje. The British boxer then alluded to the perils of being a fighter, saying, "When I watched that fight, I stopped replying to people after that. Because I said, 'Yo. It's not a joke.'"

Joshua continued, "I saw someone in Ilia, who was destined to win. The stars were aligned for him to be victorious." The heavyweight noted that he believed Topuria had defeated people whom Gaethje had been beaten by. 

The 36-year-old pointed out that the odds favored Topuria. Joshua suggested that he noticed that the Georgian-Spaniard UFC star was celebrating his potential victory against Gaethje before their fight. 

While he seemed to clarify that it wasn't necessarily a bad thing, he implied that the pre-fight celebrations backfired on Topuria.

Emphasizing that fighters ought to be more serious heading into their combat sports contests, Joshua reaffirmed how the damage Topuria sustained against Gaethje deeply affected him. 

He said, "He (Ilia Topuria) is entitled to do what he wants. But I just took something from it (his pre-fight celebrations), and I said get back to being uncontactable, less accessible, because the fight game is so serious. Like, you saw his face, like, what he went through. It's not a joke, man." 

Watch Anthony Joshua discuss how Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje left a mark on him and much more below (*comments at the 9:20-minute mark of the video): 

Anthony Joshua returns against Kristian Prenga before potential Tyson Fury grudge match; UFC superstar Ilia Topuria eyes revenge against Justin Gaethje

On one hand, Anthony Joshua is booked to return to the boxing ring against Kristian Prenga on July 25. Meanwhile, Joshua's longtime rival and fellow ex-unified heavyweight kingpin Tyson Fury takes on Mariusz Wach a day prior, on July 24. 

The long-awaited Joshua vs. Fury heavyweight boxing grudge match is being aimed for October or November of this year, provided both win their respective fights this month. 

On the other hand, former UFC featherweight and lightweight titlist Ilia Topuria has vowed to reclaim the lightweight title from reigning 155-pound ruler Justin Gaethje. Topuria has lately been spotted in public, with many fans underscoring that his facial injuries from UFC Freedom 250 seem to have healed quite well. 

Nevertheless, the consensus is that the UFC is likely to book Gaethje to defend the lightweight title against another top contender rather than place him in an immediate title rematch against Topuria.