“They better give him $20 million”: EX-UFC champion urges Justin Gaethje to demand huge payday for Ilia Topuria rematch
A former rival of Justin Gaethje has explained why he should think twice about an Ilia Topuria rematch and suggested the UFC offer a major incentive for the fight.
Former UFC champion Eddie Alvarez, who handed Justin Gaethje his career-first loss, has shared his take on whether Gaethje should accept the rematch against Ilia Topuria and urges him to ask for a big payday if the UFC pushes him to accept.
Eddie Alvarez urges Justin Gaethje to make UFC pay big for Ilia Topuria rematch
Recently, UFC CEO Dana White shared that Topuria, after his brutal TKO defeat against Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250, is ready to make his comeback, and White suggested both a rematch with the reigning champion and a matchup with Paddy Pimblett as interesting options for the Spaniard's return.
Meanwhile, since his dethroning of Topuria to capture lightweight gold, Gaethje has said he will not grant an immediate rematch to ‘El Matador,' emphasizing that the former must secure victory against a top-ranked lightweight to claim the title opportunity.
Now, with White’s comments, it seems that UFC is pushing Topuria for an immediate rematch, given how big a star the former champion is for the promotion. But Alvarez feels the rematch does not make sense, noting that Geathje has nothing to gain from the fight.
In his recent appearance on ‘The Bohnfire Podcast’, Alvarez stressed he does not like the rematch idea, as Gaethje beat Topuria decisively, raised questions about the stakes for ‘The Highlight', and urged the ex-rival to demand fair compensation for accepting the fight.
“I don’t like that idea,” Alvarez said on The Bohnfire. “What’s in it for Justin? They better give him $10 million, $15 million, $20 million dollars,” Alvarez said.
Gaethje spent years chasing the undisputed lightweight championship before finally reaching the top of the division. Alvarez believes that accomplishment puts him in a position where he does not need to immediately accept a high-risk rematch unless the UFC makes it financially worthwhile.
“If I’m Justin, I’m going, ‘I’m going to need $15 million or $20 million to fight that guy. There’s zero to gain.’ If it’s not money, there’s zero to gain. It wasn’t close, and he’s at the mountain top. It’s everything to gain for Topuria. There’s nothing for Justin there,” Alvarez added.
Check out Eddie Alvarez’s comments below:
Alvarez is not the only former UFC champion who feels the rematch doesn't make sense; the former welterweight champion, Belal Muhammad, has shared a similar opinion to the 42-year-old.
Belal Muhammad argues Ilia Topuria doesn’t deserve immediate rematch with Justin Gaethje
In his recent YouTube video, Muhammad weighed in on the ongoing speculation that Topuria might get an immediate rematch against Gaethje. The former welterweight champion argued that ‘The Highlight' made the Spaniard quit during their fight and should not ask for an immediate rematch.
Muhammad went further, suggesting that a Paddy Pimblett showdown for Topuria's return would be an interesting matchup.
“What do I think about it? I don’t think Topuria deserves it. It was a great fight, but he made you quit,” Muhammad said. “Let’s get you another fight, Paddy Pimblett’s right there, I think the Paddy Pimblett fight makes the most sense.”
Check out Belal Muhammad’s comments below:
