2026 has been the year of UFC underdogs. Two of the sport’s most dominant champions in recent memory, Ilia Topuria and Khamzat Chimaev, both lost their undefeated records and their titles to massive underdogs. Sean Strickland edged Chimaev in a razor-close split decision (48-47, 48-47, 47-48) at UFC 328. However, the bigger shock came at UFC Freedom 250, where Justin Gaethje dismantled Topuria in front of the White House crowd.
Gaethje systematically broke down the Spaniard over four rounds, inflicting so much damage that Topuria was unable to continue and retired on his stool before the fifth round. Defeats of that magnitude often leave lasting mental scars in addition to the physical punishment, and Jon Jones believes the key to bouncing back lies in how fighters respond.
🗣️ Khamzat Chimaev reacts to Ilia Topuria’s defeat Justin Gaethje at #UFC328:
“Those who rejoice at the defeats of others will never see greatness in this sport.”
Chimaev and Topuria both lost their undefeated records, as well as their championships in the past month. 👑 pic.twitter.com/v1IXC5gcCR
— MMA Orbit (@mma_orbit) June 15, 2026
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Speaking to Red Corner MMA in an exclusive interview filmed before the recent IBA Bare Knuckle 5 event in Moscow, the former two-division champion offered separate advice for Topuria and Chimaev.
For the Spaniard, Jones said, “Ilia’s going to be in a good position. He has faith. He has a strong team, and that’s a lot of what it takes. He has a work ethic. I think he’s honest with himself. Ilia and I have the same agent, and we were talking about him earlier today.”
He added, “What I heard was that he’s humble, that he’s honest. He realized that he just didn’t perform well. And that’s the number one step of getting back into the [Octagon] in a healthy way. It’s the guys who make excuses – it’s hard to come back and win that rematch. Honesty with yourself is the key to MMA, and knowing exactly who you are, what you’ve done, and what you haven’t done. You can’t lie once you get in that cage.”
‘Bones’ also shared words of encouragement for Chimaev, admitting he was surprised by the outcome of UFC 328 while pointing to a pivotal moment that changed the fight. He said, “Big fan of Khamzat. It was hard to see him lose. I was really surprised by that fight. I think when he got taken down, I think that was the main shift. When he was down and on his back, I feel like that was the main shift. He’s not used to being in that position.”
Jones further explained, “He’s usually the dominant one. And I think being down and on his back, somewhere in his mind, it took him out of the fight. If I was Khamzat, I’d work on my weaknesses. I’d switch up your endurance routine to something different and spend more time on your back. That way in the future – you’re just so comfortable being there…you can throw up some submissions.”
He then emphasized that while Chimaev is already well-rounded on the feet, his biggest area for improvement lies in becoming more comfortable fighting off his back. Jones added, “Khamzat is a great kicker, boxer, and wrestler, especially when he puts you in that body lock. But we don’t really see him on his back very often, so I’d go back to the drawing board and be comfortable on your back with a strong Jiu-Jitsu game and mainly focus on the mindset.”
Jon Jones gave some advice to Khamzat Chimaev and Ilia Topuria after they both experienced their first career losses recently:
“What I heard is that [Ilia] is humble, he’s honest, he realizes that he just didn’t perform well. That’s the #1 step of getting back into the ring in a… pic.twitter.com/7Hm52n074f
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) July 1, 2026
Jones concluded with candid advice on how fighters should approach setbacks, stressing that losses can reshape a competitor’s mindset but also serve as the catalyst for growth when handled the right way. As for what’s next, Chimaev has already called for an immediate rematch with Sean Strickland.
Topuria’s path back to the title, however, appears less straightforward, with Justin Gaethje having already dismissed the possibility of an immediate rematch. Instead, the former champion may need to earn another shot by facing a top contender such as Arman Tsarukyan or Paddy Pimblett. Whether the once-undefeated duo can reclaim championship gold in 2027 now remains one of the UFC’s biggest storylines.
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