Returning Topuria revives 'loaded gloves' allegations against Gaethje

Former UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria has revived allegations that current champion Justin Gaethje used loaded gloves, raising the baseless claim again as he announced his return to the octagon.

Topuria said Thursday on social media that he had completed his final medical evaluation and received clearance to compete. "I'm back," he wrote, adding: "Everyone who talked nonsense and thought I was finished — watch closely. Let's see who has the guts now."

The controversy came in the next breath. Topuria said he would "make sure Justin's gloves are properly checked next time so he can't do anything strange with them." He offered no specifics about what he believed Gaethje had done.

The remarks echo conspiracy theories that circulated online among some fans after the UFC White House event, in which some alleged that Gaethje had concealed an illegal substance or object inside his gloves to increase the power of his punches.

Gaethje's longtime trainer Trevor Wittman had already shrugged off those claims on "The Joe Rogan Experience." Gaethje himself said he would take the allegations as a compliment. "People saying I used drugs — that's a huge compliment," he said. "People saying I hid a brick in my glove — that's also a huge compliment to my punching power."

UFC protocol requires fighters to be inspected after their hands are wrapped and again after their gloves are put on — both in the locker room and immediately before entering the octagon. In a major organization like the UFC, any foreign object concealed in a glove would almost certainly have been caught. Such a lapse might be conceivable in a minor promotion with looser procedures, but not at this level.

It is all the more troubling that these baseless allegations are being kept alive not by fringe fans but by the fighter himself. Gaethje, 37, holds a 28-5 record with a 75 percent knockout rate, making him one of the sport's most feared punchers. He refused to quit through the twilight of his career and finally captured the championship — a story of perseverance that earned him wide respect.

Topuria suffered his first lightweight defeat at the UFC White House event, absorbing a series of powerful shots from Gaethje. The damage was severe enough that his corner stopped the fight after the fourth round.

Having recovered from his injuries and received medical clearance, Topuria appears to be angling for a rematch with Gaethje as his comeback opponent. But by raising unsubstantiated glove allegations without offering any evidence, he has stirred fresh controversy before a single punch has been thrown.