First images of Ilia Topuria's face with no glasses emerge after gruesome UFC White House injuries

The first photos of Ilia Topuria's face - without glasses - since his brutal defeat to Justin Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250 have emerged.

Gaethje defeated Topuria to win the UFC Lightweight Championship at the White House last month.

Topuria was declared the loser by TKO after his corner stopped the fight at the end of the fourth round.

He was immediately rushed to hospital for surgery, and later revealed that Gaethje had 'taken the sight' from both of his eyes during the fight.

Marca reported that Topuria suffered 'non-displaced fractures' in both of his orbital bones, though would not require surgery.

A week after the fight, UFC president Dana White said that the 29-year-old was 'doing good', and he is now preparing for his return to the Octagon.

Topuria injury update emerges in new photos

Given the extent of those injuries, it is unclear as to when that comeback will take place - with Topuria having taken precautions to avoid showing too much of his recovery by wearing glasses during public appearances.

He also hasn't posted to social media since the day after the fight, when he congratulated Gaethje on his win.

But now, photos of Topuria's face without glasses on have emerged online, taken by Spanish press agency Gtres.

There appears to still be significant swelling to his nose and the injuries inflicted by Gaethje are still visible, but the now former UFC Lightweight Champion seems to be in good spirits.

After their fight, Topuria promised Gaethje that he would request a rematch against him when he was fit enough to do so.

"Justin, congratulations. You said you'd leave your mark on my face... and you did," he wrote on Instagram.

"You took the sight from my right eye in the first round, and by the end of the second, from my left too.

"No excuses. I had one of the best camps of my life. I came in sharp, prepared, and ready. Last night was your night. That's the nature of the game. Glory and pain walk side by side.

"I'll heal. I'll rest. And I'll return stronger, wiser, and far more dangerous. And trust me... this story between us is far from over. We will have our rematch."

One person who was less complementary was his long-time rival, Paddy Pimblett, who called out the Spanish-Georgian fighter for not continuing the fight.

"The only thing you had to do was beat a 38-year-old coming off a five-round war with me... instead you quit on your stool like the little b***h you are," the Liverpool-born fighter wrote.

"I'm a real fighter and went five rounds. You're a little pretender, chorizo! Congratulations Justin Gaethje, rematch for undisputed?"

Pimblett claimed earlier this week that he won a match-used stool from the Topuria vs Gaethje main event at UFC Freedom 250, for the cool price of $13,700.