Justin Gaethje defeated Ilia Topuria by TKO in the fourth round of the main event at UFC Freedom 250, held in the south lawn of the White House, and became the new undisputed UFC lightweight champion.
The defeat, unexpected for the night's favorite, ended Topuria's undefeated streak, which dropped from 17-0 to 17-1 in his professional career. The Spanish fighter, of Georgian origin, finished the match with a bloodied face and a severely swollen right eye.
The fight ended when Topuria's corner decided not to continue at the end of the fourth round, following a medical review of the fighter's face. Although Topuria wanted to keep going, the doctors determined he was not fit to continue.
Gaethje, 37 years old and with a record of 27-5, entered the fight as a clear underdog. He acknowledged this himself after the victory: "Listen, I’m from the United States, 250 years ago we were much more than 6-1 underdogs. I know that was absolutely legendary because I can hardly believe it."
The fight was a high-intensity four-round showdown: Gaethje dominated with jabs in the first round, Topuria came close to a submission in the second, and in the third, the American took down the Spaniard. In the fourth round, Gaethje punished Topuria with jabs, uppercuts, and knee strikes until his corner stopped the fight.
After the victory, Gaethje celebrated with a somersault from the top of the cage and approached President Donald Trump with the American flag draped over one shoulder and the championship belt over the other.
Trump attended the event in the front row alongside First Lady Melania and Dana White, president of the UFC, and later entered the octagon to personally congratulate the winners.
The event, named UFC Freedom 250, was the first professional mixed martial arts event held at the White House. It was officially presented as part of the celebrations for the 250th anniversary of the United States' independence, although it coincided with Trump's 80th birthday.
For the occasion, the White House set up a temporary stadium with a capacity for about 4,000 selected individuals, while large screens were installed at The Ellipse for up to 120,000 registered spectators free of charge.
The tension between the protagonists had been building for days. Gaethje had publicly mocked Topuria's divorce, and last Friday, during a press conference at the Lincoln Memorial, Topuria shoved Gaethje, prompting Dana White and security staff to step in.
The event, at a cost of 60 million dollars covered by the UFC, generated controversy due to Trump's conflict of interest, as he had acquired shares in TKO Group Holdings, the parent company of the UFC, in March 2026. A federal lawsuit attempted to block it, but it was dismissed by Judge Amit Mehta the previous Friday.
Topuria had claimed the lightweight title by knocking out Charles Oliveira in the first round at UFC 317 on June 28, 2025, and came into this fight as one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world. All seven fights on the card ended by knockout or TKO, a remarkable feat in UFC history.
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