Gaethje bucks odds, topples Topuria for UFC lightweight title

Justin Gaethje finally reached the mountaintop and forced Ilia Topuria to retire at the end of Round 4 in a brutal and violent showdown to become the undisputed UFC lightweight champion.

It was a monumental upset in a Fight of the Year candidate that headlined UFC Freedom 250 at the White House in front of President Donald Trump and over 4,000 fans, with another estimated 80,000 on The Ellipse exploding into jubilation for the American who finally realized his dream of becoming the undisputed champion.

“I told myself I was going to lose, and I told myself I was going to get embarrassed, so that I can go to my most primal place and dig deep,” Gaethje said. “That guy had me in trouble. He had me rocked, smoked my liver, and I still stuck in it.”

The unprecedented fight card on the White House’s South Lawn was delayed 45 minutes by inclement weather but eventually went on without a hitch as Gaethje’s stunning finish completed a night in which every fight ended in a knockout, a first in UFC history.

But the outstanding battle between Topuria and Gaethje highlighted the historic seven-fight card that was staged underneath the 92-foot-high structure known as “the claw” constructed specifically for this event.

The previously undefeated Topuria, 29, has been on a generational roll of late, knocking out former champions Alexander Volkanovski, Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira in consecutive fights to win world titles at featherweight and lightweight before heading to the nation’s capital in an attempt to become the first UFC fighter to defend world titles in two weight classes. But he had never been in a back-and-forth battle as he was with Gaethje, who has made a career out of exhilarating brawls.

Gaethje, 37, earned the opportunity with a hard-fought decision over Paddy Pimblett in January, when he won the interim lightweight title for a second time after Topuria was sidelined because of personal issues. He faltered in previous bids to become the undisputed champion, losing to Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2020 and to Charles Oliveira in 2022.

The former “BMF” champion promised that his third crack at undisputed gold would not return fruitless and he pulled off the upset of a lifetime on one of the biggest stages imaginable.

“This sport was made for me,” Gaethje said. “I’ve shown you why I’m the most consistent, most exciting guy that’s ever been in this cage.

The ultra-violent battle of attrition started with Gaethje establishing a jab against his smaller opponent while running him into an uppercut, which severely damaged Topuria’s eye in Round 2. Topuria kept pressing forward despite being the smaller fighter and was incredibly accurate while landing what appeared to be the harder punches. Both had their moments, with the Spaniard nearly finishing the job with vicious body punching in Round 2 and “The Highlight” turning the tables in Round 3 with a wicked display of power punching against Topuria’s face.

“I knew I was going to have to get through the first round,” Gaethje said. “His skills are unmatched when he’s fresh, but my durability, my tenacity and my heart will carry me through those first couple rounds, and nobody can out work me in Round 3, and especially the championship rounds 4 and 5.”

Topuria’s commitment to the body in the middle of Round 2 nearly saw him retain the lightweight title as an avalanche of left hooks to the body had Gaethje doubled over. Topuria went for an armbar, which might have given Gaethje enough breathing room to recover from the liver shot and make it out of the round.

Gaethje came roaring back in Round 3, crushing Topuria with uppercuts and an overhand right that buckled the legs of “El Matador.” Topuria managed to make it out of the round but his face was almost unrecognizable with a purple hue and grotesque swelling.

The fight was nearly stopped at the end of Round 3 with Topuria complaining of being unable to see. But the doctor reneged on calling off the fight and allowed it to continue, which saw Topuria start to work his way back into it. But Gaethje continued to slam uppercuts and hard right hands into a virtually blinded Topuria, ending the round with a devastating knee to the ribs.

The accumulation of punishment eventually forced Topuria’s corner to stop the fight at the end of Round 4 with their fighter having extreme swelling around both eyes and blood pouring from his face.

At the time of the stoppage, Gaethje was up 39-37 on all three judges’ scorecards. Both fighters landed 91 significant strikes, but the accumulation of punishment provided by Gaethje ended up being the difference.

It was yet another outstanding performance from the UFC’s leader in Performance of the Night bonuses. At 37 years, 212 days old, Gaethje became the oldest fighter to win a title fight at 155 pounds or below, breaking the previous record held by Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 325. There was talk of Gaethje retiring after this fight, but he relented on making an announcement and instead sought to enjoy the biggest win of his 15-year MMA career.

“I just promised my mom I wouldn’t make a decision tonight,” he said.