Justin Gaethje pulled off a massive upset at the UFC Freedom 250 event on the South Lawn of the White House, defeating Ilia Topuria by corner stoppage after the fourth round to claim the undisputed lightweight title. President Donald Trump watched ringside for the entire event, which featured seven fights, all ending in knockouts.
Gaethje, 37, was a rank outsider against the undefeated Topuria, who had previously beaten Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway to claim the featherweight belt before moving up to lightweight and defeating Charles Oliveira. Gaethje opened a cut on Topuria's right eyebrow in the first round and increased pressure in the third, leaving Topuria struggling to see. By the end of the fourth round, both of Topuria's eyes were swollen shut, and his brother Aleksandre initially urged the fight to continue before the corner called it off.
Former two-division champion Daniel Cormier called it "one of the biggest upsets I've ever seen." Gaethje rushed to thank Trump at his octagon-side seat, where he sat with wife Melania and UFC president Dana White. The event coincided with Trump's 80th birthday and the US's 250th birthday celebrations, with patriotic displays throughout.
Other winners included Diego Lopes, Bo Nickal, Josh Hokit, Sean O'Malley, Ciryl Gane, and Mauricio Ruffy, who proposed to his girlfriend in the octagon. Heavyweight Hokit praised Trump and made a transphobic comment after his win. On the sidelines, Tyson Fury revealed plans to fight Anthony Joshua in August.
