Gaethje bucks odds, Topuria to claim UFC title

Andreas HaleJun 15, 2026, 01:35 AM ET

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Andreas Hale is a combat sports reporter at ESPN. Andreas covers MMA, boxing and pro wrestling. In Andreas' free time, he plays video games, obsesses over music and is a White Sox and 49ers fan. He is also a host for Sirius XM's Fight Nation. Before joining ESPN, Andreas was a senior writer at DAZN and Sporting News. He started his career as a music journalist for outlets including HipHopDX, The Grammys and Jay-Z's Life+Times. He is also an NAACP Image Award-nominated filmmaker as a producer for the animated short film "Bridges" in 2024.

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 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.

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 where every single fight ended in a knockout.

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.

Topuria has been on a generational roll as 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 different weight classes. But he had never been in a back-and-forth battle like he was with Gaethje, who has made a career out of exhilarating brawls.

Gaethje earned the opportunity with a hard-fought decision over Paddy Pimblett in January, where he won the interim lightweight title for a second time after Topuria was sidelined with personal issues. 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.

The ultra-violent war of attrition saw Topuria and Gaethje each have 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 that destroyed Topuria's face.

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 the fight. But Gaethje continued to slam uppercuts and hard right hands into a 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 fighting having grotesque swelling around both eyes and blood pouring from his face. It was yet another outstanding performance from the UFC's leader in Performance of the Night bonuses. There was talk of Gaethje retiring after this fight but he stated in his post fight interview that he promised his mother he wouldn't make a decision tonight.