UFC: US’ Justin Gaethje shocks Ilia Topuria to win lightweight crown at White House event
Bout headlined ’UFC Freedom 250’ held as key part of President Trump’s celebrations for his 80th birthday, nation’s 250th anniversary
American Justin Gaethje turned the tables on Ilia Topuria to claim a shock win and take the undisputed lightweight UFC crown at Sunday’s “UFC Freedom 250” event on the gardens of the White House.
Gaethje provided an American victory to round off the night, which coincided with President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday, inflicting a first loss on his Georgian-Spanish opponent when the fight was stopped in the fourth round.
The bout headlined the first professional sporting event to be hosted at the White House, a key part of Trump’s celebrations of the nation’s 250th anniversary, with the two fighters beginning their walkouts from the Oval Office.
Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg, British boxer Tyson Fury, UK ambassador to the US Christian Turner, FBI director Kash Patel and Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson were among the well-known faces in the crowd at the specially constructed Octagon.
The US president and UFC chief Dana White walked together from the Oval Office to the Blue Room Balcony to survey the arena.
UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland, who had said he was not invited to fight because of opposition to Israel, was escorted away from the Ellipse area before the bill by US Park Police.