Gaethje upsets Topuria for undisputed lightweight crown at UFC Freedom 250 White House event - Check full results

In one of the most stunning results in UFC history, Justin Gaethje became the undisputed UFC lightweight champion with a dominant victory over Ilia Topuria in the main event of UFC Freedom 250, held on the White House lawn in Washington, DC on Sunday night. Gaethje entered the fight as a significant underdog against the previously unbeaten Topuria, who many considered the best pound-for-pound fighter in mixed martial arts. Instead, Gaethje controlled the action from the opening bell, repeatedly landing powerful strikes and keeping Topuria on the defensive throughout the contest. Severe swelling around Topuria's eyes nearly forced a stoppage before the fourth round, and a crushing knee to the body late in the frame ultimately left him unable to continue. His corner ended the fight before the fifth round, handing Topuria the first loss of his professional career.


The upset was made even more remarkable by pre-fight predictions that favored Topuria to finish Gaethje quickly. Rather than being overwhelmed, Gaethje dictated the pace and delivered one of the finest performances of his career. In the co-main event, France's Cyril Gane claimed the interim heavyweight title for a second time by defeating Alex Pereira in the second round. A perfectly timed jab left Pereira badly hurt, prompting the stoppage after a brief barrage of follow-up strikes. The victory marked a career-defining moment for Gane, who had previously fallen short in title opportunities.



Sean O'Malley also delivered a memorable performance, knocking out Aiemann Zahabi in spectacular fashion. As Zahabi fell to the canvas, O'Malley celebrated with a military-style salute to the crowd, further cementing his reputation as one of the UFC's biggest stars. The win moves him closer to another bantamweight title shot.

Rising heavyweight Josh Hokit continued his impressive run by stopping veteran knockout artist Derrick Lewis in the second round. Hokit dominated much of the fight and improved his undefeated record to 10-0.


Brazilian lightweight Mauricio Ruffy added another highlight-reel finish to his resume, stopping former title challenger Michael Chandler in the opening round. The defeat raised questions about Chandler's future in the promotion.


Elsewhere on the card, Bo Nickal earned a first-round stoppage win over Kyle Daukaus, while Diego Lopes rallied from a difficult start to knock out Steve Garcia in the second round following a weather-related delay that pushed back the start of the event.