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WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 14: Justin Gaethje strikes Ilia Topuria of Spain in the UFC lightweight championship fight during the UFC Freedom 250 event on the South Lawn at the White House on June 14, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
What an epic story …
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) madman, Justin Gaethje, finally won the undisputed Lightweight title tonight (Sun., June 14, 2026), forcing a corner stoppage against massive betting favorite, Ilia Topuria, between the fourth and fifth rounds at UFC Freedom 250 live on Paramount+ on the South Lawn in Washington, D.C., as UFC celebrated America’s 250th anniversary.
And he did it in vintage Gaethje fashion.
Gaethje came out hot in the first round, completely unafraid of Topuria’s power and immediately started putting damage on “El Matador.” He crushed Topuria with uppercuts off fake single-leg entries, landed stiff power jabs and repeatedly found a home for his right hand.
Topuria, though, was not going away that easily.
The reigning champion came out like a bat out of hell in the second stanza, boxing up Gaethje and landing heavy shots of his own. In the middle of the round, Topuria started attacking Gaethje’s body and appeared to badly hurt him, nearly scoring a finish.
Instead of letting Gaethje back up, Topuria followed him to the floor and tried to attack submissions. But, Gaethje survived, and that decision may have changed the entire fight.
The third round was all Gaethje.
Topuria looked completely exhausted and appeared to take the round off in hopes of recovering his gas tank. It did not work. Gaethje kept battering him, landing clean shots and even dropping the champion.
The fight nearly ended between the third and fourth rounds after Topuria told his corner he could not see. The cage doctor took a close look and appeared ready to stop it, but referee Mark Goddard allowed the fight to continue.
Topuria came out much more energized in round four, swinging big and trying to find a fight-changing knockout. He also tried to get the fight to the floor, but Gaethje would not let him off the hook.
“The Highlight” continued pouring on punishment, smashing Topuria’s already damaged face and closing his eyes even more.
Finally, between the fourth and fifth rounds, the damage was too much and the fight was stopped.
Gaethje, after all the wars, heartbreaks, near-misses and violent detours, is finally UFC’s undisputed Lightweight champion. And NEW!
Checkout the highlights below:
Gaethje (28-5) can now call himself an undisputed UFC champion, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he calls it a career after an epic title win, as being a gigantic underdog yet again. He’s riding a three-fight win streak.
As for Topuria (17-1), the Spanish star just witnessed his undefeated record get destroyed, and will have to rebuild himself back — which shouldn’t take too long.
For complete UFC Freedom 250 results, coverage and highlights click HERE.
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