It was a seminal moment since it’s not every day that you get to witness a fight held at the South Lawn of the White House, but Justin Gaethje made sure it would truly be a night to be remembered.
FREEDOM 250. The 37-year-old veteran of so many wars dethroned the popular and erstwhile undefeated Ilia Topuria via 4th-round stoppage. This Last Rounder thought Ilia would prove to be too much for the aging warrior and early in the fight, it certainly appeared that way.
Gaethje scored early with stiff jabs and uppercuts which drew first blood, but in the second round, “El Matador” charged forward aggressively, landing early combinations and a body shot that dropped Gaethje in the second. He followed it up with submission attempts, including a triangle. I actually thought the fight would end right there but admirably, Gaethje was able to survived.
The third round was close early but Gaethje landed a clearn right hand that dropped Topuria. He followed this up with some ground and pound and a choke attempt. At this point, the momentum had clearly shifted Gaethje’s way.
In Round 4, Gaethje poured on the pressure with combinations, leg kicks, and dirty boxing. Topuria’s face swelled badly but Gaethje was relentless as he pursued and battered a gassed Ilia.
After the round, the doctor checked on Topuria, but his corner wisely stopped the fight to protect their fighter.
Official scorecards had Gaethje up 39-37. In the end, the fight stats supported Gaethje’s work ethic as he landed landed 119 out of 228 total strikes while Topuria had 111 out of 177.
All in all, it was a high-paced, high-damage fight with both men pushing the limits.
PROGNOSIS. In the aftermath, the newly crowned champ hinted on going on a revenge tour before a possible retirement in 2027. A very likely opponent for him would be top contender Arman Tsarukyan or Charles Oliviera in a rematch. Either fight would be a barnburner.
As for Topuria, Gaethje seemed to downplay an immediate rematch but since he’s still young, he can rebound strongly.
Unlike boxing, where a loss seems like a death knell for high-profile prospects, in MMA, everybody loses and Topuria should take this opportunity to regroup as that loss might have exposed some of his vulnerabilities, as he previously seemed so invincible.
LAST ROUND. It’s on John Unchuan, who recently celebrated his birthday. Cheers, partner!