Justin Gaethje ended a career-long wait for undisputed lightweight gold with a stunning victory over Ilia Topuria at the UFC's historic fight card at the White House. The 37-year-old American, a heavy underdog, delivered a brutal performance against the previously undefeated Georgian-Spaniard, battering him until his corner threw in the towel after the fourth round. Topuria was later rushed to hospital with concerns over a possible broken orbital bone.
The event, held on the South Lawn in front of US President Donald Trump, featured six straight knockouts with no fight going the distance. Ciryl Gane pulled off a major upset by knocking out Alex Pereira for the interim heavyweight title, derailing Pereira's bid for glory in a third division. Sean O'Malley also secured a knockout victory over Canada's Aiemann Zahabi, while Mauricio Ruffy earned 'finish of the night' with a spinning wheel kick on Michael Chandler.
Controversy surrounded the event after Eric Trump, the president's son, forcefully denied online allegations that he sought insider information about the fights. In a series of social media statements, he dismissed screenshots appearing to show him asking if the bouts were 'rigged' as fabricated by artificial intelligence. The extravaganza, delayed briefly by bad weather, was held on the president's 80th birthday.
