Justin Gaethje Stuns Ilia Topuria To Become New UFC Lightweight Champion At Freedom 250
In the main event of Freedom 250, Justin Gaethje took on Ilia Topuria for the UFC lightweight title. It was Topuria’s first title defense since winning the belt by beating Charles Oliveira last year.
Going into the fight, Topuria is the betting favourite due to his striking skills and undefeated momentum. However, as it turned out, Gaethje had some other plans and ultimately won the fight via doctor’s stoppage.
As promised, both fighters went at each other with sharp striking, with Topuria getting the initial momentum. Despite the brutal body shots, the ‘El Matador’ failed to stop the veteran in the early rounds.
As the fight went to the later rounds, Justin Gaethje’s durability and endurance prevailed and made it harder for the champ. After four rounds, Topuria’s eyes were all swollen up and bloodied, and the fight had to be stopped.
Gaethje celebrated his long-awaited win with his signature cage-side backflip after finally capturing UFC lightweight gold, a title that had eluded him in two previous attempts. ‘The Highlight’ soaked in the moment before taking a playful jab at Topuria, mocking the former champion for falling short on the sport’s biggest stage.
SHOP: Kickboxing Equipment
Islam Makhachev mocks Ilia Topuria following brutal loss at Freedom 250
Ahead of the bout, Ilia Topuria was oozing with confidence and was confident about getting his hands raised. The fighter has had beef with many other superstars, including the welterweight king, Islam Makhachev.
Following the defeat, Makhachev didn’t miss his opportunity to mock the ‘El Matador’ via X. “To quit in the biggest fight of your career – is something not everybody can do,” wrote Makhachev.
Topuria had long pursued a showdown with Makhachev, believing a statement victory at Freedom 250 would strengthen his case. Instead, the defeat has dealt a major setback to those ambitions, leaving his hopes of a future move to welterweight and a clash with the pound-for-pound king in serious doubt.
READ MORE: Darren Till Dismisses PED Accusations After Impressive BKFC Debut Performance
Recent posts
