Justin Gaethje Shocks the World, Beats Topuria at the White House

Nobody gave Justin Gaethje a chance. He was a 6-to-1 underdog. Experts said he was past his prime. He was 37 years old fighting the unbeaten champion on the biggest stage UFC has ever used.
He won anyway.
Gaethje stopped Ilia Topuria via corner TKO at the end of Round 4 Sunday night on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., to become the undisputed UFC Lightweight Champion. Topuria’s corner threw in the towel before the fifth round could begin, looking at their fighter’s battered, swollen face and deciding enough was enough.

How It Happened

Round 1 belonged to Gaethje. He came out snapping jabs and landing uppercuts, cutting Topuria up early. He used takedown fakes to keep the champion guessing.
Round 2 almost ended everything — for Gaethje. Topuria cracked him with a combination and dropped him with body shots. He took Gaethje to the ground and went for a submission. That was the mistake. Instead of throwing punches on a hurt man, Topuria let Gaethje recover. He never got that chance again.
Rounds 3 and 4 were Gaethje’s. He landed a brutal combination in Round 3 that put Topuria down and kept him on the back foot for the rest of the night. By Round 4, Topuria’s face was a mess — swollen, bleeding, barely recognizable. The doctor checked him between rounds and let him continue. His corner didn’t.
When the bell rang to end Round 4, Topuria’s team stepped in and stopped the fight. Gaethje got off the canvas, did a flip, and became champion.

What This Means

This is one of the biggest upsets in UFC history. Gaethje becomes the first fighter to beat an unbeaten lightweight champion since Conor McGregor knocked out Eddie Alvarez in 2016. He also earned an extra $825,000 in bonuses on top of his purse.
Topuria came in at 17-0. He was supposed to be untouchable. The style was supposed to be all wrong for Gaethje. Age was supposed to be the deciding factor.
None of it mattered.
At 37, after years of brutal fights, near misses, and title shot losses, Justin Gaethje is finally champion. The fight happened at the White House. America’s 250th birthday. On the South Lawn.
He earned it.
Source: ESPN, UFC.com, Yahoo Sports, MMA Mania