Justin Gaethje beat Ilia Topuria by doctor stoppage after four rounds early Monday in a UFC White House main event, winning the undisputed lightweight title.
Officials stopped the fight after the fourth round, after medical staff ruled that Topuria, who had a bloodied face, could not continue despite asking to fight on.
The defeat ended Topuria’s unbeaten mixed martial arts record. The Spanish fighter of Georgian descent entered the bout as champion. However, he lost both his perfect record and the lightweight belt.
The UFC held the event on the South Lawn of the White House, where U.S. President Donald Trump watched from the front row with First Lady Melania Trump.
Vintage Gaethje! Justin battered Ilia Topuria and claimed the undisputed UFC lightweight champion, with the fight stopped in the corner before round five. 💥🚨
pic.twitter.com/1SmX8vbBFM
— TrillerTV (@Triller_TV) June 15, 2026The fight followed days of tension between the fighters. Gaethje had mocked Topuria’s divorce. Meanwhile, Topuria pushed him during a Friday press conference near the Abraham Lincoln Memorial in Washington.
The card was staged as part of events linked to the 250th anniversary of the United States independence. This will be marked on July 4. Also, the event coincided with celebrations around Trump’s 80th birthday.
Read: White House UFC Lawsuit Seeks To Stop Trump Birthday Fight
Organisers built a temporary stadium for about 4,000 spectators on White House grounds. Giant screens were also installed on the Ellipse to provide a larger public viewing area.
The event drew criticism from Trump opponents for using the White House for a commercial sports spectacle. The civic group filed a lawsuit alleging a potential conflict of interest tied to Trump’s reported shareholding in UFC’s parent company. However, a judge dismissed the complaint.
