In the main event of the UFC Freedom 250 tournament held in Washington, American fighter Justin Gaethje defeated Ilia Topuria and won the lightweight championship belt.
According to reports, Topuria was more active in the early rounds. However, in the later rounds, Gaethje took the initiative and put serious pressure on his opponent.
After the fourth round ended, doctors examined Topuria. Due to vision problems observed in the fighter, his coaches decided not to continue the bout. Thus, a technical knockout was recorded and Gaethje was declared the winner.
After the fight, the American fighter said it was hard to believe the victory.
“I knew I had to survive the first round. He was a very dangerous opponent. But my endurance and perseverance helped me win,” said Gaethje.
It is noted that US President Donald Trump also attended the tournament. After the fight, he personally congratulated Justin Gaethje.
In the co-main event, Frenchman Ciryl Gane knocked out Brazilian Alex Pereira in the second round, winning the interim heavyweight championship belt.
Also, within the tournament, Sean O’Malley defeated Aiemann Zahabi, and Bo Nical defeated Kyle Daukaus.
