Gaethje Took Topuria’s Belt With a Fourth-Round Corner
Justin Gaethje defeated Ilia Topuria by corner stoppage at 5:00 of round four on June 14, 2026, at UFC Freedom 250. The result gave Gaethje the undisputed lightweight championship on the White House South Lawn.
A title fight at the White House
Topuria entered as the undefeated champion, while Gaethje challenged for his first undisputed UFC title. The main event headlined a seven-bout card staged at the White House in Washington, D.C.
Topuria had a strong second round and threatened with body shots and submission attempts. Gaethje weathered the attack, then built momentum with heavy punches and forward pressure in the later rounds.
The bout was not stopped by the referee during the round. Topuria’s corner declined to let him continue after round four, and UFC recorded the finish as a TKO by corner stoppage at 5:00.
Gaethje became undisputed champion
The result made Gaethje the UFC lightweight champion and ended Topuria’s reign. It was the main event of a historic card on June 14, which also featured Ciryl Gane’s interim heavyweight title victory.
The stoppage came after four completed rounds, not in the fifth. The official scorecards and event report identify the method as a corner stoppage.
UFC’s results and athlete records confirm the winner, title change and time. The account distinguishes a corner decision from a referee stoppage inside an active round.
