'Third-time lucky' Justin Gaethje, finally crowned UFC Lightweight Champion... TKO victory over Ilia Topuria in Round 4 [UFC]

*This content was translated by AI.

'Highlight' Justin Gaethje (37, USA) finally became the official UFC Lightweight (70.3kg) champion after three attempts.

'Highlight' Justin Gaethje (28 wins, 5 losses) secured a TKO victory via corner stoppage after the fourth round against UFC Lightweight Champion 'El Matador' Ilia Topuria (29, Georgia/Spain) in the main event of the 'UFC Freedom 250' event commemorating the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, held on the 15th (Korean time) at the White House in Washington, D.C., USA.

'Highlight' Topuria, hit by Gaethje's powerful punch, suffered a serious injury suspected to be an orbital fracture and was in pain. Consequently, Alexandre Topuria, Ilia's older brother and coach, expressed his intention to quit, and the match concluded.

'Highlight' It was a moment long awaited. After defeating Tony Ferguson at UFC 249 in May 2020 to become the interim champion, Gaethje challenged then-champion Khabib Nurmagomedov in October but lost via submission in the second round.

'Highlight' He faced former champion Charles Oliveira, who had been stripped of the title at UFC 274 in 2022, for his second title challenge but suffered another submission loss in the first round.

'Highlight' Gaethje, who became the interim champion by defeating Paddy Pimblett by unanimous decision at UFC 324 last January, seized another opportunity and captured the UFC Lightweight undisputed championship by also defeating champion Topuria.

'Highlight' Gaethje secured victory by engaging in a striking battle head-on with Topuria, known for his KO power. Champion Topuria aggressively pressured Gaethje from the start of the match, seemingly intent on knocking him out immediately, but Gaethje landed a powerful jab that caused a cut on Topuria's eye. When Topuria moved in close, Gaethje grabbed a collar tie to restrict his movement and then attacked Topuria with dirty boxing.

'Highlight' There was a dangerous moment in the second round where Gaethje nearly got finished. When Topuria's fist couldn't reach Gaethje's face, he switched to body shots. Several powerful left hooks landed on Gaethje's abdomen, causing him to absorb significant impact. Topuria then drove Gaethje into the cage and unleashed a barrage of body shots. Gaethje fell after a left body shot. Topuria followed him to the ground, attempting an armbar and a triangle choke submission, but Gaethje defended and overcame the crisis.

'Highlight' Gaethje, having overcome the crisis, regained his strength. In the third round, a powerful one-two landed, completely turning the tide of the match. Topuria's movements slowed as he exhausted his energy while attempting submissions, and Gaethje's jabs began landing on Topuria's face. Having tasted striking, Gaethje landed a powerful straight after his jab, and Topuria's legs gave way. In the subsequent striking exchanges, Topuria, who had taken many blows to the face, had both eyes swell up to the point where his vision was significantly obstructed.

'Highlight' The match continued into the fourth round, but Topuria reached his limit. He eventually succeeded in a takedown and briefly secured top position, but Gaethje quickly got back to his feet. He attempted another takedown late in the round, but Gaethje defended it. Gaethje then landed a powerful knee kick to Topuria's side as he was in a prone position. After the fourth round, Topuria's corner quit. Topuria was immediately transported to a hospital.

'Highlight' American fighter Gaethje staged a dramatic comeback at the White House, overcoming the gamblers' 1-6 underdog odds. In a post-fight interview, Gaethje said, "I am American," and added, "We were even bigger underdogs than 1-6 against Britain 250 years ago, but we are thriving now. It is an unbelievably legendary moment," expressing his emotion.

'Highlight' Gaethje cited durability, perseverance, and courage as the secrets to his victory. He stated, "Topuria has unmatched technique in the early rounds against anyone, so I had to survive the early rounds. No one can beat me after the third round, especially in the fourth and fifth rounds," and expressed pride, saying, "I am a person born for fighting. I am the fighter who has consistently put on the most exciting matches in history."

'Highlight' Gaethje once again delivered a 'Highlight,' securing both the Fight of the Night bonus ($400,000) and the Performance of the Night bonus ($425,000). He pocketed approximately 1.25 billion won (Hanwha) in bonuses alone. With 17 bonuses won in 16 UFC fights, Gaethje moved up to third place all-time in the most bonuses category.

'Highlight' In the co-main event, UFC Heavyweight (120.2kg) ranked No. 1 'Bong Gamjaem (Kind Child)' Cyril Gane (36, France) became the interim champion. Gane secured a TKO victory with a jab knockdown followed by a flurry of punches against former UFC Middleweight-Light Heavyweight champion Alex Pereira (38, Brazil), who attempted to conquer three weight classes, at 1 minute 27 seconds of the second round.

'Highlight' Gane (14 wins, 2 losses, 1 no contest) gained the upper hand with agile movement and diverse attacks. Gane moved actively outside Pereira's punching range, landing various kicks and punches. He mixed in takedown attempts to disrupt Pereira. While Pereira's attacks barely reached Gane, Gane's attacks consistently landed on Pereira.

'Highlight' A decisive counter jab exploded in the second round. Pereira advanced while throwing a jab but was hit by Gane's jab and fell. Gane attempted to finish with hammer fists and elbows, but Pereira held on and got up. As Gane continued to push the still-shaken Pereira with a flurry of punches, the referee stopped the fight.

'Highlight' Gane, who secured an easy victory, emphasized, "Everyone knew I was a great athlete with good movement and technique, but they underestimated me nonetheless. I also possess a very tough mentality."

'Highlight' This marks Gane's second time becoming the UFC Heavyweight interim champion. Gane defeated Derrick Lewis via punch TKO at UFC 265 in 2021 but lost by decision in the undisputed title fight against then-champion Francis Ngannou at UFC 270 in 2022. If official champion Tom Aspinall returns from an eye injury, Gane will face him again for the undisputed title. If Aspinall does not return, Gane will be promoted to official champion.

'Highlight' Gane issued a challenge to champion Tom Aspinall again at UFC 321 last October after their match ended in a no contest. At that time, Aspinall complained of pain from Gane's intentional eye poke, and the match was ruled a no contest. Aspinall has since been resting while complaining of an eye injury. Gane raised his voice, saying, "Everyone knows what the next fight will be," and added, "Let's meet in Paris in September." A UFC event is scheduled for September 6 at the Accor Arena in Paris, France.

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*This content was translated by AI.