The estimated salaries have been revealed for this weekend’s UFC Freedom 250 event, which was held on the grounds of the White House and main evented by Justin Gaethje challenging Ilia Topuria for his lightweight title.

Despite there being serious weather warnings all week building up to the event, mother nature played ball and the storms and the rain avoided the White House altogether, although there was a minor delay at the start of the night.

Once the action got underway, it was quite simply a night to remember. All seven fights failed to go the distance, with knockouts and stoppages galore, and it was closed out by one of the biggest shocks in UFC history as Gaethje stopped Topuria ahead of the final round, becoming the lightweight champion in the process.

Aside from a minor sour note put on the event by Josh Hokit’s post-fight interview, overall it was a booming success for Dana White and the UFC. Having said that, though, it wasn’t successful enough to make him consider doing it for a second time, as after the show, he confirmed that it’s something he would never do again.

Justin Gaethje Defeated Ilia Topuria

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In the final bout of the evening, Gaethje came out victorious after a brutal combination in round three led to the opposing team throwing the towel in on Topuria’s behalf. This secured a stunning upset victory for the American, who defied the odds as the heavy-betting underdog heading into the contest.

It has now been revealed that the Georgian amazingly escaped with no serious facial injuries or breaks, despite it looking like that was the case. Either way, he will be out for a while to recover, no doubt.

Ciryl Gane Spoiled Alex Pereira’s Heavyweight Debut

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In the co-main event, Ciryl Gane defeated Alex Pereira via TKO to become the interim UFC heavyweight champion.

Alarm bells were ringing for the Brazilian after a strong jab from his opponent dropped him in the second round, and a series of blows and hammerfists later resulted in referee Herb Dean stopping the contest, which could have come at any point, truth be told.

Gane has now set up a possible title unification fight against Tom Aspinall, who is still absent since his last contest with the Frenchman which ended in a nasty double eye poke back in October.

UFC Freedom 250 Results

Elsewhere on the card, Diego Lopes kicked off the event with the nasty finish of American Steve Garcia. This was followed by Bo Nickal putting in an emphatic performance as he defeated Kyle Daukaus.

Michael Chandler was then destroyed by Mauricio Ruffy, and Josh Hokit breezed through his encounter with Derrick Lewis in a top-ranked heavyweight clash. Next up on the South Lawn was Sean O’Malley, who delivered a pronounced performance by defeating Aiemann Zahabi in the second round of their bantamweight clash, before calling for a shot to reclaim the title.

UFC Freedom 250 Earnings

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Pereira, despite defeat, walked out with the largest total purse at $10,000,000 for his unexpectedly short night. The man who beat him, meanwhile, brought home $1,225,000.

The main eventers were the next highest earners behind Pereira. Gaethje earned $2,925,000, while his defeated opponent took home $2,500,000, which may soften the blow of his damaging defeat.

Elsewhere, O’Malley was paid $650,000 for his comprehensive victory over Aimann Zahabi, who only received $75,000 for his defeat. Kyle Daukaus was the reported lowest earner with $70,000 sent his way following his defeat to Bo Nickal.

Newcastle United are entering the summer transfer window with hopes of refreshing the squad with a few fresh faces, as reports have emerged over interest in a World Cup star.

The Magpies have already conducted some quick business in the transfer market, with Anthony Gordon’s move to Barcelona quickly being followed up by the signing of promising goalkeeper Ewen Jaouen.

Other moves could be on the cards, with plenty of exit links appearing next to some other potential moves, particularly in the forward areas.

Victor Munoz is a key target to replace Gordon, while a fresh target has emerged for the defensive line heading into this opening of the window.

Newcastle Want Australia Star Alessandro Circati

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With potential defenders on the radar for Newcastle, a report from Italian outlet ParmaToday claims that Australia and Parma star Alessandro Circati has emerged as an option this summer.

The ‘underrated’ 22-year-old is believed to be a target for the Magpies, who have been “closely monitoring” the defender’s progress in recent months, which includes his recent performances at the World Cup with his national team.

Circati started for Australia in their World Cup opening group stage game against Turkiye, where they ran out as surprise 2-0 winners over the European nation, who were deemed as favourites for the clash.

It was a win characterised by the defensive solidity on show from Australia, with Circati starting as part of a back three that looked to snuff out any opportunities for the opposition.

The report claims that the defender is a “hero” for his performances for both club and country, having caught the eye in his time in Serie A before he got his eventual World Cup call-up.

That means not only Newcastle are interested in Circati, though it is unclear what Parma’s stance will be on a possible sale this summer.

Who Is Alessandro Circati?

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Alessandro Circati has appeared on the radar of plenty of teams, including Newcastle, as his reputation within football continues to rise on the global stage.

He is a 22-year-old right-footed centre-back who was born in Fidenza, Italy, but moved to Australia at the age of one, where he grew up through his early life.

Circati came through the Perth SC and Perth Glory youth teams, making plenty of appearances before he was linked with a return to Italy in 2021.

The youngster joined Parma in Serie A, making several appearances for the youth side before making his senior debut in 2022, where he has since cemented himself as a regular starter.

While Circati represented Italy at the youth level, he declared for Australia in 2023, and has made 14 appearances for the Socceroos, with plenty more to come.

New medical updates have emerged regarding Ilia Topuria following his brutal encounter with Justin Gaethje at this weekend’s UFC Freedom 250.

The event, hosted by President Donald Trump, took place on the South Lawn of the White House to celebrate his 80th birthday and the nation’s 250th anniversary. One of the most anticipated bouts came between the Georgian-Spanish Ilia Topuria and American Justin Gaethje in the main event for the UFC lightweight title.

The veteran, Gaethje, secured a massive upset over his opponent and thus secured the lightweight title. The stoppage came in the fourth round when, after a vicious left-right combination in the third, and an extended break for doctors to check on Topuria, his team threw in the towel.

That may have been obvious to anyone watching; one look at the former champion’s face after the encounter would create concern for his well-being and would certainly raise questions regarding his condition going forward. Certainly, some sort of broken facial bones would be expected, with Topuria’s face looking as badly beaten as it did.

Ilia Topuria’s Condition After UFC Freedom 250

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However, it was reported late last night, the 15th of June, by As Mas Deporte that there were ‘no breaks or interventions’ and that ‘Ilia Topuria is fine’, and has ‘no breaks’, as was speculated by Dana White during the post-event press conference.

Further confirmation has come from within Topuria’s team itself, with Inigo Perez saying: “Ilia is OK. Only injuries that need recovery time after a tough fight. He is out of the hospital, at home.”

This is good news for the fighter and for the fans who had been showing immediate concern for his well-being in the aftermath of the event.

Ilia Topuria’s First Statement After UFC Freedom 250

Topuria has also taken to Instagram to break his silence regarding the fight. He wrote: “Justin, congratulations. You said you’d leave your mark on my face….and you did.” He continued: “You took the sight from my right eye in the first round, and by the end of the second, from my left too.”

He posted a photo of Gaethje checking in on him to accompany these words, and also claimed that there were no excuses and that it’s the nature of the game.

It seems like the story between Gaethje and Topuria is not over following the weekend’s event, and certainly does not feel like the last time they will step inside the Octagon together. In fact, in the same Instagram post, Topuria wrote: “We will have our rematch.”