Coming into Sunday night’s clash at the White House, Ilia Topuria, for many, was unstoppable. He had defeated Alexander Volkanovski, Max Holloway, and Charles Oliveira, all in devastating fashion, and had a professional MMA record of 17 wins and zero defeats.

However, it didn’t go his way against Justin Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250, as the fight was stopped between the fourth and fifth round. It’s Topuria’s first professional defeat, and on the grandest stage of them all. The question is, how will he recover from a war like that?

The five-round bout for the coveted UFC lightweight championship went in a way few could have imagined. From the off, Gaethje was inflicting the heavier damage, even shutting Topuria’s right eye after the first round.

In the second, the Spaniard looked back to his best, reminding everyone of his quality. The flurry of body shots seemingly flipped the fight on its head, but it wasn’t enough to finish off the challenger. In the end, Topuria didn’t have the stamina to continue at this blistering pace, a factor that led to the American hero taking control.

Much has been made of the stoppage, especially with the opposing words from the cornermen and Topuria himself. The fight almost came to its climax the round prior, however, if not for Marc Goddard, who prevented the doctor’s stoppage.

After a war like this, there are always questions about whether the fighter will ever be the same again, and worries about how bad the damage actually was. Now, Pablo Motos, a close friend of Ilia Topuria, has provided an update on his current state.

Ilia Topuria Update Given By Close Friend

Amber Searls via Imagn Images

With the fight ending the way it did, Topuria is set for another long stint on the sidelines, this time, however, to recover. The idea of a rematch has been floated about, though, Gaethje would more than likely defend his belt before that.

What Next For Ilia Topuria

Amber Searls via Imagn Images

For Topuria, the long-awaited clash with Paddy Pimblett could perhaps finally come to fruition. The Englishman faces Benoit Saint-Denis during international fight week, but a win could fire him right back into contention. Pimblett, unsurprisingly, was outspoken after watching UFC Freedom 250, especially with the manner in which it ended.

“The only thing you had to do was beat a 38-year-old coming off of a five-round war with me. Instead, you quit on your stool like the little b**** you are,” he said.

The state of the lightweight division is likely to be completely different by the time Topuria eventually returns, but when he does, there will be plenty of big names looking to test themselves against the once inevitable champion.

Ngal’ayel Mukau’s comments about Cristiano Ronaldo have gone viral after DR Congo and Portugal played out a 1-1 draw at the World Cup on Wednesday afternoon.

Ronaldo, now 41 years old, was named in Seleção das Quinas’ starting XI for their match against the African nation at Houston Stadium in Texas.

Portugal went into the match as huge favourites and it didn’t take them long to take the lead as Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Joao Neves headed home in the sixth minute.

Despite having the lion’s share of possession for the remainder of the first half, Portugal were unable to add to their lead and DR Congo made them pay when Yoane Wissa restored parity on the stroke of half-time.

Neither side could find a winner in the second half as the the spoils were shared.

DR Congo Star Gives Honest Take on Cristiano Ronaldo After Match

Cristiano Ronaldo via REUTERS/Annegret Hilse

Ronaldo would have been hoping to get off to a flying start at the 2026 World Cup. However, despite playing the full 90 minutes, he was unable to make an impact.

In fact, he received a Sofascore rating of just 6.1/10 after a highly frustrating night that saw him take three shots but record none on target.

Lille midfielder Mukau was asked about Ronaldo in his post-match interview. A reporter quizzed him on whether DR Congo had worked on a ‘special plan’ to contain the 41-year-old. Mukau replied:

“Still, one of the greatest to ever play the game, much respect to him!”

Thierry Henry Questions Cristiano Ronaldo After Portugal 1-1 DR Congo

Cristiano Ronaldo via REUTERS/Phil Noble

Thierry Henry sent a message to Ronaldo following his performance against DR Congo. The Frenchman, who was covering the game as a pundit for Fox, said following the draw:

“One thing that’s important, people, please at home, the team needs to score. Not you needs to score…

“Because he [Ronaldo] wants to score, he goes in the path of the back pass, you see both players, and it’s easier for you to defend. And that’s my thing: the team needs to score. Not you.”

Ronaldo addressed his performance and the result on social media after the match. He wrote: “It wasn’t the start we wanted, but this is far from over. Head up and focus on the next game.”

Portugal and Ronaldo are next in action on Tuesday, June 23, when they take on Uzbekistan at Houston Stadium.

A clip of Wayne Rooney’s analysis of Cristiano Ronaldo’s performance during Portugal’s 2026 World Cup opening match against DR Congo has caused a stir on social media.

Portugal were expected to breeze past DR Congo, who were given a 0.09% chance of winning this summer’s tournament by Opta’s Supercomputer, but Roberto Martinez’s side were left frustrated by their unfancied opponents at the Houston Stadium.

Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Joao Neves put Portugal 1-0 up in the 6th minute with a fine header, only for Newcastle United’s Yoane Wissa to equalise on the stoke of half-time.

Ronaldo, who turned 41 in February, played the full 90 minutes but struggled to make an impact.

He spurned a couple of chances to score and has now gone 10 consecutive major tournament games without netting for Portugal.

Rooney’s Analysis of Ronaldo’s Performance

Cristiano Ronaldo via REUTERS/Phil Noble

Rooney joked that his former Manchester United teammate will “have been raging” after watching his long-term rival Lionel Messi score a hat-trick for Argentina in his first appearance of the 2026 World Cup.

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner equalised Miroslav Klose’s all-time record of 16 World Cup goals in the process.

Meanwhile, Kylian Mbappe scored two goals in France’s opening match, and Erling Haaland also netted a brace for Norway.

While Ronaldo has received heavy criticism for his underwhelming performance against DR Congo, Rooney jumped to the veteran forward’s defence with his half-time analysis.

Rooney highlighted how Ronaldo’s mere presence posed problems for DR Congo’s defence and helped to contribute towards Portugal’s goal.

“What Ronaldo’s doing is he’s taking that option away from defenders,” Rooney explained. “He’s standing behind them, then they’re looking over their shoulders, like ‘where is he?’, then they drop and then it creates a lot of space in front of the back four – it’s really clever.” Watch the clip below:

Rooney’s analysis has split opinion. Some football fans expressed their disbelief, with one commenting on X (Twitter): “Yeah, Wayne Rooney probably doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”

Another said: “I nearly volleyed my tele listening to this,” while a third added:

A fourth fan said: “Who is he kidding? Ronaldo was a joke.”

However, others felt that Rooney made a salient point. One person commented: “Someone needs to state facts while the clowns are pushing their agendas, glad it’s Wazza!”

Another wrote: “Because Rooney understands football, unlike 99.99% of football fans,” while someone else commented:

Ronaldo will be desperate to silence his critics when Portugal face Uzbekistan in their second Group K match on June 23. Their final group stage match is against Colombia four days later.