It was a brutal night for former featherweight champion, Ilia Topuria, as he was savagely beaten by Justin Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250 in front of the White House.

Following constant personal back and forth between the pair in the build-up to the scrap for the lightweight title, it came as no surprise that this was an all-out war for the majority. Both fighters had moments of sheer brutality, but it was the American who dealt with it better and outlasted his opponent, eventually making him retire on his stool in between the fourth and fifth round.

Justin Gaethje Stops Ilia Topuria After Brutal Fight

In truth, it was a pretty even fight for the majority, but following a seriously brutal third round, it was Gaethje who took control, with Topuria’s face becoming quite the picture after suffering severe punishment over and over.

In fact, the doctor nearly brought an end to the fight one round earlier than the eventual stoppage, claiming that Topuria couldn’t see out of one of his eyes. However, referee Marc Goddard overruled the decision and the fight resumed, despite the Georgian getting a lot more time to recover than he should have.

But, it didn’t make a difference in the end, as in round four, the onslaught continued. By this point, Topuria’s face was bloodied, battered, and bruised. Everything Gaethje landed was making a lasting impression. This wasn’t the case the other way round, though.

Despite Topuria landing some sickening shots of his own, especially to the body of Gaethje, the American didn’t look like he had been in a fight whatsoever, especially not compared to his opponent.

In the end, enough was enough, and Topuria opted to retire on his stool between the fourth and fifth round, losing his unbeaten status in the process. For Gaethje, however, it was undisputed status at last, after a few previous unsuccessful attempts.

Ilia Topuria After Losing to Justin Gaethje

Despite not being shown on the broadcast after losing, Topuria was spotted by fans in attendance, and one fan’s footage has quickly gone viral after being shared on social media platform X.

Topuria could be seen getting helped out of the Octagon and begin to make his way backstage, momentarily putting a towel over his head so no one could see him or his battered face.

Whether you’re a fan of Ilia Topuria or not, or even just wanted Justin Gaethje to win at UFC Freedom 250, you can admit it’s heartbreaking to see him so down and deflated after an epic fight that he just came up short in.

One thing is for sure, though, Topuria will be back.