Ilia Topuria shoves Justin Gaethje during UFC White House faceoff
4 sources • 2 min read • Latest: Jun 13, 2026, 3:20 AM
Last updated Jun 13, 2026
At the UFC White House presser on June 13, Ilia Topuria shoved Justin Gaethje moments after their faceoff. What began as a respectful encounter escalated quickly, with UFC CEO Dana White intervening to prevent further escalation. Gaethje criticized Topuria's actions, calling him an 'emotional little animal.' Both fighters exchanged comments about their titles, with Topuria asserting he is the champion and showing off his belts. Other fighters, including Alex Pereira and Sean O'Malley, also participated in faceoffs, with Pereira receiving significant crowd applause.
- •Topuria shoved Gaethje after their pre-fight faceoff.
- •Dana White quickly intervened to separate the fighters.
- •Gaethje criticized Topuria for his actions during the event.
- •Both fighters exchanged remarks about their championship titles.
- •Alex Pereira and Sean O'Malley also participated in notable faceoffs.
- 3:20 AMYahoo Sports — Topuria shoves Gaethje in front of Lincoln Memorial
- 3:20 AMBBC Sport — Topuria shoves Gaethje in front of Lincoln Memorial before UFC Freedom
- 2:23 AMMMA Fighting — Ilia Topuria shoves Justin Gaethje during faceoff as tensions boil over at UFC White House presser
- 2:23 AMYahoo Sports — Ilia Topuria shoves Justin Gaethje during faceoff as tensions boil over at UFC White House presser
"Ilia Topuria couldn’t wait to get his hands on Justin Gaethje so he shoved the interim lightweight champion just seconds after their faceoff started ahead of the UFC White House card on Sunday. What started as a respectful battle between two veterans has quickly turned personal as tensions finally boiled over after the pre-fight press conference on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on Friday. Almost immediately after the squared off, Topuria pushed Gaethje backwards with UFC CEO Dana White quickly stepping in between them to ensure the situation didn’t get any worse. White could be heard saying he wasn’t ready for that one and after the shove he refused to allow Topuria and Gaethje to come back together again. For his part, Gaethje kept his cool and actually berated Topuria for shoving him on such a monumental stage like the card happening at the White House. “You want to act like a f*cking animal?” Gaethje shouted at Topuria. “Like an emotional little animal.” The chatter never stopped as Topuria held onto two UFC titles and he jabbed back at Gaethje that he’s coming into the fight as champion and leaving the exact same way. “It’s mine boy,” Topuria said while showing off his title belts. “It looks much better on me.” Topuria and Geathje were the only fighters to get physical on stage, although Alex Pereira received the biggest ovation for his faceoff with Ciryl Gane. Pereira also held up two belts and shouted his signature “Chama!” before exiting the stage. Sean O’Malley also promised a knockout in his fight just a split second after he shared an intense faceoff with Aiemann Zahabi. Check out the full faceoffs in the video above.
"Ilia Topuria shoves Justin Gaethje in front of the Lincoln Memorial in the final news conference before the UFC's unprecedented show at the White House on Sunday.
"Ilia Topuria shoves Justin Gaethje in front of the Lincoln Memorial in the final news conference before the UFC's unprecedented show at the White House on Sunday.
Sources
External links- Yahoo SportsJun 13, 2026, 3:20 AMTopuria shoves Gaethje in front of Lincoln Memorial
Ilia Topuria shoves Justin Gaethje in front of the Lincoln Memorial in the final news conference before the UFC's unprecedented show at the White House on Sunday.
- BBC SportJun 13, 2026, 3:20 AMTopuria shoves Gaethje in front of Lincoln Memorial before UFC Freedom
Ilia Topuria shoves Justin Gaethje in front of the Lincoln Memorial in the final news conference before the UFC's unprecedented show at the White House on Sunday.
- MMA FightingJun 13, 2026, 2:23 AMIlia Topuria shoves Justin Gaethje during faceoff as tensions boil over at UFC White House presser
Ilia Topuria couldn’t wait to get his hands on Justin Gaethje so he shoved the interim lightweight champion just seconds after their faceoff started ahead of the UFC White House card on Sunday. What started as a respectful battle between two veterans has quickly turned personal as tensions finally boiled over after the pre-fight press conference on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on Friday. Almost immediately after the squared off, Topuria pushed Gaethje backwards with UFC CEO Dana White quickly stepping in between them to ensure the situation didn’t get any worse. White could be heard saying he wasn’t ready for that one and after the shove he refused to allow Topuria and Gaethje to come back together again. For his part, Gaethje kept his cool and actually berated Topuria for shoving him on such a monumental stage like the card happening at the White House. “You want to act like a f*cking animal?” Gaethje shouted at Topuria. “Like an emotional little animal.” The chatter never stopped as Topuria held onto two UFC titles and he jabbed back at Gaethje that he’s coming into the fight as champion and leaving the exact same way. “It’s mine boy,” Topuria said while showing off his title belts. “It looks much better on me.” Topuria and Geathje were the only fighters to get physical on stage, although Alex Pereira received the biggest ovation for his faceoff with Ciryl Gane. Pereira also held up two belts and shouted his signature “Chama!” before exiting the stage. Sean O’Malley also promised a knockout in his fight just a split second after he shared an intense faceoff with Aiemann Zahabi. Check out the full faceoffs in the video above.
- Yahoo SportsJun 13, 2026, 2:23 AMIlia Topuria shoves Justin Gaethje during faceoff as tensions boil over at UFC White House presser
Ilia Topuria forced Dana White to quickly react after he pushed Justin Gaethje
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