Justin Gaethje clarifies Ilia Topuria's stoppage at UFC White House event

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WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 14: Ilia Topuria of Spain reacts to his loss in the UFC lightweight championship fight against Justin Gaethje during the UFC Freedom 250 event on the South Lawn at the White House on June 14, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) Justin Gaethje is setting the record straight when it comes to his UFC White House win, and how his championship fight with Ilia Topuria ended. Gaethje captured the undisputed UFC lightweight title after the fight was stopped at the conclusion of Round 4 to cap off one of the biggest upsets in UFC championship fight history. While the narrative says that Topuria called the fight off, “The Highlight” is correcting the record. “He didn’t quit on the stool,” Gaethje told Steiny. “His body was too compromised to continue fighting. He didn’t make the call, his coaches made the call because they’re there to protect him. My coaches are in my corner to protect me in those times.” Topuria, however, has gone a different way with his approach since the fight ended. Although he congratulated Gaethje at first, the former two-division champion alleged Gaethje loaded his gloves prior to their clash on the South Lawn. While Gaethje is annoyed with the internet era we’re all living in, he understands that’s the culture when asked if he was upset with Topuria’s comments. “Not really,” Gaethje said. “He’s part of your era. You guys say weird shit for fun, dude. … I think the internet’s crazy, man. It’s clickbait, engagement, we’re farming out here. We’re farming for interactions. That’s what we’re doing. More interactions, more eyeballs, more opportunity. … That’s the game. I don’t like the game but I’m going to have to play the game. I’m going to try and be me when I do it.” Topuria and others have been pushing for an immediate rematch with Gaethje. Quite obviously, should Gaethje fight again, the UFC booking him against anybody else but Arman Tsarukyan would be a travesty. As of now, Gaethje hasn’t decided on his future, but he knows Tsarukyan has earned his day in court. “I think it’s natural and obvious that they’re going to try and figure out who the next guy is,” Gaethje explained. “Arman just had a huge fight, a huge finish, so I think, obviously, he’s at the forefront of everybody’s mind and he’s clearly the next contender.”