Topuria shoves Gaethje at Lincoln Memorial before UFC White House card
Dana White stepped between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje before their lightweight title fight on the White House South Lawn.
By Lucas Ferreira · Science & Environment Writer
3 min read
Ilia Topuria shoved Justin Gaethje during a face-off at the Lincoln Memorial on Friday, adding a flashpoint to the final news conference before UFC Freedom 250. The confrontation drew attention to a rare fight card planned for the White House South Lawn, where Topuria and Gaethje are scheduled to headline on Sunday, according to Al Jazeera and Reuters.
UFC chief executive Dana White moved between the fighters after Topuria pushed Gaethje. Gaethje laughed after the shove and told Topuria, “Look where we’re at, look at this beautiful view and you want to act like an animal?” Al Jazeera and Reuters reported.
Topuria, a 29-year-old Georgian-Spanish fighter, enters the bout as the unbeaten lightweight champion after nearly a year away from competition following a public divorce, according to Al Jazeera and Reuters. Gaethje, 37, holds the interim title after beating Paddy Pimblett at UFC 324 in January while Topuria was out.
At the news conference, Topuria predicted a quick finish. “I know I’m best in the world, in two days we’re going to share the same place. I know I’m the best, just prove me wrong if you can,” he said, according to Al Jazeera and Reuters.
Gaethje said his cage time would matter more than Topuria’s threats. “I have so much experience in the cage that I am going to use that experience to be great. All I have to do is go in there and be great … I am going to go in there and put it on the line. That’s all I can do,” he said, according to Al Jazeera and Reuters.
A White House card tied to anniversary plans
UFC Freedom 250 is scheduled for Sunday, June 14, President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday, as part of his administration’s plans to mark the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, according to Al Jazeera and Reuters.
The event is set to feature mixed martial arts bouts inside an octagonal cage on the White House’s South Lawn. Al Jazeera and Reuters reported that the cage sits within a 28-metre, or 92-foot, claw-like structure built in recent weeks.
The card also includes Alex “Poatan” Pereira moving up to heavyweight for an interim title fight against Ciryl Gane, according to Al Jazeera and Reuters. Pereira is seeking to become the first three-division champion in UFC history. Shawn O’Malley is also scheduled to fight 38-year-old Canadian Aiemann Zahabi.
Judge declines to stop the event
Earlier Friday, US District Judge Amit Mehta refused to block the White House event, ruling against two Washington-area residents who sued over the staging of UFC Freedom 250, according to Al Jazeera and Reuters.
The plaintiffs argued that Trump’s administration exceeded its authority, including by failing to obtain congressional authorization. Mehta said they had not shown they were “directly affected” by the government’s actions and had waited too long to sue, Al Jazeera and Reuters reported.
A White House spokesperson said in a statement that the judge “rightly rejected an untimely and frivolous” effort. Lawyers for the plaintiffs said they were disappointed but respected the ruling, adding, “This isn’t a case about a sporting event, it’s about corruption, as a handful of people and companies stand to profit from our public monuments,” according to Al Jazeera and Reuters.
UFC’s parent company is TKO Group Holdings, a publicly traded company that also owns WWE, according to Al Jazeera and Reuters. Linda McMahon, a longtime former WWE executive, serves as Trump’s education secretary.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.