UFC Event Features Multiple Stoppages and Donald Trump's Presence

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That's probably enough

J By Jon Healy

Well, that was certainly something.

Seven fights, seven stoppages, and a whole lot of very American patriotism.

It looked like US president Donald Trump was in his front row seat for the entire six-plus hours, aside from when he stood up to shake the hands of a few of the victorious fighters.

Congratulations to Diego Lopes, Bo Nickal, Mauricio Ruffy, Josh Hokit, Sean O'Malley, Ciryl Gane and Justin Gaethje on their knockout wins.

This is, I assume, a one-off, but stick around ABC Sport for all the live coverage you can poke a stick at, with the World Cup in full swing and State of Origin II only two days away!

The fireworks are going off

J By Jon Healy

This night closes with comfortably the best fight of the night, the only one to get out of the second round.

And now a firework display so overwhelming that I'm pretty sure the pixels on my stream have all merged into one.

Gaethje is getting dragged every which way for photo ops.

Donald Trump enters the ring to congratulate Justin Gaethje

J By Jon Healy

They're having a long conversation in the octagon.

Trump says he knew he was going to win at the start of the night.

IT'S OVER! The fight ends with Topuria on his stool!!

J By Jon Healy

Ilia Topuria's brother Alex was telling the officials "we finish the fight, we finish the fight", but it's been called off with Topuria slumped on his stool.

It's saying someone else in the corner stopped the fight.

Both Topuria's eyes were closed by swelling and bleeding, and then that massive knee to the ribs to finish the fourth round shortened him up even more.

What a fight by Justin Gaethje, who of course rushes over to kiss the ring.

"That's one of the biggest upsets I've ever seen," former champion Daniel Cormier says in commentary.

Round three: Gaethje comes out hard

J By Jon Healy

Justin Gaethje is keeping the pressure on Ilia Topuria, immediately throwing him to the ground to start round three.

Topuria's face looks like Rocky's at the end of Rocky I right now.

Topuria cops another shot to the right eye and he reaches for it. I don't think he can see anything right now.

The slow-motion replay suggests maybe Gaethje caught him with a thumb on the way through after a jab.

Topuria takes Gaethje down and takes his back, but can't submit him.

Gaethje gets back up as we head into the final minute of the penultimate round.

Gaethje lands the last major blow, a massive knee into the ribs of the curled up Georgian.

Topuria says he can't see anything but will continue

J By Jon Healy

Ilia Topuria's corner is calling for the doctor because he can't see.

The referee ushers Topuria's team away so the doctor can make an independent assessment.

The doctor shakes his head and looks ready to call it off, but then the decision is flipped after a protest by Topuria.

The fight will go on, but it's given Topuria more time to recover.

"This is not the way it's supposed to be," Daniel Cormier says in commentary.

"This is crazy.

"Gaethje got it too, but Gaethje wasn't the one who was struggling."

Round three: Topuria needs to reclaim momentum

J By Jon Healy

They were both tired at the end of that round, but Topuria definitely won it. He needs to get back on top now, though.

Remember this is a five-round fight though, and Topuria does look like he's conserving some energy here to maybe recover some energy for rounds four and five.

GAETHJE LANDS HARD!! Down goes Ilia Topuria as Justin Gaethje hammers him with a massive right hand. Topuria takes it to the ground and survives, but he is absolutely battered right now.

Topuria is just desperately trying to hang on now. Gaethje is connecting on punch after punch. Topuria's movement is nowhere to be seen.

Gaethje has one two of the three rounds and the champion Topuria's face is smashed up.

Round two: Topuria is bloodied as Gaethje hunts him down

J By Jon Healy

Ilia Topuria looks rough as guts. Both eyes bruised and the right eyebrow is cut as the second round starts.

Topuria is starting to find Gaethje with a few of these left jabs. Gaethje is landing a few more power shots right now.

But Gaethje looks out on his feet.

Topuria is working the body shots, absolutely crushing him with liver shots.

Gaethje's feet go out from under him. Topuria takes his back. He has a chance at an armbar, but Gaethje makes The Great Escape.

Topuria's working his wrestling, trying for submissions, but Gaethje is just hanging on.

Both fighters look done with 20 seconds left in the round. I think both are fine with taking in some water and oxygen on their stools.

"That boy got a good body shot," a huffing and puffing Justin Gaethje says on his stool.

Round one: The finale is underway

J By Jon Healy

Justin Gaethje steps in straight away and launches a couple of jabs through Ilia Topuria's defence.

Topuria is covering up and walking him down as the USA chants go up.

Topuria's cut badly. Gaethje's opened him up on his right eyebrow. Looks like it was the uppercut. It's changed the tone of this fight. Topuria looks a little more wary of Gaethje now and he's probably dealing with some vision issues too.

Gaethje is winning this opening round so far.

And he lands two more huge right hands as I type that.

And a high left kick wobbles the Georgian a little. Just a little off balance.

They are throwing A LOT of leather. Some brutal exchanges in close, and all of a sudden it looks like Gaethje might be just trying to hang on!

That's the round. What a start from the challenger Gaethje.

The fighters touch gloves after the round. Topuria hasn't lost a round like that for a while.

Topuria and Gaethje are in the octagon

J By Jon Healy

These intros are loooooong.

Huge crowds watching in the Ellipse

J By Jon Healy

There have been some rowdy scenes of fans watching the fights on a stream in the Ellipse, the park just south of the White House grounds.

Thank god nothing bad has ever happened from massive crowds being fired up in the Ellipse, right?

Lightweight title fight coming up

J By Jon Healy

And so we reach our finale of this event, with Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje climbing into the octagon for a lightweight title fight.

Topuria won the featherweight title by beating Australian Alexander Volkanovski in February 2024, then defended it by knocking out Max Holloway in October that year.

He then moved up to lightweight and flattened Charles Oliveira in June last year to take that title too, moving to 17-0.

Now he takes on interim champion Justin Gaethje, who beat Paddy Pimblett to the interim title in January.

Are the judges getting bored?

J By Jon Healy

So far we've had six fights and six knockouts.

There are judges on site, but they haven't been required yet.

In fact, we're yet to get out of the second round.

One fight to come yet.

Ciryl Gane is the interim heavyweight champion!

J By Jon Healy

The Frenchman reaffirms his standing as perhaps the best in the division, flooring Pereira with a perfectly timed right-hand jab.

Pereira was hanging onto his leg desperately to try to keep it going, but Gane just kept hammering away with elbows to Pereira's head.

Somehow Pereira got back standing again, but Gane ended it with a massive right hand, leaving referee Herb Dean with no choice but to step in.

Somewhere, Tom Aspinall is warming up.

"Let's do that in Paris in September," Gane says of the rematch with Aspinall.

Gane drops Pereira, but he can't finish it

J By Jon Healy

Ciryl Gane sends Alex Pereira to the mat and I have no idea how the Brazilian has managed to get back to his feet and keep the fight going.

But the end is nigh.

A title fight is on at the White House

J By Jon Healy

Alex Pereira starts us off with an early kick up high and another down to the shin of Ciryl Gane.

The feet are flying between these two kickboxers, and Gane looks to be finding the range on his jab early. He's the first to threaten a takedown too.

A real feel-out round, won on points by Ciryl Gane, although Alex Pereira lands a couple in the final seconds before the horn sounds.

This is good from you, Jimmy

J By Jon Healy

Is Daukaus the guy building the submarines?

- Jimmy

Pereira commanding the crowd

J By Jon Healy

Alex Pereira's entrance is one of the longest and most elaborate so far, pausing on the balcony to deliver his trademark bow and arrow celebration.

Giryl Gane looking relaxed

J By Jon Healy

The Frenchman is up against one of the all-time greats in Alex Pereira, but he's clearly unfazed, dancing his way into and in the octagon.