‘Ilia “No Mas” Topuria’: MMA World Reacts to Justin Gaethje’s Stunning Upset Victory
On a night when veteran stars like Alex Pereira, Michael Chandler and Derrick Lewis all fell, Justin Gaethje emerged as America's unlikely knight in shining armour.
MMA fighters hail Justin Gaethje while rivals pile on Ilia Topuria
For years, Gaethje had been one of the UFC's most beloved action fighters, but championship gold always seemed to slip through his fingers at the final hurdle. That changed on Sunday night. Against a young warrior many considered unbeatable, "The Highlight" dug deeper and emerged with the biggest win of his career.
One of the first notable reactions came from lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan, who has never hidden his disdain for Topuria. The Armenian fighter took a direct shot at the fallen champion, posting, "Ilia 'No Mas' Topuria" on social media shortly after the fight ended.
Tsarukyan also weighed in on the controversial sequence at the end of the third round, when it appeared Topuria's corner informed the cageside physician that their fighter was struggling to see. Despite concerns that the fight could be stopped, the 29-year-old was allowed to continue.
"So we're giving extra minute to recover now lol?" Tsarukyan lambasted.
Others were far more focused on celebrating Gaethje's achievement.
Former featherweight champion Max Holloway summed up the feelings of many fans with a simple message: "The Highlight! Just wow."
Ex-lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos praised both fighters while also defending the eventual stoppage - "Real fighters will fight until they die. Great job by Topuria's corner on the stoppage. Justin is a beast!! Congrats."
Former heavyweight king Francis Ngannou echoed that sentiment, writing: "Never count Justin out. Congratulations champ. You never let me down."
Belal Muhammad called Gaethje a "monster," while Bellator middleweight champion Johnny Eblen congratulated the newly crowned champion after an "amazing fight."
Several fighters were simply left speechless.
"Wtf," Renato Moicano posted.
"Bro!!!! Wow!!!!" added Brian Ortega.
Meanwhile, “Triple C” Henry Cejudo offered a more tactical assessment during the fight, noting that Gaethje was forcing Topuria into unfamiliar territory.
"Gaethje is taking Ilia to a place he's never been. What a fight! 2-1 for the challenger."
Islam Makhachev, who had been feuding with the Georgin, shared some timely advice with a pinch of salt to rub in Topuria’s wounds - “He who exalts himself will be humbled! There’s levels in this game! Congratulations Justin, you deserve this belt more than anyone!”
Paddy Pimblett, too, took jibes at Topuria. Retweeting against an old post of the former featherweight, he retorted, "The only thing you had to do was beat a 38 year old coming off of a 5 round war with me… instead you quit on your stool like the little bitch you are."
He also used the moment to call out the newly crowned champion for a rematch, "I’m a real fighter and went 5 rounds your a little pretender chorizo! Congratulation @Justin Gatheje rematch for undisputed?"
WAR!! How Gaethje decimated ‘El Matador’
First off, the fight itself was every bit as chaotic and violent as fans had hoped. Topuria entered UFC Freedom 250 as one of the sport's most dominant champions. The Georgian-Spanish star had already conquered two weight classes and carried an undefeated UFC record into the White House main event.
While most expected his precision boxing and knockout power to be too much for the veteran challenger, Gaethje turned the contest into a war of attrition.
The opening rounds were competitive, with both men enjoying moments of success, though the round mostly belonged to the veteran. But then, Topuria came back swinging in the second, with devastating body shots, only for Gaethje to absorb the punishment and march forward.
As the bout wore on, the tide began to shift. Gaethje's relentless pressure, devastating leg kicks, and trademark combinations of infighting and dirty boxing gradually took their toll. By the third round, Topuria looked like he had tried kissing the express train. His face swollen up, the champion looked out of place, his confidence shattered.
The turning point came late in R3. While Topuria refused to stop throwing punches, his corner could see what was unfolding. After another punishing round of damage, the fight was finally waved off at the conclusion of the fourth, giving Gaethje the TKO victory and the undisputed lightweight championship.
For Topuria, it was a humbling end to a remarkable run. As for Gaethje, it was redemption on the sport’s biggest stage.
