Justin Gaethje claims his friend won over $1 million betting on him against Ilia Topuria at UFC Freedom 250
Reigning lightweight champion Justin Gaethje has revealed that a bettor won over a million dollars by placing money on his beating Ilia Topuria.
Justin Gaethje has suggested that a friend of his won a mammoth sum, supposedly in excess of $1 million, by betting on him against Ilia Topuria.
The 37-year-old was viewed as a significant betting underdog by many against the 29-year-old Topuria, who was undefeated in MMA going into their fight.
Justin Gaethje beat Ilia Topuria in a high-profile MMA bout at the UFC White House event
The American fighter, who went into his fight against then-UFC lightweight champion Topuria as the interim UFC lightweight champion, dethroned the Georgian-Spaniard via fourth-round TKO.
The win in the grueling matchup notched Gaethje his first undisputed UFC title, as he became the UFC lightweight kingpin. Their fight had headlined UFC Freedom 250 at the White House in Washington on June 14.
It was regarded as an incredibly high-profile event, drawing interest from viewers as well as betting enthusiasts worldwide.
Justin Gaethje suggests that his friend won over $1 million by betting on him to beat Ilia Topuria in their title unifier at UFC Freedom 250
In a video posted to American Football player and NFL staple Von Miller's YouTube channel, former BMF titlist and reigning UFC lightweight champ Justin Gaethje showcased his golfing skills. The duo played at the exclusive Summit Club in Las Vegas.
They partook in a lighthearted UFC vs. NFL golf match, which ultimately seemed to end in a tie. Intriguingly, they touched upon the topic of betting.
The UFC staple alluded to the UFC's rule that prohibits its fighters from betting on UFC fights. It's well known that the UFC, amid a gambling probe, banned its active athletes from betting on its fights, urging them to adhere to the UFC's Athlete Code of Conduct.
That was in late 2022. The ban covered UFC athletes' coaches, teammates, etc., as well in 2023. Among the reasons cited were potential conflicts of interest and misuse of insider information concerning injuries to better predict and bet on fights.
Well, speaking to Von Miller, Justin Gaethje stated, "Oh! I can't bet on fights... But I bet on golf."
Miller chimed in and appeared to simply confirm whether he could bet on fights, to which Gaethje replied, "Yes. Absolutely. You bet."
Revealing how his friend won big by betting on his fight, Gaethje said, "My buddy -- I have so many people who bet. My buddy, when I got back to the house, my buddy Greg. I don't know if you met Greg... He's the other owner at the gym. You might have met him; old guy. He bet, like, 375 when it was, like, six-to-one."
He continued, "So he won, like, one four ($1.4 million). Got, like, one four ($1.4 million) back. Crazy. He was there when I got back to the room, or to my house. He said, 'I won 1.6 million dollars.'"
Presently, it seems as though Gaethje continues to bask in the glory of his incredible win over UFC superstar Ilia Topuria.
"El Matador" has conveyed his interest in an immediate title rematch, whilst other contenders have also been chomping at the bit to fight and dethrone Gaethje. Nevertheless, the newly crowned lightweight ruler's next opponent and exact comeback date are yet to be officially announced.
Watch Justin Gaethje recount his friend's betting victory below (*comments at the 1:20-minute mark of the video):
