Ahead of Sunday’s UFC White House show, Lightweight Champion Ilia Topuria could not stop himself from getting his hands on interim champion Justin Gaethje. He shoved the challenger just seconds after their face-off began. Tensions ultimately erupted following Friday’s pre-fight news conference on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, turning what had begun as a respectful bout between two veterans into a personal conflict. It just took one shove to remind the UFC and fight fans that Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje still hold the bad blood between them.
Ilia Topuria Shoves Justin Gaethje
Topuria pushed Gaethje back almost immediately as they squared up, and UFC CEO Dana White intervened quickly to prevent things from getting worse or escalating into a brawl. White was heard saying he was not prepared for that one, and following the shove, he would not let Topuria and Gaethje get back together again.
Gaethje, for his part, remained composed and even criticized Topuria for pushing him on such a historic stage as the White House card. “You want to act like animal? Like an emotional little animal,” Gaethje shouted at Topuria.
Ahead of their unification fight on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, the two had engaged in a back-and-forth altercation but with verbal jabs of ugly remarks. And at the final press conference held on Friday in front of the Lincoln Memorial’s steps, nothing changed.
Later in the Paramount+ broadcast, Topuria gave an explanation for pushing Gaethje.
“I just told him don’t come closer, and he told me, like, ‘What, you’re going to punch me?’ And I was, like, ‘Yeah.’ And he came closer. I had to push him, because if I punch him, he’s not going to be able to show up for the fight,” Topuria said.
Dana White’s reaction implied that he did not anticipate the push, but given how they had been at each other’s throats during the promotion, it was never truly out of the question.
UFC Freedom 250 Full Fight Card
Lightweight championship: Ilia Topuria vs Justin Gaethje
Interim Heavyweight Championship: Alex Pereira vs Cyril Gane
Bantamweight: Sean O’Malley vs Aiemann Zahabi
Heavyweight: Josh Hokit vs Derrick Lewis
Lightweight: Mauricio Ruffy vs Michael Chandler
Middleweight: Bo Nickal vs Kyle Daukaus
Featherweight: Diego Lopes vs Steve Garcia
