Topuria shoves Gaethje by Lincoln Memorial ahead of White House UFC event
Key takeaways
- UFC Freedom 250 will proceed after a federal judge denies a legal challenge to the event on Friday.
- Topuria, the unbeaten Georgian-Spanish lightweight belt holder, is coming back from a nearly yearlong hiatus following his highly publicised divorce.
- Gaethje is the interim champion and a beloved American brawler who upset the highly touted Paddy Pimblett at UFC 324 in January to earn the belt amid Topuria’s absence.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
UFC Freedom 250 will proceed after a federal judge denies a legal challenge to the event on Friday.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana White separates lightweight fighters Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje [Al Drago/Getty Images via AFP]By Al Jazeera Staff and Reuters Published On 13 Jun 202613 Jun 2026Ilia Topuria shoved Justin Gaethje in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, as tensions spiked in the final news conference before their headlining bout at the UFC’s White House event this weekend.
Topuria, the unbeaten Georgian-Spanish lightweight belt holder, is coming back from a nearly yearlong hiatus following his highly publicised divorce.