Justin Gaethje breaks silence on Ilia Topuria ‘quitter’ criticism after controversial UFC White House stoppage

Justin Gaethje breaks silence on Ilia Topuria ‘quitter’ criticism after controversial UFC White House stoppage

Justin Gaethje has rejected the idea that Ilia Topuria “quit” during their UFC Freedom 250 title fight at the White House. Topuria’s corner stopped the bout after the fourth round, handing Gaethje the UFC lightweight title. The ending led to criticism of the former champion, with some fans saying he should have continued into the fifth round. Gaethje sees it differently. Speaking on One Night With Steiny, he said Topuria was too badly hurt to continue and that the decision came from his coaches, not the fighter himself. The UFC officially recorded the result as a fourth-round corner stoppage.

Gaethje said there was an important difference between a fighter choosing to stop and a corner deciding that continuing would be unsafe.“He definitely should have quit on the stool,” he said on One Night With Steiny. “He didn’t quit on the stool; his body was too compromised to continue fighting.“He didn’t make the call; his coaches made the call because they’re there to protect him. My coaches are in my corner to protect me in those times.”That view comes from what happened inside the Octagon. Topuria had taken heavy punishment during the later rounds, and a doctor had already checked him before the fourth round because of the damage to his face.

He was allowed to continue, but Gaethje kept pressing forward.The fourth round ended with Topuria taking another heavy shot, and his corner then decided not to send him back out for the final round. The UFC listed the result as a TKO by corner stoppage at 5:00 of Round 4.For Gaethje, the decision was part of the job for the people sitting in Topuria’s corner. His coaches were responsible for looking at the damage and deciding if another five minutes was worth the risk. That is why he does not view the ending as Topuria personally giving up.The loss also ended Topuria’s unbeaten run. He entered the White House fight without a professional defeat and left without the lightweight belt. Gaethje, meanwhile, became the undisputed UFC lightweight champion.

The fight has also taken another turn since Topuria was cleared to return. After completing his medical tests, Topuria posted a message aimed at Gaethje and questioned what was on the champion’s gloves.“Next time I’ll make sure they check Justin’s gloves so he doesn’t put anything weird on them. See you soon,” Topuria wrote on X earlier this month.Gaethje did not appear interested in treating the accusation as a serious issue. Instead, he pointed to the way social media can turn comments between fighters into another part of the fight.

“I think the internet’s crazy, man,” Gaethje said. “It’s clickbait, engagement; we’re farming out here. We’re farming for interactions.“That’s the game. I don’t like the game, but I’m going to have to play the game.”Topuria had congratulated Gaethje after the fight, but his later comments have added a new edge to their rivalry. Gaethje, however, has made his view on the stoppage clear. He does not believe Topuria quit. He believes his corner stepped in after seeing that he had taken enough damage.