Ilia Topuria shoved Justin Gaethje in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., as tensions flared during the final press conference before the main event at UFC Freedom 250, being held at the White House this weekend.
Topuria, an undefeated Georgian-born Spanish lightweight champion, returns after nearly a year away following a widely publicized divorce. Gaethje, the interim champion and American fan favorite, beat Paddy Pimblett at UFC 324 in January to claim the belt.
UFC President Dana White had to step in to separate the two fighters after Topuria knocked Gaethje down during a face-off at Friday's press conference. Gaethje laughed off the incident and told his opponent: "Look where we are, enjoy this beautiful scenery, and you want to act like a beast?"
Earlier, Topuria, 29, vowed to knock out Gaethje in the first round. "I know I’m the best in the world. In two days we’ll share the same cage. Prove me wrong if you can," Topuria said. Gaethje, 37, dismissed Topuria’s threats, insisting his experience would be the deciding factor.
The UFC Freedom 250 event is scheduled for the 80th birthday of President Donald Trump, part of the Republican president’s plan to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States.
Before his layoff, Topuria had put together one of the most impressive three-fight runs in the sport's history. In just 16 months and six rounds, Topuria knocked out future Hall of Famers Alexander Volkanovski, Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira, each by KO.
The co-main event features star Alex "Poatan" Pereira as he moves up to heavyweight, seeking to become the UFC's first three-division champion in an interim title fight against Ciryl Gane. American fan favorite "Suga" Shawn O'Malley will also fight, facing 38-year-old Canadian Aiemann Zahabi.
Court rejects lawsuit seeking to block event
Earlier Friday, a federal judge refused to stop Trump from holding the event on White House grounds. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta rejected a motion from two Washington-area residents who argued the Trump administration overstepped its authority by hosting the event dubbed "UFC Freedom 250."
Judge Mehta said the two plaintiffs "failed to show they were 'directly affected' by the defendant's action" and had unreasonably delayed bringing the suit. The plaintiffs' lawyer said they were disappointed but respected the ruling, adding that the lawsuit was not about a sports event but about corruption.
