Gaethje vs. Topuria stopped in fourth round after referee overruled doctor

Justin Gaethje defeated Ilia Topuria when the fight ended before the fifth round at UFC Freedom 250 on Sunday, June 14, 2026. Topuria could not return to his corner after the fourth round. Gaethje landed a crushing knee to Topuria’s rib near the end of the fourth round.

Topuria made it back to his stool but could not continue. His younger brother Aleksandre Topuria wanted the fight to continue, but one of Topuria’s corner men stopped it. Referee Marc Goddard allowed the fight to continue into the fourth round after the cageside doctor intervened between rounds three and four.

By that point Topuria’s eyes were bleeding and swollen. Goddard gave Topuria an extra minute of rest before the fourth round began. Daniel Cormier said on his YouTube channel that the cageside doctor was inexperienced.

“Between the third and fourth round, it was some of the craziest stuff I’ve ever seen,” Cormier said. ’” Cormier added: “Inexperienced doctor, experienced referee that said, ‘No, it can’t end like this. ’” He also said Topuria performed well in the fourth round after Gaethje had taken control.

Cormier stated that Topuria wanted to fight and that the referee’s decision to continue allowed the bout to reach its conclusion. com reported that the doctor’s stoppage attempt came after Topuria had absorbed heavy damage in the first three rounds.