WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 12: Lightweights Ilia Topuria of Germany (L) and Justin Gaethje (R) are separated by President and CEO Dana White of UFC (C) during the UFC Freedom 250 Press Conference at the Lincoln Memorial on June 12, 2026 in Washington, DC.

Topuria shoves Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250 faceoff

7 hours ago

Jeff Bottari / UFC / Getty

Warning: Video contains coarse language

Ilia Topuria pushed Justin Gaethje as they faced off outside the Lincoln Memorial on Friday, but the interim champion didn't retaliate and instead allowed the situation to de-escalate.

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Topuria, the undisputed lightweight champion, will meet Gaethje on Sunday night in the main event of UFC Freedom 250, the historic show on the White House's South Lawn. The two went face to face after wrapping up Friday's pre-event press conference.

"I just told him, 'Don't come closer,'" Topuria explained to UFC reporter Megan Olivi. "And he told me like, 'What, you're gonna punch me?' And I was like, 'Yeah.' And he came closer, and I just had to push him because if I punch him, he's not gonna be able to show up."

The shove marked the second time in as many months that high-profile UFC headliners engaged in a physical dustup before scrapping in the Octagon. Khamzat Chimaev kicked Sean Strickland in the leg while facing off before UFC 328 in May. Strickland went on to defeat Chimaev and capture the middleweight championship.