Justin Gaethje proved one former UFC lightweight champion right when he defeated Ilia Topuria for the 155-pound belt at UFC Freedom 250. Frankie Edgar—who recently picked up a victory over Clay Guida at RAF 11—was watching closely alongside fellow former titleholder Eddie Alvarez when Gaethje shocked the MMA world.
In a massive changing of the guard, Gaethje delivered a dominant performance, forcing the previously undefeated Topuria to retire on his stool. While many saw Gaethje’s championship victory as a huge upset, Edgar—no stranger to pulling off iconic underdog wins himself—was thrilled to see his friend finally capture the undisputed title on his third attempt.
“Yeah, I think it’s amazing. Obviously, Justin is a friend of mine. I don’t think anybody’s more deserving—he’s been through it all,” Edgar told Bowks Talking Bouts. “There’s never been a boring fight where he didn’t give it his all, so seeing him achieve that was awesome. I actually picked Justin to win, maybe partly because he’s my friend and I was really pulling for him.”
Edgar: Gaethje Showed Pure Heart and Guts
Reflecting on the historic White House event, Edgar pointed out where the fight turned and highlighted what he believes is Topuria’s main weakness when put under intense pressure:
“I don’t think a lot of people expected it to go down that way, but if Justin was going to win, that was exact way to do it. That was a classic Justin Gaethje fight,” Edgar explained. “I think that jab and the cut really hurt Topuria—whether it was his nose or above the eye. That really affected Ilia. He’s just not used to being out of the driver’s seat or fighting on his back foot, and he’s not as effective there. Justin brought pure guts and heart and got the job done.”
