Gaethje dethroned the previously unbeaten Topuria to win the Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight title in the main event of UFC Freedom 250 at the White House in June.
Javier Mendez praises Justin Gaethje's UFC title win over Ilia Topuria for its dramatic momentum swings
After a closely contested first round, Topuria nearly finished Gaethje with body shots and submission attempts in the second, but the American survived. “The Highlight” found success over the next two rounds, though “El Matador” continued to have his moments. Topuria’s corner stopped the bout after the fourth round, giving Gaethje the victory by technical knockout.
Speaking on Submission Radio, Mendez described the matchup as his favorite fight to watch, emphasizing how the momentum repeatedly shifted between Gaethje and Topuria.
“I've watched that sucker nine times now,” Mendez said.
Mendez said the action went back and forth from the opening bell to the finish, leaving him unsure who would ultimately prevail. He contrasted the matchup with Khabib Nurmagomedov’s victory over Conor McGregor, saying he had watched that fight three times.
“This one here, from the beginning till the finish, there's no way in hell you're going to tell me that it was one-sided,” Mendez added. “That thing went back and forth from the beginning. Where in the history of MMA, seriously, think about this, when have you seen it back and forth like that? Never.”