Ilia Topuria

In one of the biggest upsets in UFC history, underdog Justin Gaethje took the first round, survived a brutal second in which Topuria battered his body and chased submissions, then turned the fight in the third — dropping and bloodying the previously unbeaten champion. A doctor cleared Topuria after the fourth, but his corner halted the bout, unifying the lightweight title for Gaethje.

Key moments

• Gaethje, a heavy underdog, controlled Round 1 with uppercuts, power jabs and right hands.
• Topuria roared back in Round 2, hurting Gaethje to the body and chasing submissions on the canvas.
• Round 3 swung decisively to Gaethje, who knocked down and badly bloodied an exhausted Topuria.
• A doctor checked Topuria before the fifth and cleared him, but his corner stopped the fight after Round 4 — unifying the lightweight title for Gaethje.

Topuria met the most prolific finisher in UFC history in the centre and never let him settle. He stuffed an Oliveira takedown and a follow-up leglock against the fence, then ended it with a flush right–left to the chin — becoming a champion in a second weight class in his very first lightweight fight.

Key moments

• Opened a cut over Oliveira's eye with his very first combinations.
• Stuffed a takedown attempt and a follow-up leglock on the fence.
• A right–left flush to the chin dropped Oliveira; two grounded follow-ups ended it at 2:27.
• Became the 10th two-division champion in UFC history.

Two competitive rounds gave way to history in the third. Topuria backed Holloway to the fence with a right cross and put him down with the left hook — the first knockout of Holloway's career — to retain the featherweight title in Abu Dhabi.

Key moments

• The first two rounds were tight and competitive.
• A clean right cross drove Holloway back to the cage in round three.
• A left hook by the fence dropped him — the first time Holloway had ever been knocked out.
• The two traded taunts all night, Topuria borrowing Holloway's own "point to the ground" invitation.

Volkanovski took a kick-heavy first round on all three cards, but Topuria's power decided it. Late in the second he trapped the long-reigning champion on the fence and landed an overhand right that ended the fight cold — making Topuria the first UFC champion from Spain.

Key moments

• Volkanovski swept the opening round on all three judges' scorecards.
• An overhand right against the fence in round two dropped him unconscious.
• Topuria became the first UFC champion from Spain.

Topuria's coming-out party as a five-round headliner. After a close opening round he took over completely, dropping and battering the famously durable Emmett — who refused to fold — across a wide unanimous decision, then called for a title shot.

Key moments

• Dropped Emmett and turned round two one-sided.
• Round four was the most lopsided — repeated knockdowns and sustained damage.
• One judge scored it 50–42, a card that included a rare 10–7 round.
• Emmett's durability carried him to the final bell; Topuria called for the title afterward.

Topuria called his shot and delivered, out-grappling an unbeaten jiu-jitsu specialist on his own turf. He controlled the exchanges and locked up an arm-triangle in the second round for the tap — the first loss of Mitchell's career.

Key moments

• Out-grappled the well-regarded BJJ specialist in the scrambles.
• Locked up an arm-triangle choke in round two for the finish.
• Handed Bryce Mitchell the first loss of his career — exactly as he'd predicted.

A genuine two-way fight in London that showed Topuria's resilience as much as his finishing power. Herbert floored him with a well-timed head kick in round one, but Topuria grabbed a clinch, survived, and came back in round two to put Herbert out with a three-punch combination against the cage.

Key moments

• Herbert landed a head kick that sent Topuria to the canvas in round one.
• Topuria used the clinch and grappling savvy to recover after the knockdown.
• In round two he backed Herbert to the fence and a three-punch combination put him out cold at 1:07.
• Earned a Performance of the Night bonus for the finish.

Hall brought his signature Imanari rolls and leg-lock hunting, but Topuria — a jiu-jitsu black belt himself — navigated the unusual guard and unloaded ground strikes to finish Hall late in the first round, handing the submission specialist a rare KO loss.

Key moments

• Hall went for his trademark Imanari rolls and heel-hook attempts throughout the round.
• Topuria's own grappling credentials let him pass through the leg-lock threats without panic.
• Late in round one he landed a grounded flurry that forced the stoppage at 4:47.
• Became the first fighter to stop Hall by knockout inside the Octagon.

Topuria announced himself to the broader UFC audience with a showcase performance in his second Octagon outing. He dug repeatedly to the body early, hurting Jackson with an uppercut against the cage, then landed an overhand right over a Jackson left hook to secure the first-round knockout.

Key moments

• Targeted the body relentlessly in the opening minute, setting up the head shots.
• A body uppercut hurt Jackson and pinned him against the fence.
• An overhand right over Jackson's left hook landed flush and ended the fight at 2:38.
• The body-to-head pattern would become a Topuria trademark in the UFC.

Topuria's UFC debut — a short-notice replacement booking on Fight Island — went the distance in a gritty three-rounder. He controlled the grappling and grind but Zalal kept it competitive, even threatening with a guillotine choke in the third. All three judges scored it 29–28 for Topuria.

Key moments

• Stepped in as a short-notice replacement for Seung Woo Choi on nine days' notice.
• Secured takedowns and mounted positions in rounds one and two.
• Zalal nearly submitted him with a guillotine choke attempt late in round three.
• Won a 29–28 unanimous decision to make his UFC debut at 9-0.

Topuria's second Brave CF outing produced his first career knockout — and required him to come from behind to get it. Goncalves dropped him with a head kick early, but Topuria clinched, recovered, and then landed a massive overhand right that put Goncalves out cold.

Key moments

• Goncalves dropped Topuria with a head kick in the opening minutes.
• Topuria used the clinch to buy time and regain his footing.
• An overhand right knocked Goncalves unconscious at 3:42 of round one.
• The KO win earned Topuria his UFC contract offer from Dana White, who was in attendance.

Topuria's Brave CF debut in Bogotá, Colombia lasted barely over a minute. He caught Gomez in a triangle armbar and finished quickly, earning the event's Best Performance award.

Key moments

• Brave CF promotional debut in Bogotá, Colombia.
• Secured a triangle armbar finish in just 1:15 of round one.
• Awarded Best Performance of the Night for the submission.

Topuria was matched against Bouland for the vacant Cage Warriors Bantamweight Championship in Antwerp but came in 4.4 lb over the limit, making him ineligible to win the belt. He won anyway — catching Bouland in a D'arce choke and squeezing him unconscious inside 90 seconds — but the title remained vacant.

Key moments

• Booked for the vacant Cage Warriors Bantamweight title but missed weight by 4.4 lb.
• Finished Bouland with a D'arce choke at 1:13 of round one.
• Despite the dominant win the belt stayed vacant due to the weight miss.
• The Cage Warriors Bantamweight title was later awarded to Jack Shore.

Topuria travelled to Helsinki for his first international fight and submitted the Finnish veteran Mika Hämäläinen with a mounted guillotine in the first round, continuing his unbeaten submission-finishing run.

Key moments

• First international fight, held in Helsinki, Finland.
• Worked to a mounted position and locked up a guillotine choke.
• Submitted Hämäläinen at 3:35 of round one to stay unbeaten.

Topuria claimed his first professional title on the Spanish regional circuit, submitting Guarin in the second round with a guillotine choke to win the vacant MFE Featherweight Championship in Valencia.

Key moments

• Contested for the vacant Mix Fight Events Featherweight Championship at 146 lb.
• Secured the guillotine choke finish at 2:50 of round two.
• Won the MFE belt to cap his unbeaten run on the Spanish regional scene.

A third straight submission finish for Topuria on the Spanish circuit, this time a quick rear-naked choke in round one against Vasquez in Alicante.

Key moments

• Third professional win, all by submission.
• Rear-naked choke finish at 1:50 of round one in Alicante, Spain.
• Continued an unbroken submission-winning streak heading into his first title fight.

Topuria's second professional fight, held at Climent Club in Alicante, lasted just over a minute. He submitted El Chantibi with a rear-naked choke to go 2-0 on the Spanish regional scene.

Key moments

• Second professional fight, held in Alicante, Spain.
• Rear-naked choke finish at 1:03 of round one.
• Extended his early submission-only finishing streak to two fights.

Topuria's professional MMA debut at age 18, submitted Asprilla with a triangle choke in the first round at a regional event in Spain.

Key moments

• Professional MMA debut at 18 years old on the Spanish regional circuit.
• Submitted Asprilla with a triangle choke in round one.
• The first of eight submission wins in his career.