The UFC Freedom 250 was nothing short of an American spectacle. From the setting of the White House lawn, to the attendance of the President and U.S. government officials, and multiple other specifically American references, the UFC took every measure to ensure the event
did exactly what it set out to do: celebrate the 250th anniversary of America.

However, for fans of the sport, the focus was on everything inside the octagon. The highly anticipated fight card did not disappoint, with every match ending in a knockout or technical knockout.

Yet the event saved its best match for last, as Justin Gaethje defeated Ilia Topuria for the lightweight championship.

The match perfectly encapsulated the American underdog story as Gaethje, an aging fighter from Arizona, pulled off the upset against the heavily favored Topuria.

As the crowd erupted, chanting “USA” in the midst of the main event, a familiar story ran through my head. A tale as old as time, with patriotic themes embedded into its plot. A story that was once portrayed by the 1985 film, “Rocky IV”.

The underlying story of “Rocky IV” followed an aged version of Rocky Balboa, facing the unbeatable Ivan Drago to avenge the death of his close friend Apollo Creed. Creed had recently passed away in the ring after being brutally beaten by Drago, who showed little remorse for the
incident.

The match quickly became a political proxy war with Balboa carrying the pride of the U.S. while Drago represented the Soviet Union.

In the context of both UFC fighters, Justin Gaethje is an aging, former champion, chasing the glory of the title once again as his career begins to come to a close. He’s also considered to be one of the greatest American champions the sport has ever seen.

Conversely, Georgian fighter Ilia Topuria is one of the hottest names in UFC. He went into Saturday night with an undefeated record, winning nearly every fight in dominant fashion. His last three victories saw him score impressive knockouts against Charles Oliveira, Max
Holloway, and Alexander Volkanovski, and are some of the most unshakable chins in the game.

Though these fighters are all icons in their own right, they’re also on the backends of their careers, earning Topuria a reputation as a “legend killer”.

It’s a reputation Topuria doesn’t take lightly. He’s often accompanied his dominant performances with relentless trash talk, even displaying his confidence by hosting celebratory parties before the match ever takes place. This is where shades of Ivan Drago can be found within Topuria.

It’s easy to see the cinematic coincidences prefacing the bout, but the similarities carried on well after the first round horn was sounded.

The match quickly turned into a slugfest, much like the Balboa-Drago bout. Notably, a style that most experts deemed favorable to Topuria. While both fighters cracked each other with clean shots, it was Gaethje who first drew blood, landing an uppercut to the eye of Topuria.

Ilia immediately grabbed his eye, and spectators soon realized the fight might turn out a lot closer than expected.

Social media exploded in real time, with users comparing the round one moment to the iconic “He’s cut!” scene from “Rocky IV”.

As the fight carried on, Justin Gaethje continued to build momentum. Even at times when Topuria was in control, Gaethje refused to falter, garnering “USA” chants from the crowd midway through.

Seconds before the final round was set to begin, Topuria’s corner stopped the fight, cementing Gaethje’s historic victory. The crowd erupted as Justin hit his signature backflip off the cage.

The underdog did it.

Moments after his hand was raised in victory, fireworks erupted over the Washington Monument.

Patriotic anthems rang through the White House lawn, and the President and First Lady congratulated Gaethje personally.

In true storybook fashion, Gaethje’s coach lifted him onto his shoulders as Justin donned both championship belts and an American flag draped around his neck.

In some ways, the post-fight celebration was reminiscent of Apollo Creed’s pre-fight celebration in the opening scene of “Rocky IV”. In other ways, the moment was nearly identical to the celebration following Balboa’s victory over Drago.

It’s often said that life imitates art. The Freedom 250 event seemed to add credence to that, all while delivering a memorable night for fans across the world.