Daniel Cormier thinks UFC White House setting pushed Justin Gaethje to victory over Ilia Topuria: “It all worked perfectly”

Daniel Cormier believes the UFC Freedom 250 atmosphere gave Justin Gaethje a significant boost.

Gaethje pulled off the upset over Ilia Topuria to conclude UFC’s historic event on the White House lawn this past Sunday. He scored a fourth-round TKO victory via corner stoppage to capture the undisputed UFC Lightweight Championship for the first time in his career. While Gaethje was a two-time interim titleholder, he hadn’t earned the undisputed distinction until he stopped Topuria.

It was a stellar performance from Gaethje, who battered Topuria’s face throughout the fight. There was a dicey moment for “The Highlight” in the second round where he was dropped by a body shot. Gaethje was able to weather the storm, and Cormier hopped on his YouTube channel to share his belief that “The Highlight” was jolted by the White House atmosphere (via MMAJunkie).

“When we were talking about this thing and we were building this thing, I told (Jon) Anik and (Joe) Rogan, ‘I believe that a setting can propel people to great things,'” Cormier said. “I’m not the type of person that does not think that the environment can play a part in the result of a fight.

“Tonight, I feel like that happened. Justin Gaethje always is a dog, but I think when you start to couple everything together, the birthday of the United States of America, the White House South Lawn, fighting an undefeated champion, it all worked perfectly.”

Whether or not Gaethje will continue his fighting career remains to be seen. During his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, the newly minted 155-pound champion said he promised his mother that he wouldn’t make a decision on his future before giving it some more thought.

As for Topuria, his comeback journey will be a story to watch. “El Matador” appears to have suffered a broken orbital during the clash with Gaethje. It was Topuria’s first pro MMA loss, but he reportedly hopes to have a title rematch as soon as possible.

Do you think the UFC White House environment played a role in Justin Gaethje’s win over Ilia Topuria? Give us your assessment in the comments below.