Ngannou backed Gaethje at +500 as underdog to dethrone Topuria — and cashed in

Francis Ngannou backed Justin Gaethje with his own money before Gaethje stopped Ilia Topuria in the fourth round at UFC White House, claiming the undisputed lightweight title at odds of as large as +500 on some sportsbooks. Ngannou said the lines made no sense to him given Gaethje’s track record of delivering in every fight, win or lose.

“I bet on Gaethje,” Ngannou told TMZ Sports. “I saw these odds and I’m like, ‘Something’s wrong with these bookmakers.’ Like, what’s wrong? This is Justin Gaethje, man. Even when the guy lost, he always showed up and put on a show. He’s good at taking people out… Thanks to him, I had a wonderful day. I’m having a beautiful week.”

Gaethje (28-5) challenged Topuria (17-1) in the main event, forcing Topuria’s corner to throw in the towel at the end of round four. It was Gaethje’s third attempt at the undisputed title and his first success, a result that left Ngannou — himself a former UFC heavyweight champion — grateful for his faith in the underdog.

Ngannou was not alone in his conviction. Lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan allegedly placed $1 million on Gaethje and received a payout of $5.7 million. Tsarukyan has since announced plans to honour a pre-fight promise by gifting Gaethje a truck.

The result stands as one of the more significant upsets in recent UFC lightweight history, with Topuria having entered the bout as a heavy favourite. Gaethje’s fourth-round stoppage victory ended Topuria’s unbeaten professional record and handed him his first defeat at 17-1.