Combined Ranking of Fights on Rousey-Carano and UFC Freedom 250 Cards

Fight fans are about to witness two of the biggest events in MMA history back to back.

First up, on May 16, the sport will make its debut on Netflix, with an 11-fight card headlined by a clash between Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano, and featuring appearances from stars like Nate Diaz, Mike Perry, and Francis Ngannou.

Then, on June 14, the UFC will touch down on the White House lawn. The seven-fight card, which is officially called UFC Freedom 250, will be headlined by a lightweight title fight between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje, and also include an interim heavyweight title fight between Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane.

The two events are significant for different reasons. The Rousey-Carano card could go down as the most watched MMA event of all time, thanks to Netflix's massive reach.

UFC Freedom 250, meanwhile, has one of the most unique settings of any fight night, and it is likely to be one of the most carefully executed and high-stakes sporting events of all time as a result.

What the two cards have in common is that they're both stacked. While both have a few less fights than your typical major MMA card, both feature some fantastic matchups.

Here are the 10 fights we're most excited for between the two cards.

10. Michael Chandler vs. Mauricio Ruffy

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Former Bellator lightweight champ Michael Chandler spent years waiting for a lucrative fight with Conor McGregor. That ship seems to have sailed, but at the White House, he'll get the next best thing.

His opponent, Brazil's Mauricio Ruffy, has a very similar style to McGregor—enough that the pair are commonly compared to one another.

This is a great fight on paper. Chandler is almost never in a boring fight, and has the wrestling ability to give his opponent some interesting looks. Ruffy, on the other hand, has some of the flashiest striking in the lightweight division right now, and a slew of highlight-reel KOs to his credit.

The chances of this one heating up quickly and ending inside the distance are very good. The only point against the matchup is that at 39, and with some brutal wars behind him, Chandler is clearly nearing the end of his career, and may not be at his best.

9. Sean O'Malley vs. Aiemann Zahabi

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UFC Freedom 250 will feature a high-stakes bantamweight clash, with former champion Sean O'Malley taking on streaking contender Aiemann Zahabi.

O'Malley, known for his slick striking and surprising stopping power, will be looking to build on the momentum of a recent win over Song Yadong, and take a big step toward champion Petr Yan, whom he has beaten before.

For Zahabi, it will be his biggest test to date and a chance to become a top contender himself.

Outside of the title fights atop the bill, this is perhaps the most significant matchup on the White House card, at least in terms of the relevance of the fighters involved.

However, it feels like the kind of fight that might be on the slower side, as they look to figure out each other's starkly differing striking styles. Hopefully, it ends in spectacle, but styles make fights, and it's hard to imagine this one delivering anything especially memorable.

8. Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano

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There's a reason this fight is headlining the first-ever MMA event on Netflix.

Rousey and Carano are two of the most important figures on the women's side of the sport, to the point that things would probably be completely different if they never existed.

Rousey is the first female champ in UFC history, and she had an incredible run atop the bantamweight division, defeating six challengers, many of them with quick finishes. In her heyday, she was one of the biggest stars in the sport, rivalled only by Conor McGregor.

Carano, meanwhile, is a former Strikeforce champ, and the first female mixed martial artist to really break into the mainstream.

The big point against this fight, and the reason it's so low on this list, is that it's happening way too late. At 39 and 43 respectively, Rousey and Carano are both considerably past the age at which most fighters peak. The real problem, though, is the length of their layoffs.

Rousey hasn't fought since she was knocked out by Amanda Nunes in 2016, while Carano hasn't stepped in the Octagon since she was stopped by Cris Cyborg 17 years ago. That is a long, long time.

7. Derrick Lewis vs. Josh Hokit

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Derrick Lewis and Josh Hokit were not a part of the original UFC Freedom 250 plans, but they were added to the lineup after it had already been finalized.

It happened just after Josh Hokit defeated Curtis Blaydes by decision in an instant classic at UFC 327 on April 11. Apparently, U.S. President Donald Trump had been asking Dana White why Lewis wouldn't be competing at the White House around the same time, and after Hokit's star-making win over Blaydes, the two heavyweights were added to the lineup on short notice.

It's a great fight. Hokit is the hottest contender in the heavyweight division right now, and he has generated tons of extra buzz with his bizarre brand of pre-fight trash talk.

Lewis, meanwhile, is a cult hero among fans, and he holds more knockout victories than any other fighter in UFC history.

The only knock on this matchup is that it might be a bit too soon for Hokit. He was just in a three-round war with an elite heavyweight, and is surely still feeling it.

Hopefully he's all healed up by the time he heads to the White House, but it doesn't seem like he'll have enough time to properly recover. That's not great when you're going up against a monster like Lewis.

6. Muhammad Mokaev vs. Adriano Moraes

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The Rousey-Carano card on Netflix will be promoted by Jake Paul's company, Most Valuable Promotions. You've got to give them credit for the talent they procured.

While the fighters in the main event are certainly past their primes, the undercard features some of the most relevant fighters outside the UFC. That includes Muhammad Mokaev and Adriano Moraes, who are possibly the two best flyweights not currently on the UFC roster.

Mokaev used to be signed to the UFC, but despite a 7-0 run in the Octagon, parted with the promotion unceremoniously in 2024. He's been nothing but impressive since, winning three straight fights.

Moraes, on the other hand, is the former ONE Championship flyweight king, and one of the best MMA fighters in the Asian promotion's history. He defended his belt multiple times, notably knocking out Demetrious Johnson in the first part of a three-fight series.

Either fighter would be right at home among the UFC's best flyweights, but circumstances have brought them to Netflix, where they will surely wow onlookers with their high-level grappling and underrated striking.

5. Diego Lopes vs. Steve Garcia

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In terms of potential for violence, Diego Lopes vs. Steve Garcia might be the single best fight on the UFC Freedom 250 or Rousey-Carano card.

The bout, which is expected to kick off the White House card, represents some of the best matchmaking the UFC has done lately.

Lopes is a two-time former title challenger at featherweight. While he came up short against champion Alexander Volkanovski on both occasions he fought for the belt, he is clearly one of the best fighters in the weight class, as he proved with a stunning knockout of Jean Silva last year.

Garcia, meanwhile, is red-hot right now. He has won seven straight fights, including six by knockout, to earn himself a place in the rankings.

This is a big step up for Garcia, but he seems to have the skills to compete with the best. If that's the case, this fight with Lopes should be incredibly entertaining for however long it lasts.

4. Francis Ngannou vs. Philipe Lins

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Let's not forget, Francis Ngannou remains the lineal heavyweight champion of MMA.

The hulking Cameroonian knockout puncher never lost his UFC title, but vacated it during his highly publicized split with the promotion, and he has not lost in MMA since.

Granted, he has only competed in MMA once since leaving the UFC, knocking out Renan Ferreira in the PFL cage, but facts are facts. Until he loses, he's still the man.

Ngannou will finally compete under MMA rules again in the co-headliner of the Netflix card next month. As always, it figures to be must-see TV, as he is arguably the hardest puncher in the history of the sport.

The one problem, of course, is his opponent, Philipe Lins. With respect, he is a bizarre choice.

The Brazilian is a former PFL tournament winner, and went 3-2 as a member of the UFC roster. He's currently riding four straight wins, but they were all down at light heavyweight, and the last, a decision defeat of Ion Cutelaba, was over two years ago.

Lins is going to be a heck of a lot smaller than Ngannou in the cage and at a major disadvantage in terms of firepower. Unfortunately, he's also been just as inactive as the former UFC champ. It's just hard to see how he can possibly win this one, as solid as he has been in the past.

The reason this fight still cracks our top five is simply because Ngannou is still the true king of the heavyweights. That makes this a very important fight for the weight class, even if it looks one-sided on paper.

3. Nate Diaz vs. Mike Perry

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MVP made a lot of noise when it booked Ronda Rousey and Francis Ngannou for the first-ever MMA card on Netflix. Yet it wasn't until it announced a fight between UFC veterans Nate Diaz and Mike Perry that it became clear how seriously it was taking the project.

Diaz vs. Perry is one of the biggest fights one could make outside the UFC.

Diaz, of course, is best known for a lengthy UFC run that saw him battle many of the best fighters in lightweight and welterweight history, and notably hand Conor McGregor his first Octagon loss. His has incredible jiu-jitsu and effective boxing, and he has one of the most enigmatic personalities in the sport, which has greatly endeared him to fans.

Perry didn't have quite the same success as Diaz in the UFC, but he quickly developed a reputation as one of the most violent fighters on the roster, with vicious punching power and an iron chin. His main claim to fame these days is bare-knuckle fighting. Since leaving the UFC, he's gone 6-0 in the BKFC ring, defeating the likes Michael "Venom" Page, Luke Rockhold, Eddie Alvarez, and Jeremy Stephens.

While Diaz and Perry have starkly different styles, neither ever takes a backward step, and both typically leave the cage soaked with blood. It admittedly would have been nice to see this fight four or five years ago instead, but it's still an incredible booking that is just about guaranteed to entertain.

2. Alex Pereira vs. Ciryl Gane

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Alex Pereira's place in combat sports history is already set in stone.

The Brazilian is a former two-division Glory kickboxing champ, and since joining the UFC roster in 2021, has reigned as middleweight champion, and twice as light heavyweight champion. He is, without any exaggeration, one of the most accomplished fighters ever, in any discipline.

Miraculously, he isn't done yet.

Rather than rest on his laurels, Pereira decided to vacate the light heavyweight belt and move up to heavyweight in pursuit of gold in a third UFC weight class. He will get the opportunity when he fights Ciryl Gane for the interim belt in the UFC Freedom 250 co-main event, and if he succeeds, will be the first three-division champion in the promotion's history.

The stakes for Pereira alone make this fight must-see TV, but it also happens to be a fascinating fight on paper.

Gane, a two-time title challenger who most recently sent undisputed champion Tom Aspinall into surgery with an inadvertent eye poke, is a high-level striker in his own right.

While he is far less accomplished than Pereira, he has been able to out-strike all but a few of his opponents so far, and will also be bigger and presumably stronger than the Brazilian in the cage.

It is a fight that is likely to unfold almost exclusively on the feet, which all but guarantees a knockout, given the skill and power of the men involved.

The only argument against it is that it's a consolation prize. We all would have preferred to see Pereira battle MMA legend Jon Jones in his heavyweight debut, but the UFC failed to make it happen and called on Gane instead.

1. Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje

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Ilia Topuria represents the highest level of excellence we've seen in MMA.

The Georgia-born Spaniard is the former UFC featherweight champion and now the undisputed lightweight champion. In his last three fights alone, he has knocked out Alexander Volkanovski, Max Holloway, and Charles Oliveira.

That is quite easily the best three-fight win-streak in MMA history, and in the main event of UFC Freedom 250, he'll look to extend it at the expense of another legend in Justin Gaethje.

Gaethje, of course, is also one of the best to do it. The American has won performance bonuses in nearly all of his UFC fights to date, and he has beaten many world-class lightweights, including Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone, Tony Ferguson, Michael Chandler, and Dustin Poirier.

In his most recent appearance, Gaethje defeated Paddy Pimblett by decision to claim the interim lightweight belt, which was introduced while Topuria took some time off to deal with some personal issues.

With Topuria's issues in the rear-view mirror, it's time for him and Gaethje to unify their belts. While the odds suggest Topuria will win—probably with yet another knockout—Gaethje has plenty of power himself, along with some serious durability and more high-level experience than just about anyone in the game.

It is an incredible matchup with massive stakes. The only point against it—much like the co-main event—is that there a couple of other fights most people would rather see instead, namely Topuria vs. Islam Makhachev, and Topuria vs. Arman Tsarukyan.