7 Fights We Need to See After UFC Freedom 250
UFC Freedom 250 was by all accounts a mammoth success. After months and months of anticipation—and a whole lot of skepticism—the event went off without a hitch on the White House lawn on Sunday evening, delivering some of the best MMA action we've seen in years in one of the most unique settings in the sport's history.
The big question now, in the deafening silence following the blockbuster event, is what the heck is next.
For the UFC, that's really hard to say. While the promotion's brass have definitely earned some time to celebrate and unwind, they set the bar incredibly high for themselves with this event. Even with MMA superstar Conor McGregor set to return to action next month, it's difficult to imagine them outdoing themselves anytime soon, if ever.
For the fighters, the tea leaves are a little easier to read. UFC Freedom 250 featured seven fights, and all seven of them ended with finishes that will completely change the fortunes of the winners.
Without further ado, here are the fights we'd like to see next for all seven winners from Sundays's unforgettable UFC event at the White House, from the opening bout of the night to the stunning main event.
Justin Gaethje vs. Arman Tsarukyan
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There was no bigger winner on the UFC Freedom 250 lineup than Justin Gaethje.
The bonus-collecting veteran was back in action in the card's headliner, taking on undefeated champion Ilia Topuria for the undisputed lightweight title. It was a massive moment for him, not just because it was clearly his final chance to get his hands on an undisputed title, but because he was the highest-profile American fighter on the bill. It was his responsibility to give the country something significant to celebrate.
Despite being counted out by nearly everyone, Gaethje ended up winning in style, weathering some second-round adversity to drag Topuria in a firefight and ultimately force the bloodied champion's corner to stop the fight between rounds four and five.
Ahead of the White House card, Gaethje suggested that the fight could be his last—particularly if he lost. After his victory, however, it's very difficult to imagine him retiring, even though this is clearly the best opportunity to ride off into the sunset he'll ever get. He simply looked too good to hang them up.
Assuming Gaethje continues fighting, the obvious opponent for his next fight is Arman Tsarukyan. Tsarukyan has been considered the No. 1 contender at lightweight for years, but has not gotten a title opportunity yet, largely because he can't seem to stay out of trouble outside the cage. That said, he appears to be working himself back into the good graces of the UFC, and if that's true, a title shot has to be next.
Even after Gaethje's win over Topuria and his previous domination of another young star in Paddy Pimblett, it's hard to imagine him beating Tsarukyan. At the same time, his performance on the White House lawn was proof that he can never be counted out, even against an opponent who seems to have all the skills to dominate him.
This fight would be a great fit for the UFC's annual November stop in New York City or its typical end-of-the-year bonanza in Vegas. The important thing is that it happens. Book it.
Ciryl Gane vs. Tom Aspinall II
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Former UFC middleweight and light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira had a chance to make history on the White House lawn, as he took on Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight title. If he won, he would have been the first fighter in the promotion's history to win belts in three divisions. That feat will have to wait for another day, and most likely another fighter. That's thanks to a brilliant performance from France's Gane, who shut the lights out on the bold Brazilian in round two.
After his stunning stoppage win over Pereira, there's only one fight that makes sense for Gane: a rematch with undisputed champ Tom Aspinall.
Gane and Aspinall first met last year, with Aspinall's interim belt on the line. The Frenchman started strong, but the fight was unfortunately waved off inside a round after he landed multiple—hopefully inadvertent—eye pokes on the champ.
Aspinall is still recovering from the brutal injuries he received in that fight, which is why the UFC booked Gane and Pereira to fight for the interim title. However, the undisputed champ will presumably be ready to go again soon, and when he is, it only makes sense for him to run it back with Gane.
The only question is whether Aspinall, who recently signed a deal with Eddie Hearn, can achieve a new deal with the UFC. He and the promotion have been increasingly at odds of late, and it seems like they've got some serious talking to do before they see eye-to-eye. Maybe that's not the best choice of words given the circumstances, but hopefully the two parties can work out their differences and book this rematch with Gane as soon as possible.
Sean O'Malley vs. Payton Talbott
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Sean O'Malley was in vintage form at UFC Freedom 250.
The former bantamweight champion and fan favorite's opponent was streaking Canadian contender Aiemann Zahabi. Ahead of time, he promised a knockout victory, and in the end, that's exactly what he delivered, as he zapped the Canadian with punches in round two and saluted the crowd before his opponent had even settled on the canvas.
With this statement-making win, O'Malley is now 2-0 since a pair of championship losses to Merab Dvalishvili, having also beaten Song Yadong by decision earlier this year. In his post-fight interview, he called for a rematch with new bantamweight champ Petr Yan, whom he defeated by decision several years back, but it's unlikely he'll get his wish. Yan is all but certain to settle a 1-1 tie with Dvalishvili next time out, meaning O'Malley will need to fight somebody else in the meantime.
The best options for him going forward are clearly Cory Sandhagen and Umar Nurmagomedov. However, those two contenders are set to take on Mario Bautista and David Martinez, respectively, in the coming months, so they're not really available right now.
Based on that, how about a fight between O'Malley and Payton Talbott? Talbott is a relatively new face in the bantamweight division, but he has a ton of hype, and after an exciting win over Henry Cejudo, a spot in the rankings. Given the striking skill and knockout power he and O'Malley share, it would be an excellent fight for as long as it lasts, and the winner would be in prime position to fight whoever holds the belt by year's end.
Josh Hokit vs. Alexander Volkov
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Say what you will about Josh Hokit's unsavory trash talk and bizarre antics, but the man can fight. The rising heavyweight reaffirmed that on the White House lawn on Sunday, when he styled on a lethargic-looking Derrick Lewis en route to a second-round knockout.
In victory, Hokit is now 4-0 in the UFC, having also scored a thrilling decision win over former interim title challenger Curtis Blaydes earlier this year. That streak has turned him into one of the top fighters in the division, and his timing is pretty darn good.
The top of the heavyweight division is experiencing a brutal logjam right now, thanks to the career-threatening eye injuries the undisputed champ, Tom Aspinall, suffered in his recent fight with new interim champ Ciryl Gane. The division will not be able to move forward until Aspinall recovers, and he and Gane run it back. That has left top Russian contender Alexander Volkov to wait around, twiddling his thumbs. With Hokit crashing the party, Volkov suddenly has somebody to fight, which is great, because he's already beaten nearly everyone in the weight class outside of Gane and Aspinall.
After UFC Freedom 250, it makes all the sense in the world for Volkov and Hokit to duke it out. It would be an interesting fight, as Volkov is the division's tallest fighter, and Hokit one of its smallest. However, there's no question it's a competitive matchup, and the victor would be undeniable for a crack at the Aspinall vs. Gane winner.
Mauricio Ruffy vs. Mateusz Gamrot
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While UFC Freedom 250 was an undeniably entertaining card, it was not without its flaws. One of the main points that can be made against the event is that it featured some pretty one-sided matchups. There's no better example of this than a lightweight clash between Mauricio Ruffy and Michael Chandler.
While Chandler, a former Bellator champ and former UFC title challenger, has been a top lightweight for years, his time at the top is clearly over. Ruffy, meanwhile, is one of the hottest contenders in the division right now, and clearly had the perfect blend of skill and physical tools to dominate Chandler. That's exactly what he did. Early in the first round, the Brazilian had the American veteran literally sprinting away from him in the Octagon in distress. Before the round was even over, he had battered his opponent to a vicious knockout win.
It was certainly one of the biggest wins of Ruffy's career, but given Chandler's clear decline, it's not as valuable as it would have been a few years ago. It's not going to launch him into the lightweight top-5, particularly given his decisive loss to Benoit Saint Denis last September.
From here, we'd like to see Ruffy matched up with No. 8-ranked lightweight contender Mateusz Gamrot. Gamrot, a former KSW champ, has been on the cusp of UFC title contention for years, but hasn't been consistent enough to make it happen so far. At present, however, he's riding a second-round submission win over Esteban Ribovics, which puts him in a similar position to Ruffy. Gamrot, a suffocating grappler, is also just the kind of opponent Ruffy needs to beat if he wants to silence the doubters he picked up in his 2025 loss to another grappler in Saint Denis.
It makes all the sense in the world right now. Run it.
Bo Nickal vs. Israel Adesanya
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It's time to take the training wheels away from Bo Nickal. The decorated collegiate wrestler has benefited from extremely favorable matchmaking since joining the UFC, and that trend continued at the White House, where he knocked out an obviously outmatched Kyle Daucus in a round.
In victory, Nickal is now 2-0 since a tough loss to former ONE champ Reinier de Ridder—the only truly elite fighter he's been matched up with since joining the UFC. While that loss was a major blow to his hype, he's clearly too good to be fighting people way outside the rankings, like Daukus. He's also too big a name to be fighting such low-profile opposition. It's time to change the matchmaking strategy for him completely—whether it works out for him or not.
On that note, we'd like to see Nickal matched up with former UFC middleweight champ Israel Adesanya next. As one of the greatest middleweights ever, Adesanya may seem like a huge step up for the American wrestler. However, the former champ has lost four straight fights, most recently suffering a knockout to another rising American contender, Joe Pyfer. Based on that, his time at the top is clearly over, so the UFC should focus on giving him fun fights to wrap up his career.
A clash with a popular contender like Nickal would be exactly that. It's a fascinating grappler vs. striker clash, and a victory would be extremely valuable for either man—albeit in different ways.
Hats off to veteran MMA reporter James Lynch for suggesting this one. It's a cool idea.
Diego Lopes vs. Yair Rodriguez
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Diego Lopes had a rough first round against Steve Garcia in the UFC Freedom 250 opening bout, but ultimately came through with a violent KO win in the second. After two championship losses to Alexander Volkanovski, the victory won't be enough to set him up for another title shot just yet, but it cemented his status as one of the best fighters in the featherweight division and guarantees he'll get another big-name opponent next time out.
The best option from here is clearly former interim champ Yair Rodriguez. Rodriguez is one of the most exciting fighters in the division, and at his best, one of its most talented. However, he is arguably the most egregious ranking squatter in the UFC right now. For reasons that have never been entirely clear, he almost never fights and, despite that, has managed to hang on to a top-5 ranking for years.
It's time for him to justify his lofty place in the rankings, or lose it altogether. A fight with Lopes would be the perfect opportunity to do that. Not only are the two fighters very close in the rankings, but they also share a tense rivalry as two of the top MMA fighters in Mexico. This one is painfully obvious. Send the offers out to both guys, and if Rodriguez turns it down, it's unfortunately time to bounce him from the top-15.
