What might go down as the most unique event ever put on by the Ultimate Fighting Championship took place on Sunday. UFC Freedom 250 offered a seven-fight card on the south lawn of the White House, where all fights ended via KO, capped off by a retirement in the main event. Justin Gaethje and Ciryl Gane upset the fan-favourites while Sean O’Malley, Josh Hokit, Mauricio Ruffy, Bo Nickal and Diego Lopes all knocked out their opponents, as they were expected to. With this one-off event now behind us, let’s look at what’s next for those who had their hand raised.
Justin Gaethje
What can you say about “The Highlight”? This will not be remembered as the biggest upset in UFC title fight history when it comes to the odds, but circumstances-wise, this has to be, at worst, top 5. The aura of invincibility that Ilia Topuria had coming in was akin to something like Thanos having every infinity stones and calling himself “inevitable.” I’m not sure we’ve someone who looked this unbeatable get dominated so badly since Ronda Rousey getting head kicked by Holly Holm. The delta between Topuria’s image before and after the fight is almost incomprehensible and truly a testament to Gaethje as an all-time great war horse.
As for what’s next, we will see whether or not the UFC will give Arman Tsarukyan the shot. But as far who is the most deserving, this isn’t even worth debating. Let’s just get it over with.
Gaethje’s next fight: Arman Tsarukyan
Ciryl Gane
Say what you will about Ciryl Gane’s seemingly infinite title shots, but there’s no doubt he made the most out of this one. He was widely considered undeserving of the shot against Aspinall, but it’s the fact he was winning that fight until the eye poke that got him this interim shot against legend and fan-favourite Alex Pereira. It used to be that Gane would be flustered under the bright lights, but not this time. He got it done and left no doubt, knocking out “Poatan” and punching his ticket for a rematch with the Englishman.
Gane’s next fight: Tom Aspinall
Sean O’Malley
After dropping back-to-back title fights to Merab Dvalishvili, it was unclear how Sean O’Malley’s confidence had been shaken up. It may not have been the most convincing victory of his career, but he did get the job done against Song Yadong in January. However, this walk-off KO paired with the celebration was vintage “Suga” Sean. It seems like the Petr Yan and Dvalishvili trilogy is on its way, but if it isn’t, then a Yan/O’Malley rematch practically books itself.
O’Malley’s next fight: Title shot
Josh Hokit
This fight didn’t deliver like the Curtis Blaydes one, but perhaps those expectations were unfair. At the very least, Hokit kept his undefeated record and earned himself another finish, as sloppy as this one may have been. His best hope is that Tom Aspinall will be out for a much longer time, to the point that they will either strip him or have Gane defend his interim belt. That would open up the door to Hokit fighting for a title. Until that happens, I don’t think anybody’s more deserving of yet another number one contender bout than Alexander Volkov.
Hokit’s next fight: Alexander Volkov
Mauricio Ruffy
Mauricio Ruffy was the biggest betting favourite on the card and he fought like it. He made short and easy work of Michael Chandler, picking him apart for the entire opening round on his way to a knockout win. If the UFC is looking to throw another older lightweight at Ruffy, they could definitely do worse than Dan Hooker. “The Hangman” is always looking to stand and bang and Ruffy would certainly oblige. However, if Max Holloway dispatches of Conor McGregor next month in the way that I believe he will, I would love to see the striking matchup between those two.
Ruffy’s next fight: Holloway/McGregor winner
Bo Nickal
While this was probably the least interesting bout on the card in terms of stakes, it was a great indicator of how the UFC still sees potential in Bo Nickal, even post-de Ridder loss. Kyle Daukaus had looked very good since getting cut and then coming back to the UFC and Nickal knocked out using his boxing, which must have been an encouraging sign. I still think the UFC should use a slower approach with him and match him up against more known, yet beatable names. I thought of the winner of Shara Magomedov vs Michel Pereira, but instead went with Edmen Shahbazyan, who fits that description to a tee.
Nickal’s next fight: Edmen Shahbazyan
Diego Lopes
After a relatively quiet first round by Diego Lopes and Steve Garcia’s standards, they both started to open up in the second and the Brazilian’s durability and power got him the edge. After a poor showing in the Volkanovski rematch, Lopes needed a good rebound performance. Ending Garcia’s seven-fight win streak via finish on a stage like this one will go a long way to restore his image. Knowing the bad blood between he and Yair Rodriguez, this fight is long overdue to main event a Fight Night card in Mexico or Brazil.
Lopes’ next fight: Yair Rodriguez
