The UFC just got done with one of the biggest and most highly anticipated fight cards of all time at the White House, and the aftermath of the fights themselves leaves a lot of questions about future champions, careers, and everything in between. Almost every fighter on the night either cemented themselves as champion or put themselves right back into contention. Here is what could be next for all winners and starts if UFC Freedom 250.
Diego Lopes
Diego Lopes once again put on another highlight performance with his round two knockout of Steve Garcia. In typical Lopes fashion, it was a back-and-forth battle between the two, and Lopes even took some decent hits himself, but his power and striking once again led him to victory as he cracked Garcia with a massive left hook that wobbled Garcia, to which Lopes would start exchanging wildly in the pocket before knocking him down for good and finishing the fight with big ground and pound strikes. Lopes proved once again that he belongs at the top of the featherweight division, but he is in a tough position.
Although he remains in the top three rankings, he will not be getting a title shot soon, as he has fought the current champion, Alexander Volkanovski, twice already and lost decisively. The next in line for the belt is Movsar Evloev, but right behind him is Lerone Murphy, who just lost to Evloev and is the number three ranked featherweight. This is the fight to make TP see who truly belongs in the championship setting in the division. These two have also never fought before, which makes it even more compelling.
Bo Nickel
Bo Nickel continues to improve every fight and has looked night and day different from his loss to Rainier De Ridder just a few fights ago. He is one of the best wrestlers in the sport, but he hasn’t needed to use that skill set because he has been finishing fights on the feet. He only needed one round to put away Kyle Daukas, and he barely broke a sweat. His striking and kicks especially looked good, which is exactly what ended the fight. He landed a big front kick followed by a straight left hand and hook combo to sit Daukas down and end the fight. He continues to rise through the ranks of the middleweight division and will be looking at a top 15 opponent soon as he attempts to climb his way to a title run.
Mauricio Ruffy
Mauricio Ruffy is one of the most exciting and talented prospects in the lightweight division, as he put on another show against Michael Chandler for the first-round stoppage. His striking is something special to watch, and the way he combines his arsenal and distance management is tough for anyone to go up against. He was landing spinning wheel kicks, big combinations, and constantly mixing up the attacks to keep Chandler guessing. Ruffy landed a spinning kick clean on Chandler that rocked him and followed up with big, precise shots to put Chandler away.
Ruffy is a force to be reckoned with in the division, and there are options at play for what his future holds. Someone like Renato Moicano would be a great test for him due to Moicano’s elite grappling to see if Ruffy can handle himself on the ground. Also, fighters like Dan Hooker or the loser of Paddy Pimblet and Benoit St Dennis could also be interesting matchups, although Ruffy had already lost to Saint Dennis, but he is much improved since then. Nonetheless, Ruffy will be around for a long time in the division and has already left his mark, with a lot more to come.
Josh Hokit
Josh Hokit continues to be one of the most controversial fighters in the sport, but the one thing that no one can deny is that he can fight. His domination over Derrick Lewis, who has been one of the most feared heavyweights due to his knockout power, proved that he belongs at the top of the heavyweight rankings. He has already beat high ranking heavyweights in just a few fights in his tenure at the company, and his performances have shot him to the top.
There are some matchups out there that are favorable for Hokit, such as Waldo Cortes Acosta or Sergei Pavlovich, who are two knockout artists who have been at the top of the division for a while. Wins over these two would for sure put him in line for a title shot. There is also a possibility of Alex Pereira, who just lost the heavyweight interim belt and has had problems with Hokit in the past, which would be a big sell due to the personalities of the two. Hokit has many options at his disposal at the moment, but only one thing on his mind, and that is the belt.
Sean O’Malley
The Suga Show is back and looks better than ever after his round two knockout of Aiemann Zahabi. His striking continues to be next level in the division, and the accuracy of his punches gets him another highlight victory, with this one being a walk-off to end it in signature O’Malley style. Sean has his eyes set on a Petr Yan rematch for the belt, and considering how controversial their first fight was, it looks like that very well could happen in the near future. The only problem that stands in his way is Merab Dvalishvili, who has already dominated O’Malley twice, and in all likelihood, Merab is getting the rematch first and will have Sean waiting for the fallout. Sean is willing to wait, though as are the fans, but one thing is for sure, O’Malley is one of the best bantamweights in the world.
Cyril Gane
Cyril Gane is a unicorn in the heavyweight division, and he proved it once again. He is so fast and gifted at striking for someone his size, and fans have never seen a heavyweight move like this before. He dominated Alex Pereira on the feet, which not many men have done, and he made it look easy. His striking looked as good as ever, and he won his second interim belt with a rematch against Tom Aspinall looming after their no-contest bout late last year. Aspinall has already said he is good to go, so that seems like the fight that will happen, but lurking in the shadows is Jon Jones as well, who might not be done after all. Jones already stunningly beat Gane back in 2023 and made it look too easy for someone of Gane’s skill. Jones might come back, or he might not, but for now, Aspinall is next up in a highly anticipated rematch.
Alex Pereira
Alex Pereira has already cemented his legacy as one of the greatest fighters in UFC history, and while he fell short of his goal to be the first three-division champ, he will be back and fighting at the top of the heavyweight class. With his loss to Cyril Gane, there are many options he can now pursue in the division, and it will likely be the top of the division, as Pereira is too big a star to fight up-and-comers or prospects. An easy sell will be Josh Hokit, who is currently the #5-ranked heavyweight and has had issues with Pereira in the past. Another option is Sergei Pavlovich or Waldo Cortes Acosta, who are at the top of the division as well. Unfortunately for Pereira, his plans to fight Jon Jones have been put on hold until he secures the heavyweight title. Until then, though, it will be great to see who he will fight in a new division as he continues to cement his legacy.
Ilia Topuria
Ilia Topuria was thought to be unbeatable and one of the best fighters ever to grace the sport, and that may still be true, but Justin Gaethje gave him his first loss in MMA and proved that no one is untouchable in MMA. It was one of the biggest upsets in MMA, and there are a lot of questions as to where he goes from here. A rematch could very well be in the cards as Ilia’s championship run through two weight classes is deserving of an immediate chance for the belt again, but there are a couple of fighters who will make things interesting. Arman Tsarukyan is the number one contender at the moment and has proved he is ready for the belt and is just awaiting an opportunity.
It also depends on what Ilia wants to do because he has talked in the past about moving up to welterweight, but barring this loss, in which he was smashed and couldn’t continue the fight, he might remain in lightweight with unfinished business. The final option at play is the outcome of Conor McGregor and Max Holloway, who are set to fight on July 11th. A fight between McGregor and Topuria is a dream fight that could be one of the biggest MMA fights ever. This is, of course, assuming McGregor wins, but if he does, that fight is on the table, and every MMA fan will be watching. Fans will see in the months to come what is next for Topuria, who will be out for a while recovering from his injuries from his fight with Gaethje.
Justin Gaethje
Justin Gaethje just cemented his legacy and achieved his lifelong goal of being the undisputed lightweight champion after spending most of his career in or around the belt with his win over Ilia Topuria. This was by far his best win, and it wasn’t only who he beat but how he did it. He executed a flawless game plan that all started with his jab that broke Ilia Topuria’s orbital bone and blinded him in the first round. Justin was almost finished in the second round, as Topuria teed off on him against the cage and dropped him with a body shot. Gaethje grappled while on the ground and survived the round and recovered well.
From there, he began to dominate Topuria with powerful overhands, uppercuts, and, of course, the jab. He knocked Ilia down in the third and continued to beat him down. The fight was almost stopped at the end of the third, but the referees and doctors let him continue. He was self-admittedly blind in both eyes by this point, and Gaethje showed no mercy. A brutal fourth round went by, which capped off with a horrific knee to the body from Gaethje that sounded like something in Topuria broke. Topuria could not continue after the round, and his team called the fight.
The division is in Gaethje’s hands right now, and the fans will wait to see what happens. If Gaethje retired today, no one would blame him, as he finally got the belt while beating down one of the greatest fighters of this generation. A rematch with Topuria is likely, but there are also fighters like Arman Tsarukyan whom he has never faced that would be a great matchup. Also, a rematch against Charles Oliveira, who has found himself back in title conversations. Gaethje has a lot of power in the lightweight division, and it’s now up to the matchmakers to decide what the champ will do next.
