Matchmaking After UFC Freedom 250

Sportz Nation Staff
2 hours ago
10 min read

by Zak Drapeau and Matt Hylen

Sportz Nation

Photo Credits to Chris Unger via Zuffa LLC

Justin Gaethje vs

Arman Tsarukyan

Zak Drapeau -

Captain America Justin Gaethje just had what some fans would honestly call, the greatest moment in UFC history. One of the most beloved and exciting fighters in UFC history finally became Undisputed Champion after putting on one of the overall best fights of the year and maybe in UFC history.

Gaethje’s moment and era of UFC Champion is already legendary only 2 days into it but as us UFC nerds will do, let’s overlook that and try to see into the future. With many options of what to do next including a possible retirement, I think he will go for at least one more pay day for a fight with Arman Tsarukyan. While a rematch with Ilia Topuria is definitely in play, I don’t know what Topuria’s timetable will be to return and with Tsarukyan already over a year in waiting for his title shot, the time is now. With Gaethje turning 38 in the fall, this may be his final battle in the Octagon but if I had to guess, a win in this hypothetical fight brings about a rematch with Topuria in 2027, the likes of which’s pay day may be too massive for Gaethje to turn down.

Ilia Topuria vs

CHAMPION After Layoff

Matt Hylen -

Never did I expect to be writing this for Ilia Topuria after a fight against Justin Gaethje, but here we are.

To put it simply, Topuria got completely destroyed. Justin Gaethje came in with the perfect game plan and weathered the Topuria storm until Topuria couldn't weather his. Ilia's cockiness finally caught up to him, and it gave him pretty much the worst result imaginable. His face was almost unrecognizable by the end of round 2. As a result of the beating he took, my expectation is that we don't see Topuria for at least a year. Since the lightweight division will be active in that span, it is hard to predict who will be a champion by the time Topuria returns.

With that said, what Topuria has accomplished in his career thus far should absolutely warrant him a title fight when he is ready to come back. Oftentimes, young fighters who think they are invincible and lose come back with a fresh mindset, making them even stronger and more dangerous than before. I expect Topuria to follow suit; he is not naive, he understands the fight game. So, whenever he returns, I believe a new and improved Topuria will hit the octagon, with this loss being the best thing that could have happened in his career.

Ciryl Gane vs

Tom Aspinall

Zak Drapeau -

Ciryl Gane may be 36-years old but it really seems like he keeps getting better every time I see him. While a lot can be made about Pereira’s Heavyweight debut and how he looked uncomfortable and maybe a bit sluggish, there’s no question Gane looked sharp and his striking is elite.

As the new interim champion, the obvious next move is to book him against Aspinall again after their infamous encounter 8 months ago ended in the champ’s eye injury in a no contest. Another VERY interesting claim was from Gane himself after beating Poatan, where he threw out the challenge for UFC Paris, which is scheduled for September 5th of this year. If Gane looks as good or better on that day as he did this weekend, we are in for FIREWORKS for the Heavyweight championship.

Alex Pereira vs

Waldo Cortes-Acosta

Matt Hylen -

Another shocking result on this card that I was not expecting. Alex Pereira looked extremely uncomfortable at heavyweight, with the shot that knocked him down not even being that hard of a punch. Alex dared to be great and took a risk that no one had ever done before, but came up just short.

So, like his entrance into light heavyweight, Pereira will need a fight down to attempt to get him back on track and in the win column within the division. My expectation is that he sticks at heavyweight, so a guy like Waldo Cortes-Acosta makes sense to me. Sure, I could see Josh Hokit getting his wish and matching up with Pereira, but I think Pereira has to prove that he can fight at a high level at heavyweight first.

Cortes-Acosta is also coming off a loss to a top-ranked contender, putting him in the exact same position as Pereira within the division. A win could propel that fighter right back into a title eliminator, with the loser out of the title picture for now. Ultimately, it creates a clearer picture at the top of the heavyweight division while still giving Pereira a very good challenge.

Sean O'Malley vs

WINNER of Yan/Davlishvili 3

Zak Drapeau -

If anyone has ever asked, "How good is Sean O'Malley really?", just show them that fight last weekend. Everything that O'Malley is about was on full display, mainly weathering a lot of damage against a fighter with a completely different fighting style just to absolutely piece them up and put their lights out. I kind of disagree with Matt in that I thought Zahabi was executing his gameplan beautifully but obviously couldn't do so for long and on his back he went from one of the best strikers in the game.

This is in some ways VERY HYPOTHETICAL because the Yan-Dvalishvili trilogy has not yet been announced due to Yan taking an extended layoff to rehab injuries but is strongly expected to be booked by the end of 2026.

The Bantamweight division is tough and there are a LOT of contenders both in the Top-5 and on their way up but none of them are the Suga Show. A rematch between O'Malley and Yan is DEFINITELY what the people want to see but even if Merab takes their trilogy fight, I expect O'Malley to get his 3rd shot at Dvalishvili based on his draw ability alone, not to mention his streak against Yadong and now Zahabi.

Aiemann Zahabi vs

Payton Talbott

Matt Hylen -

Aiemann Zahabi looked basically exactly how I thought he would look. His inferior striking combined with the reach advantage Sean O'Malley had with his arms and legs proved to be way too much for Zahabi to get anything other than leg kicks going. He was simply ineffective in this one.

Zahabi's loss will likely warrant a fight down next. Due to his age of 38, I think throwing a ranked prospect like Payton Talbott could be a very interesting matchup. Talbott has improved with each fight, but will need an experienced veteran in order to propel himself into top-ranked contention. This also gives Zahabi a chance to prove he is more than just a gatekeeper in this division and still has some gas left in the tank. It is a stylistic clash of striking that I think could main card a numbered event or even co-main a fight night.

Josh Hokit vs

Alexander Volkov

Zak Drapeau -

JOSH HOKIT IS THE MAN!

Sorry I know how cringe that is and to be honest I'm not a fan of this guy's antics either but I am warming up to him based on his ability in the cage alone. Hokit is the Heavyweight-Colby Covington and like Covington, I think will get his time with the title. I originally believed, (and still somewhat do) that he would just wait until Aspinall-Gane was over with in September and fight the winner in early-to-mid 2027 as the next title challenger. But, I also think this guy wants to stay relevant and make more money in the mean time so a title eliminator makes the most sense, and Alexander Volkov is the clear other number one contender in my book.

A fight between Hokit and Volkov will have one of the biggest size differences in UFC history in favor of the Russian. Hokit will have to use his quickness and grappling against a guy who's very well-rounded and has over 5 times the MMA fights that he does. Here's the crazy part... Hokit can probably do it. I think a HUGE factor in this potential fight would be the length, as a 3-round fight favors Hokit but a 5-round fight DEFINITELY favors Volkov.

Derrick Lewis vs

Mario Pinto

Matt Hylen -

If I were Derrick Lewis, after the performance he put on at the White House, I would retire as soon as possible. This is the second straight fight in which he got hassled within the first two minutes and gave up after being taken down. For someone who is over 40 and considered a legend in the sport already, retiring before things get more embarrassing than they already are is likely the best option for Lewis.

With that said, we have yet to hear rumors of retirement out of Lewis' camp, so should he stay in the UFC, a fight against an unranked prospect makes the most sense to me. Sure, he has enough name value to get another ranked up-and-comer, but the UFC needs to start giving these unranked prospects opportunities against ranked gatekeepers like Lewis.

With Mario Pinto being one of those unranked prospects, a matchup with him and Lewis makes a ton of sense to me. It gives Pinto the chance to get the type of finish people are waiting for, while giving Lewis a severe step down in opponent to see if he can salvage whatever is left in his career.

Mauricio Ruffy vs

Mateusz Gamrot

Zak Drapeau -

Ruffy is in a tough spot because WOW that was a hell of a performance last weekend... but it was against Michael Chandler who let's face it hasn't been elite since he got knocked out by Charles Oliveira in 2021. Not to mention he lost to Saint Denis less than a year ago. All that being said, I do believe he has a future as at least a Top-5 guy at Lightweight but for now, I think Gamrot is the right next opponent for him.

Not a huge jump to a Top-5 guy but someone within 1 spot in the rankings of him that is definitely more of a challenge. Ruffy is on the cusp of being ready to be pushed hard in this division and a win over a seasoned warrior like Gamrot gets him there while also seeing if the Gamer still has what it takes to make a push himself.

Michael Chandler vs

WINNER of King Green/Terrence McKinney

Matt Hylen -

I thought I could manifest a Michael Chandler win for his fans, but it only ended up in him becoming the lightweight version of Tai Tuivasa. Like Derrick Lewis, Chandler should absolutely retire after this fight. He made it to the pinnacle of UFC events, which is all he is probably going to accomplish at this point in his career.

Again, like Lewis, no rumors have flown about Chandler retiring, so I think he is going to need an unranked opponent next. With the winner of King Green and Terrence McKinney likely coming off a finish, getting them a ranked opportunity with someone who still has some name value could be exactly what the UFC needs to get this lightweight division moving at the bottom of the rankings.

Bo Nickal vs

Israel Adesanya

Zak Drapeau -

I've been waiting to make this fight and to me is almost one of the hypothetical matchups I'd be most excited for. This fight checks every single box the UFC could hope for... Nickal getting a high-level ranked opponent next. Izzy getting a non-ranked but up and comer. An exciting fight between two fighters with name value to Main event a Fight Night or even Co-Main a PPV. Plus this is a fight where either guy could win, (I've said that exact line about Izzy for 3 fights in a row now but I really believe it again.

Nickal looked pretty good in that fight this weekend but it's time for him to start facing the best of the division; the UFC can't keep giving him lower guys to give him time to improve his striking. So why not give him a shot against one of the best strikers in UFC history who's on the decline and is VERY chinny. Izzy will be a terrific test for how far Nickal's striking has come while also being able to show off his wrestling when he wants to.

Everything about this fight I'm down for, including the coming out party for Nickal, and in all likelihood the retirement of a bonafide 1st ballot Hall of Famer in Adesanya.

Kyle Daukaus vs

Jacob Malkoun

Matt Hylen -

Kyle Daukaus was unfortunately outgunned and outclassed in his fight against Bo Nickel. He couldn't get anything going on the feet, making him basically a punching bag until he was TKO'd.

With Daukaus still likely considered to be just outside the rankings, giving him a guy like Jacob Malkoun could make sense. Malkoun is in need of a dominant finish if he wants a ranked opponent, with Malkoun also being the type of win Daukaus will need if he wants another chance at a ranked eliminator fight in the future. Daukaus still has some talent; he just needs to prove he can beat a grappler with striking ability before the UFC can move him in the upward direction again.

Diego Lopes vs

Aljamain Sterling

Zak Drapeau -

I'm not sure if i'm the only one who saw this but I think Lopes and maybe even Garcia were heavily affected by the weather and conditions surrounding the event. Lopes looked out of sorts in the first round and not acclimated like he has been early in fights in the past and actually dropped the 1st round to Garcia. Maybe it's just his strategy now after 2, 5-round wars with Volkanovski but either way, after a sluggish start he came out with FIRE in the 2nd.

We all knew Lopes had hands and that this was a tough step up for Steve Garcia but the former title challenger staked his claim and then some to remain among the division's elite. So next up is Aljamain for him and the way this division is stacked up there's almost no other place to put him. While this fight is likely an eliminator for Sterling, I have to say I believe Lopes will have to win another after this to get a title shot as long as Volk is champion. Maybe Murphy or Jean Silva leapfrogs him or maybe Evloev wins and we get a 2nd fight between the Russian and Aussie, but either way after two championship losses, Lopes started his quest for another shot well but there's still a long road ahead of him.

Steve Garcia vs

Aaron Pico

Matt Hylen -

Steve Garcia looked great until he didn't, meaning his game plan was working very nicely until he decided it would be a good idea to trade blows with a guy in Diego Lopes, who thrives in that kind of chaos.

I still think Garcia has some potential in the UFC, but he will need to prove he can handle heavy hitters before getting a chance like he did at the White House again. Aaron Pico is a seasoned veteran who has already fought two very solid opponents in the UFC, which can give Garcia the opponent he needs to remind the world of his talent and skill on the feet. This fight would give the winner a chance of a top-10 opponent next, but the loser a fight most likely with a guy outside the rankings.