UFC Freedom 250 takeaways: Gaethje cements legacy, Pereira's big question

Justin Gaethje and Ciryl Gane left the White House grounds carrying belts over their shoulders after a thrilling UFC card Sunday night in Washington.

We reflect on UFC Freedom 250 with five key takeaways.

Gaethje cements 1st-ballot HOF career

Gaethje entered UFC Freedom 250 with an impressive 27-5 record, two interim title runs, and a legendary string of bonuses, but one thing was missing from his resume: an undisputed championship.

He long seemed destined to join Tony Ferguson, Dustin Poirier, and others as elite lightweights who never quite made it to the top of the mountain. Gaethje had challenged for the undisputed belt twice before, losing via stoppage to both Khabib Nurmagomedov and Charles Oliveira. Those were excusable defeats - Nurmagomedov finished his career undefeated, and Oliveira was in the middle of an all-time great run.

But given one final opportunity to clear the last hurdle, Gaethje turned in the best performance of his career. He blooded Ilia Topuria early, persevered as Topuria threatened to finish him in the second round, and battered Topuria so badly over the next two rounds that his corner stopped the fight. Gaethje handed Topuria his first loss and, at 37, became the oldest undisputed champion in UFC lightweight history.

Give Gaethje his flowers. Nobody saw this coming when he was lying face down on the canvas after an unbelievable Max Holloway knockout at UFC 300. But he's won three in a row since then and has cemented himself as a first-ballot Hall of Famer, even if he's a step below the Nurmagomedovs, Islam Makhachevs, and BJ Penns of the world.

Who's got next?

Assuming he doesn't retire, here are the UFC's various options for Gaethje's first title defense:

• Arman Tsarukyan: The most logical and deserving contender by a wide margin.
• Charles Oliveira: The reigning BMF is coming off a win over Max Holloway and submitted Gaethje in 2022. He has a case, but he likely needs a couple more wins after losing to Topuria a year ago.
• Conor McGregor: The UFC would love to shoehorn him into a title fight if he can get by Holloway in July.
• Holloway: The Hawaiian would presumably need to string together a few wins before getting another title shot, but the right performance against McGregor could have UFC brass salivating over a Holloway-Gaethje rematch.

Gane-Aspinall 2 even bigger now

It's funny how this sport works. It was three short years ago that Gane froze up against Jon Jones, tapped out in 2:04, and watched his stock sink to an all-time low. Gane faced heavy scrutiny in the aftermath, with observers slamming his grappling deficiency, work ethic, and even his mental fortitude.

Fast-forward a few years and the MMA world is champing at the bit to see the same man resume his rivalry with Tom Aspinall. Gane's stock spiked to an all-time high at the White House after he knocked out Alex Pereira, the fan favorite vying to become the first three-division titleholder in UFC history.

The UFC threw Gane into a title fight with Aspinall last October out of desperation. Every other contender near the top of the weight class had already lost to Aspinall, was coming off a loss to someone else, or was ducking the Englishman (cough, Jones, cough). Gane himself was fresh off a highly controversial win over Alexander Volkov that even UFC CEO Dana White had scored for Volkov.

But none of that matters now. Gane, who only fought three times before signing with the UFC in 2019, appears to be hitting his peak at age 36, and he now has ample experience with 17 pro fights under his belt. He looked great before poking Aspinall's eyeballs in October, and he's got momentum following a knockout of Pereira. The first Gane-Aspinall booking felt like a throwaway title fight; the second one will feel like appointment viewing.

Pereira reaches a crossroads

At 38 years old, Pereira faces a question that could dictate the rest of his career: stay at heavyweight or go back to light heavyweight?

Despite weighing in heavier than Gane, Pereira looked smaller than his French counterpart. He didn't dish out much offense and got put down by a mild puncher (by heavyweight standards).

The most interesting fights for Pereira going forward are still at heavyweight. Josh Hokit, who rolled through Derrick Lewis earlier Sunday, has spent months planting the seeds of a high-profile rivalry. Aspinall is a potential marquee opponent in a championship setting or otherwise. Power hitter Sergei Pavlovich, perennial contender Curtis Blaydes, and decorated prospect Gable Steveson are all intriguing names down the line.

On the other hand, Pereira's best chance to become a champion again is at light heavyweight. He could walk back into a title shot versus Carlos Ulberg and would likely enter as the favorite.

There isn't a whole lot else for him at 205 pounds, though. Pereira has defeated the top five contenders under Ulberg. Paulo Costa, Reinier de Ridder, and Robert Whittaker have moved into the division, but none of those matchups feel like blockbusters. Former middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev could make his way over at some point, but waiting on him can be futile.

In Pereira's postfight interview, he was noncommittal about what he'll do next, and you can understand why. He's got plenty to think about.

White House success should keep UFC thinking big

UFC Freedom 250 provided some of the coolest sights and sounds the combat sports world has ever produced. The crisp outdoors offered a beautiful change of scenery, the United States Marine Band elevated fighter walkouts, and the White House served as a glorious backdrop as fighters competed on the South Lawn.

That got me thinking: Where else in the world could the UFC stage events? How about in front of the Roman Colosseum, where ancient gladiators used to fight? What about Panathenaic Stadium in Greece, the site of the inaugural Olympics? Oleksandr Usyk and Rico Verhoeven recently boxed outside the Giza pyramids in Egypt; the UFC could follow suit.

White said he'll never do another show at the White House or Sphere Las Vegas because of production costs, but he and his staff have shown time and time again that they can come up with unique event concepts and knock them out of the park. They should remain ambitious.