UFC Fight Night Fallout: Best Options for Gaethje, Topuria, Gane

Athletes competing at UFC Freedom 250 had the impossible challenge of living up to the scale of the scenery. Yet, under the bright lights of the White House South Lawn, they managed to deliver a card worthy of the occasion.

Every fight ended in a knockout or TKO, a statement that only scratches the surface of Sunday's headlines. Justin Gaethje did the unthinkable, forcing Ilia Topuria to retire on the stool  in a fight many believed would be Gaethje's retirement. Earlier, Ciryl Gane stamped out Alex Pereira's plans to become the first three-division UFC champion. It was a night overflowing with spectacle and surprises.

The biggest stage in UFC history sets the stage for what comes next. In the aftermath of UFC Freedom 250, let's explore the best fights to make for Sunday's winners and losers.

UFC White House results, takeaways: Justin Gaethje makes history, Ciryl Gane makes statement at Freedom 250 Brent Brookhouse

Lightweight

Justin Gaethje vs. Charles Oliveira :  Booking an immediate rematch makes so much sense for the box office. Sunday's headliners turned in a Fight of the Year frontrunner in an incredibly competitive match. However, I don't like rewarding quick rematches to former champions with zero title defenses. Gaethje previously mentioned a desire to go on a revenge tour. Oliveira, a former lightweight and reigning BMF champion, is right there for a title shot after beating Max Holloway . Brace yourself for what I'm about to say next. At the expense of meritocracy, there's a world in which Conor McGregor gets the title shot if he upsets Max Holloway at UFC 329.

Ilia Topuria vs. Benoit Saint Denis or Paddy Pimblett : You'll notice I've omitted Arman Tsarukyan thus far. That is meant with no disrespect to the Armenian, whom I believe has been the most deserving title challenger for two years. Unfortunately, I've lost confidence that he'll get his crack anytime soon. While that finally creates space to book Topuria vs. Tsarukyan, I fear Topuria will need too much time to recover from Sunday. Tsarukyan needs to look elsewhere for a quick fight. Next month, Saint Denis and Pimblett fight in the co-main event of UFC 329. Booking Topuria vs. the winner is simple, effective matchmaking, especially if it finally delivers the grudge match between Topuria and Pimblett.

Mauricio Ruffy vs. Charles Oliveira:  The lightweight division is crowded. Topuria wants Makhachev, Tsarukyan deserves a title shot, plus there's Conor McGregor, Max Holloway, Paddy Pimblett and Benoit Saint Denis all fighting at UFC 329. Oliveira is still one of the best in the division, but he won't get a rematch while Topuria is champion. Why not give Ruffy the chance to prove himself against the very best?

Michael Chandler vs. Beneil Dariush : I'm not keen to see Chandler or Dariush fed young lions like Tom Nolan . Both veterans are in terrible shape, but have lingering name value. The best direction is to put them against each other. It's not a fight that does much for either man's standing, but one that can pad out any main card. Plus, the winner has some momentum with which to carry into another name fight, or a more sellable bout with an up-and-comer.

Heavyweight

Ciryl Gane vs. Josh Hokit or Tom Aspinall :  Aspinall vs. Gane 2 is the fight to make, no doubt about it. However, I'm not confident we'll see Aspinall amid his contract disputes with the promotion. One can argue that Gane winning might help things because the division doesn't have Pereira as a marketable champion to help move away from Aspinall. If Aspinall doesn't come back, Hokit will probably leapfrog a more deserving contender in Alexander Volkov . I hate to say it, but people don't care about Volkov, even though many believe the judges robbed him in his second fight with Gane.

Derrick Lewis vs. Ante Delija or Johnny Walker : Candidly, I'm content if Lewis retires. The KO record leader has nothing left to prove. He's accomplished feats never seen and built a loyal audience as one of MMA's most authentic personalities. If Lewis, 40, insists on fighting, there are options for him on the lower end of the heavyweight rankings. Delija welcomes Walker to heavyweight on Aug. 1. The winner hovers just underneath Lewis on the heavyweight ladder. Lewis vs. Walker is a particularly bizarre fight capitalizing on their name value.

Light Heavyweight

Alex Pereira vs. Carlos Ulberg :  Pereira's heavyweight experiment was a bust. He can beat middling heavyweights, but the elite have too much raw power for the former middleweight champion. Light heavyweight always fit him best. Ulberg needs a challenger when he returns from his knee injury, and no one stands out as undeniable. "Poatan" should pick up right where he left off and run the 205-pound division until the wheels fall off.

Other fights to make after UFC Freedom 250

- Sean O'Malley vs. Petr Yan or Cory Sandhagen : O'Malley has re-established himself by beating two rising contenders. If Yan beats Merab Dvalishvili in their rumored trilogy, give O'Malley the rematch. If not, a fight with Sandhagen is long overdue. - Aiemann Zahabi vs. Mario Bautista : Zahabi's effective but one-dimensional strategy eventually cost him. He's still highly ranked. Pairing him with Bautista after the latter's upcoming fight with Sandhagen seems suitable. - Bo Nickal vs. Jared Cannonier or Christian Leroy Duncan : Nickal deserves a slow escalation into the rankings. Cannonier and Leroy Duncan fight next month. Both men possess experience and striking skills. Adesanya works too. - Kyle Daukaus vs. Edmen Shahbazyan : Two fighters with a knack for overcoming adversity. Heading into 2026, Daukaus and Shahbazyan erased terrible losing streaks. Now they need to bounce back again. - Diego Lopes vs. Lerone Murphy : Lopes is locked out of the title scene while Alexander Volkanovski is champion. You must be careful to keep Lopes from killing off contenders. To that end, Murphy is a safe bet. - Steve Garcia vs. Doo Ho Choi: Need I say more? This fight has action written all over it. "The Korean Superboy" deserves a crack at the top 15, and Garcia needs a chance to rebuild momentum.

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_Originally reported by [CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/ufc/news/ufc-freedom-250-fight-fallout-justin-gaethje-ilia-topuria-ciryl-gane-alex-pereira-next-fight/)._