If there is one thing the UFC’s first trip to the White House showed us, it’s that the company knows how to put on fights. Between logistical challenges and a weather delay, the production, atmosphere and stunning finishes in all seven fights made for one of the most entertaining shows of the year.
Two new champions, picked by almost no one to win, were crowned as well, possibly changing the trajectories of their careers.
Brett Okamoto, Andreas Hale and Jeff Wagenheim explore those topics and give their top takeaways from UFC Freedom 250.
What a show!
Going into Sunday’s event, there were some who were simply never going to support a UFC Octagon on the lawn of the president’s residence. But those who viewed this event would almost certainly admit it was incredibly well done.
The UFC is up there with any sports league in the world when it comes to delivering a show. The production, storytelling and amount of thought that went into every detail of Sunday evening was meticulous, creative and well executed. The video packages to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States felt genuinely celebratory and non-partisan. The card was well constructed and resulted in a finish in every fight. Even the number of seven fights seemed appropriate. The UFC navigated a weather delay, something it never really has had to do, and professionally executed in a big spot with the world watching.
And I’ll end with this: The fighters who were chosen were unbelievable. There were exponentially more obligations placed on them during this unique fight week. They had a delayed news conference at the Lincoln Memorial on Friday (the evening when they needed to cut weight), more media than usual and heightened security protocols, and then they had to perform inside the Octagon (after another weather delay). The pressure of the entire fight week had to be a lot, and they all made weight and delivered memorable bouts. This was an incredible statement by the athletes who compete in this sport. — Okamoto
‘The Highlight’ adds a new title
“The Highlight” produced his most memorable win yet. In fact, Justin Gaethje might as well shelve that nickname. His new one: “the World Champion.”
The main event result was an upset in ways beyond the betting line, which had Topuria as a 5-to-1 favorite, per DraftKings Sportsbook. The prevailing narrative was that even though Topuria was defending the lightweight title for the first time after reigning at featherweight, he would soon be moving up to welterweight to try for an unprecedented third division title. As for Gaethje, the main question surrounding him was whether he would retire.
Gaethje did not rule out retirement after forcing Topuria’s corner to stop the fight after the fourth round, but based on his performance, he has reason to stick around. Fans surely would love that, and even at 37 years old, the new champ might feel newly invigorated. Although he came into the bout as a two-time interim champion, he had fallen short in two previous attempts to win the undisputed championship. Now he has accomplished that goal, and he did it against an undefeated champ who is No. 2 in the ESPN pound-for-pound rankings.
There were several moments when Gaethje lived up to his old moniker of “The Highlight.” His jabs and uppercuts kept the explosive Topuria at bay and bloodied him up. Gaethje’s overhand right was on target, wobbling Topuria, too. Gaethje did have to persevere through Topuria’s powerful shots at times, but he did so in a way that showed how he has evolved from a brawler into a tactical fighter who attacks smartly. And relentlessly, of course, which is what has made him a fan favorite.
“This sport was made for me,” Gaethje said after the fight. “I’ve shown you why. I’m the most consistent, most exciting guy that’s ever been in this cage.” He will get no argument on that. — Wagenheim
Gane quietly made himself known
Heading into his fight with Alex Pereira, Ciryl Gane had lost only to Francis Ngannou and arguably the greatest mixed martial artist ever, Jon Jones. Gane was coming off an opening round last October in which he gave Tom Aspinall a world of problems with his striking before an eye poke ended the fight in a no-contest. Yet, Gane was treated almost as an afterthought against Pereira, as his quest to become a three-division champion was a leading storyline heading into the fight.
Even Pereira’s walkout overshadowed Gane’s, complete with pyrotechnics and all the pomp and circumstance deserving of a superstar. One thing, though: Gane is not to be disrespected, and the soft-spoken French fighter proved why with his two-round destruction of Pereira.
The best way to beat Gane is with wrestling. Jones deployed his grappling almost immediately to stymie Gane in 2023, while Ngannou had to resort to wrestling to squeeze out a victory when they met in 2022. But if the fight is on the feet, Gane will always have a great chance to win.
Against Pereira, Gane’s abilities were on full display as he eventually knocked out the popular Brazilian fighter to become a two-time interim champion. The obvious fight to make next is a unification bout between Gane and Aspinall. However, Aspinall’s fraying relationship with the UFC makes it far from a foregone conclusion. If there is ever a situation in which Gane is elevated to full champion, his skill set against the rest of the division could mean he holds on to the title for a long time.
As for Pereira, his future is uncertain. He went up to 251 pounds in his bid to become a three-division champion. It almost seems outlandish to think he can move back down to 205 pounds as he approaches his 38th birthday. He’s truly between a rock and a hard place. But maybe he gets in the Octagon with Josh Hokit next in a fight that all of a sudden feels much bigger than it would have been a few weeks ago. — Hale
Sean O’Malley‘s career has a lot to still be written
It struck me as I was watching O’Malley dismantle Aiemann Zahabi that he is only 31. He’ll likely get another fight before his 32nd birthday in October. Not that I thought he was old at all, but I have been guilty of perhaps making some conclusions about his career when there is still a lot of it left. His second loss to Merab Dvalishvili was slightly worse than the first, so maybe it became easier to write off O’Malley in certain matchups and get carried away with the narrative that he can’t grapple. He still has time to improve, and he continues to show he can perform in the biggest spots. This was the biggest platform of his career, and he once again showed the composure and nerves that led to superstardom.
My main point here is that O’Malley is going to continue to get massive fights because of his popularity and track record of showing up in big spots. There’s still a potential matchup against Umar Nurmagomedov in his future. There’s a stylistically beautiful fight against Cory Sandhagen. There’s a grudge match with Petr Yan, who believes the judges robbed him in their first meeting. There’s a potential move to featherweight at some point. And no one knows where the UFC is going to go next. When the promotion went to Sphere, it turned to O’Malley. White House, O’Malley. Something tells me there’s more to come. — Okamoto
