Gaethje Shocks Topuria, Gane Stops Pereira at UFC Freedom 250
The historic UFC Freedom 250 card delivered memorable moments from top to bottom, but the biggest story of the night belonged to Justin Gaethje. On a night celebrating America’s 250th birthday, the American action hero authored one of the biggest upsets in recent UFC history, dethroning the previously unbeaten Ilia Topuria to become the undisputed UFC Lightweight Champion.
Gaethje established himself early, landing heavy punches that opened a cut beneath Topuria’s right eye while also testing the champion’s renowned chin. Topuria responded in the second round with a devastating body attack. A crushing left hook to the liver sent Gaethje to the canvas, and the Spaniard quickly advanced to mount position where he threatened with several submission attempts.
The momentum swung again in the third round. Gaethje found a home for his thunderous right hand, opening a deep laceration under Topuria’s left eye and creating significant swelling around the champion’s face. The damage became so severe that cageside physicians appeared to seriously consider stopping the contest.
As the fight entered the championship rounds, it seemed the doctor’s decision to allow the bout to continue had been justified. Topuria battled back and appeared to be regaining control. However, as he had throughout the fight, Gaethje found his right hand at the perfect moment. A crushing knee to the body drained the remaining energy from the champion. Seeing their fighter unable to continue effectively, Topuria’s corner waved off the contest. The victory capped one of the most exciting careers in UFC history and added another unforgettable chapter to Gaethje’s legacy.
In the co-main event, Ciryl Gane became a two-time interim UFC Heavyweight Champion with a second-round TKO victory over former two-division champion Alex Pereira.
The natural heavyweight used his speed and athleticism to neutralize Pereira’s forward pressure. Gane repeatedly beat Pereira to the punch with fast combinations and sharp leg kicks. Whenever Pereira attempted to close the distance, Gane met him with stiff jabs and accurate counters.
The Frenchman hurt Pereira late in the opening round and continued his assault on the ground with a barrage of punches and elbows. Pereira attempted to survive by wrestling and tying up his opponent, but Gane consistently created separation and continued landing damaging strikes. By the second round, Pereira was visibly compromised. Gane eventually closed the show with a pair of lunging hooks that forced the referee to intervene.
Former UFC Bantamweight Champion Sean “Suga” O’Malley returned to the win column in dramatic fashion with a second-round knockout victory over Aiemann Zahabi.
Zahabi found success early with a relentless leg-kick attack, landing approximately 25 kicks that compromised O’Malley’s movement. The former champion remained composed, however, using his jab to bloody Zahabi’s nose and establish his range. In the second round, O’Malley’s precision striking took over. A straight left stunned Zahabi before a perfectly placed right hand sent the Canadian crashing to the canvas. The referee immediately stepped in, and O’Malley celebrated with a salute to the crowd.
Love him or hate him, Josh Hokit has quickly become one of the most talked-about contenders in the UFC heavyweight division.
Just six weeks removed from his thrilling battle with Curtis Blaydes, the outspoken former San Francisco 49ers fullback delivered another statement performance, this time against the division’s all-time knockout leader Derrick Lewis. Hokit attacked Lewis’ lead leg early before securing takedowns and controlling the action. In the second round, quick jab-cross combinations steadily wore down Lewis. A crushing right hand opened the door for a series of left hooks, and ground-and-pound strikes eventually forced the stoppage. With his confidence on the microphone matching his danger inside the Octagon, Hokit appears to be on the verge of a title opportunity.
Mauricio Ruffy continued his rise through the lightweight ranks, earning his second consecutive victory since relocating his training camp from Brazil to Australia.
Entering the fight as one of the biggest betting favorites on the card, Ruffy performed exactly as expected against former Bellator champion Michael Chandler. He used a sharp jab to halt Chandler’s pressure and bloodied his nose early. From there, Ruffy unleashed an arsenal of dynamic wheel kicks and hook kicks while mixing in damaging attacks to the body. Another spinning attack bounced Chandler off the fence, and four measured right hands ultimately brought the fight to an end.
Bo Nickal recorded another knockout victory as one of the most highly touted prospects in UFC history continued his evolution into a complete mixed martial artist.
Nickal dominated Kyle Daukaus from the opening moments, quickly securing top position and inflicting damage from inside the guard. A vicious elbow opened a cut over Daukaus’ left eye. Following a referee stand-up, Nickal wasted little time finishing the fight. A powerful right hook dropped Daukaus, and a series of unanswered elbows on the ground forced the referee to halt the contest.
Diego Lopes reminded everyone why he remains one of the elite featherweights in the UFC with an impressive knockout victory over Steve Garcia.
Garcia started aggressively, utilizing jabs and low kicks to keep Lopes at range. The Brazilian changed the complexion of the fight in the second round, throwing caution aside and engaging in a firefight. Lopes connected with a devastating right hook-left hook combination that sent Garcia crashing to the canvas. Follow-up strikes on the ground secured the knockout and reestablished Lopes as a serious threat in the featherweight division.
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