What's next for new and former champs after UFC Wh...
Key takeaways
- As soon as UFC CEO Dana White left the White House grounds after UFC Freedom 250 on Sunday night, he was being asked: "What's next?" Would there be more outdoor, spectacle events like this in the future?
- Justin Gaethje is a first-time lightweight division champion at 37 years old after forcing formerly undefeated titleholder Ilia Topuria to retire on his stool after four rounds of nonstop action.
- Who should be next: Retirement Listen, as much as I love watching Gaethje fight, this is the best time for him to call it a career.
Why this matters: a sports story that could shift standings, legacies, or fan conversations.
As soon as UFC CEO Dana White left the White House grounds after UFC Freedom 250 on Sunday night, he was being asked: "What's next?" Would there be more outdoor, spectacle events like this in the future? Quickly, his answer was "we'll never do this again." The one-of-one show was a big logistical puzzle that took a lot of time, money and planning to solve. The UFC pulled it off, but for the fighters who saw their hands raised on Sunday -- and one who took the first loss of his MMA career -- the question of where their careers go next is still to be answered.
Justin Gaethje is a first-time lightweight division champion at 37 years old after forcing formerly undefeated titleholder Ilia Topuria to retire on his stool after four rounds of nonstop action. Was that enough of a storybook ending to convince Gaethje to go out on top? Will Ciryl Gane, who quieted the doubters and knocked out a fighter looking for an elusive third division title, get the rematch with Tom Aspinall to unify the heavyweight titles? Could long-wanted matchups such as Topuria vs. Paddy Pimblett, Sean O'Malley vs. Umar Nurmagomedov and Diego Lopes vs. Yair Rodriguez finally be on the horizon?
Who should be next: Retirement Listen, as much as I love watching Gaethje fight, this is the best time for him to call it a career. He has literally done everything that could possibly be done. He's fought just about everyone imaginable and put on some of the most exhilarating fights in UFC history. Sure, he could fight No. 1 contender Arman Tsarukyan next, but why? It's not that I don't think he can win, but there will always be another opponent waiting in the wings. There is truly not a better way to go out than to force Topuria's corner to stop the fight on the grandest stage he'll ever fight on. Retiring as a champion is something nobody would complain about.