The Bigger Picture | UFC Freedom 250

Gaethje authored one of the most thrilling and emotional title wins in recent memory to close out UFC Freedom 250, rallying from the brink of being finished to force Ilia Topuria to retire on his stool after the fourth round. In an instant, Gaethje went from one of the best to never win the undisputed title to the man that handed Topuria his first loss and the best lightweight in the world, and he did it in classic Gaethje fashion.

The 37-year-old came sharp, getting the better of the exchanges in the first round, but Topuria marched forward undeterred. In the second, the champion had Gaethje on the ropes, roasting him to the body and chasing him to the canvas to hunt for submissions. Gaethje defended well, and when Topuria looked winded to start the third round, the American went to work.

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By the time the third round ended, Topuria was a bloody mess, and the doctor was called in to check on him. The fight continued, but Gaethje was unrelenting, battering him further, leaving him lumped and leaking, punctuating the close of a dominant round with a crushing knee to the ribs while Topuria was on his knees. When “El Madator” returned to his corner, his corner stopped the fight and Gaethje began to celebrate.

He was already headed for the Hall of Fame, but this win changes things much in the same way Dirk Nowitzki winning an NBA title in Dallas permanently altered the way he’s remembered. It takes Gaethje to a different tier in the pantheon and solidifies his standing as one of the greatest lightweights of all time. From a personal standpoint, I cannot imagine the satisfaction with comes from proving everyone wrong and accomplishing that one remaining goal that felt like it might escape your clutches.

As much as this was Gane denying Pereira a history-making win, it was also a statement effort from “Bon Gamin.” The diversity of his attacks, his unmatched athleticism and fluidity for someone his size, and the overall success he’s had makes him an absolute menace for just about anyone in the division. With his claiming the interim title for a second time, a rematch with Tom Aspinall will hopefully come together later this year.

WATCH: Ciryl Gane Stops Alex Pereira In Round 2, Wins Interim Heavyweight Title

Gane suggested Paris in September, which feels unlikely, but a second meeting between the two in the fall or winter feels like it has to happen. There is serious unfinished business between them and genuine tensions given how things ended last time, but the way things were going before the eye poke combined with how sharp Gane looked on Sunday ratchet up the intrigue in that fight as well. 

Big time heavyweight fights don’t come around all that often, but when they do, there is a magnetic pull to them that draws in more than just the standard, loyal audience. A rematch between Aspinall and Gane has that kind of potential; here’s hoping we get to see it before the year is out.

Is Bo Nickal Ready to Make a Run?

Sunday night was the start of Year 4 in the UFC for Bo Nickal, and as solid as he had been overall, I went into his fight with Kyle Daukaus wondering if we were going to see something that made me believe he was going to live up to the intense hype that accompanied his arrival in the UFC. For the first time, I’m officially in the camp that believes Nickal can become a top-5 middleweight, if not more, because he blew through Daukaus and is clearly developing into a well-rounded mixed martial artist.

O’Malley is still a marksman and did his part on Sunday night; now he just has to hope things shake out his way. If and, likely, when champion Petr Yan and Merab Dvalishvili run it back, O’Malley will be front row sporting a “Team Yan” shirt hoping the two can rekindle their rivalry with gold hanging in the balance. 

Josh Hokit looked fast and dangerous throughout his fight with Derrick Lewis, battering the UFC’s all-time knockout leader on the way to securing his third win of the year, fourth win since joining the roster in November, and 10th consecutive victory to begin his MMA career. While there was a moment where his inexperience bubbled up — he had Lewis dead to rights in an armbar but didn’t know how to finish the hold — the 28-year-old still mowed down the longest tenured fighter in the division to cement his standing as a legitimate top-5 talent.

WATCH: Josh Hokit Post-Fight Interview

Hokit hasn’t made many friends within the division with his antics, so finding him another dance partner shouldn’t be difficult, but from a performance standpoint, he’s at the point where one more win over someone positioned ahead of him in the rankings — and there aren’t many people ahead of him — will put him in range for a championship opportunity. 

Mauricio Ruffy delivered another striking clinic on Sunday, slowly finding his range and timing before opening up and putting away Michael Chandler with a smorgasbord of attacks to collect his second stoppage win of the year. This was the way most anticipated the fight would go, and while Ruffy gets full marks for his efforts, the performance didn’t really do anything to answer the questions that will continue to follow the talented Brazilian until he faces another opponent willing and able to get inside and force him to wrestle. Staying at range with this man is a colossal mistake — he’s too smooth, too quick, too creative — and he showed that again on Sunday, but now we need to see Ruffy in a matchup with someone that has some sandpaper in their toolbox again.