UFC FREEDOM 250
Fight Coverage
Examining the Lightweight Landscape Ahead of UFC Freedom 250
Taking A Wide-Angle Look At The 155-Pound Weight Class UFC Freedom 250 Sponsored By Crypto.com and RAM
As we move closer to UFC Freedom 250 on June 14 at the White House, the lightweight division is going to command a great deal of the spotlight, but it will not end there.
After the title unification bout between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje headlines the historic event in less than a month’s time, the consequential action in the 155-pound weight class doesn’t stop there.
As such, it’s time to take a dive into what’s on tap, the trajectory of those in the top-15, and identify some potential names to pay close attention to in the back half of the year.
The Scheduled Bouts
Fares Ziam vs Tom Nolan — UFC Fight Night: Muhammad vs Bonfim (June 6)
Ilia Topuria vs Justin Gaethje — UFC Freedom 250 (June 14)
Mauricio Ruffy vs Michael Chandler — UFC Freedom 250 (June 14)
Rafael Fiziev vs Manuel Torres — UFC Baku (June 27)
Nazim Sadykhov vs Matheus Camilo — UFC Baku (June 27)
Conor McGregor vs Max Holloway — UFC 329 (July 11) *
Benoit Saint Denis vs Paddy Pimblett — UFC 329 (July 11)
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First, a pair of notes:
- The preliminary card scrap between Sadykhov and Camilo in Azerbaijan should be competitive and entertaining, but it’s the “one of these things that doesn’t belong” in this collection of crucial matchups on the calendar between now and the close of International Fight Week.
- McGregor versus Holloway is not a lightweight contest but could have influence on the divisional rankings as “Blessed” currently sits at No. 4. He is expected to return to the division following UFC 329, so it needs be kept in mind when thinking about who could land where once the dust settles.
There will be plenty of time to pick apart the UFC Freedom 250 main event from all angles. For now, let’s set it aside and focus on the other four pairings on the board, which feel like they will be incredibly instructive based on how they play out.
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Ziam is one of the most slept-on fighters on the roster. He is a quiet standout who has won six straight, including a swarming stoppage win over Sadykhov last time out. Nolan is a Contender Series grad who has won four straight and possesses outstanding size for the division. They’re two of the top under-30 talents still working their way into high-profile matchups, and an impressive showing for either could change that,while providing a little more insight about where each man stands in their development at the moment.
Ruffy heads into his matchup with Chandler on the South Lawn coming off a second-round stoppage win over Fiziev where he looked outstanding, but he’s only one fight removed from getting stopped himself by Saint Denis in Paris. “Iron Mike” has struggled to manufacture positive results as of late, but he’s aggressive in his approach and has quality wrestling, so it will be interesting to see what transpires between them as a loss to the American veteran could signal a real wrestling kryptonite for the dynamic Brazilian striker.
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The bout between Fiziev and Torres is guaranteed to be exciting for as long as it lasts and should provide a clearer picture of where each man stands in the hierarchy. Fiziev has been a fixture the Top 15 for the last several years, but he has dropped four of his last five while Torres crept into the rankings last year after blasting Grant Dawson at UFC 323. On paper, Fiziev profiles as a notch above Torres in terms of skills and results, but it’s time to see if that’s true in practice.
Somehow, it feels like people are still sleeping on Saint Denis. He is 4-0 with four finishes since connecting with Nicolas Ott and can make a strong case for a title shot with another dominant showing when he faces Pimblett. “Paddy the Baddy” had a chance to be the man standing opposite Topuria next month but lost to Gaethje in January. This is a second chance to show he’s a bona fide contender, but if he falters, the beloved Scouser could have a tough time getting back into the title conversation.
The Rest Of The Ranked Fighters
After touching on the collection of fights, which accounts for nine of the 16 fighters featured in the rankings, let’s set up where the other seven currently and what could potentially be next for them.
(Note: all thoughts are my own and a bit of fantasy matchmaking, crystal-ball gazing, and not reported or rumored pairings
Arman Tsarukyan: he has won five straight and will serve as the backup fighter at UFC Freedom 250. He has also become a bit of a public darling with his frequent activity and success on the grappling circuit. There is no question he’s one of the best lightweights in the world, but all the extra curriculars and drama that seems to follow him (or be initiated by him) make him a tricky fighter to trust with a massive opportunity.
Next: a second chance to challenge for gold feels close his backup status at UFC Freedom 250, but more shenanigans away from the cage could certainly change that.
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Charles Oliveira: “Do Bronxs” has earned two straight wins and is the reigning BMF champ, but he is also still less than a year removed from losing to Topuria at UFC 317. His win over Gaethje bolsters his chances for a title shot if the American pulls the upside next month, but it’s more likely we see him defend the BMF title later this year.
Next: like all of us, Oliveira will likely be paying close attention at UFC 329 because a McGregor win could set up a BMF showdown against the Irishman, but a bout against Saint Denis feels like an all-action no-brainer if the surging French contender beats Pimblett.
Mateusz Gamrot: the Polish veteran is entrenched in the 6-10 range in the rankings and snatched a second-round submission win over Esteban Robovics at UFC 327. He profiles as a classic “better than the guys behind him but struggles with the guys ahead of him” fighter other than his oft-debated win over Tsarukyan a few years ago.
Next: “Gamer” called out Diego Lopes after his win in April, and if the two-time featherweight title challenger does opt to move up after UFC Freedom 250, that’s an easy and entertaining fight to make. If not, I would be mad at a matchup between Gamrot and Pimblett later this year.
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Dan Hooker: the City Kickboxing man is the striker-version of Gamrot, but he is currently sitting on consecutive losses having been stopped Tsarukyan last November and BSD at UFC 325. There are fewer left in front of him than behind him, but they’ll all be entertaining without question.
Next: Hooker has some tensions with Pimblett, so a bout between them should “The Baddy” lose in July makes sense while a sure-fire brawl with the next fighter on this list would definitely work otherwise.
Renato Moicano: the Brazilian halted a two-fight skid with a second-round submission win over Chris Duncan in his third main event appearance in four fights. He’s in a weird place because he finished Saint Denis two years back before losing to Islam Makhachev and Beneil Dariush.
Next: a pairing with Hooker works every day of the week and twice on Sunday, but I can also see him thriving in a “veteran truth machine” role like he adopted in his fight with Duncan
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Quillan Salkilld: less than 18 months into his UFC career, the DWCS Class of ’24 grad is 5-0 in the UFC with three straight first-round finishes (and bonuses) and boasts the number 12 beside his name. He’s been doing so well speed-running things, but this is the point where things get a little cloudy.
Next: ideally, he gets to fight forward again after stopping Beneil Dariush in Perth earlier this month, but I don’t see a Top 10 fighter in a rush to face him. One of the victors from one of the handful of fights on tap over the next seven weeks feels like they make the most sense.
Beneil Dariush: the 37-year-old has lost two straight and four his last five with all of those setbacks coming via first-round stoppages. He’ll likely lose his place in the rankings by the time UFC 329 wraps, and it will be interesting to see what he wants to do next.
Next: if Dariush still wants to compete, a transition into a King Green, Jim Miller-esque role seems automatic.
NAMES TO WATCH
Lightweight is in that weird space with only a couple prospects under 30 years old on the way up. Everyone else is either a little older, a little entrenched where they stand, or a little too far away from the rankings for consideration.
Salkilld leads the way for the new wave of talent. Ziam and Nolan join him on the podium, but beyond them, it’s people like TUF winner Mairon Santos, DWCS alums Nurullo Aliev and Manoel Sousa, and maybe young veteran Rongzhu depending on how he looks later this week, that are key to track from the Under 30 set.
There is a pack of slightly older athletes of interest to pay attention to who could make some waves with a couple more quality wins, including Grant Dawson, Jalin Turner, Lance Gibson Jr., and Ludovit Klein, but they’re also all working against the losses they incurred.
A lot can change in a very short amount of time in any division, so tune into all the action, find the fighters you want to follow, and enjoy the show!
Don't miss a moment of UFC Freedom 250 presented by Crypto.com and Ram, live from The White House in Washington, D.C. on Sunday, June 14. The historic event begins at 8pm ET/5pm PT and can be streamed live on Paramount+.
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