What's next for Justin Gaethje and UFC Freedom 250 fighters

New lightweight champion Justin Gaethje faces a career crossroads after forcing Ilia Topuria to retire on his stool at UFC Freedom 250 on the White House lawn Sunday night.

The 37-year-old claimed his first UFC title by finishing the previously undefeated Topuria after four rounds, and ESPN's Andreas Hale argues it's the perfect time to walk away. "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," Hale wrote in his post-event analysis. "Retiring as a champion is something nobody would complain about."

Gaethje's title defense options if he continues

If the new champion decides to keep fighting, No. 1 contender Arman Tsarukyan stands as the obvious next challenger. Tsarukyan has waited months for his title shot and has dismantled opponents during the interim. Per ESPN's Brett Okamoto, that matchup only makes sense if Gaethje rejects retirement.

For Topuria, who absorbed his first professional loss, a fight with Paddy Pimblett could materialize once the Spaniard recovers. Pimblett faces Benoît Saint Denis in July, and the two lightweights have already confronted each other cageside at a previous event. Okamoto noted the matchup "could always be revisited" given their existing tension.

At heavyweight, Ciryl Gane's knockout win over Josh Hokit on the White House card positioned him for a rematch with interim champion Tom Aspinall. Their scheduled October bout ended in seconds due to an eye poke. "The division has been in shambles for long enough," Hale wrote, calling for the UFC to book Gane against Aspinall to unify the titles and restore order to the weight class.

UFC Freedom 250 marked the promotion's first outdoor event on government property, a spectacle Dana White told reporters will never happen again due to the logistical demands. The next title defenses for Sunday's winners remain unannounced.

Source: espn.com