
UFC Freedom 250 RECAP🇺🇸: Gaethje Upsets Topuria, Gane DESTROYS Pereira, O’Malley KO 😱 & Ray Longo
The Anik & Florian PodcastShow Notes
We’re LIVE with Ep. 599 and UFC Freedom 250 just gave us one of the most insane cards in history. Justin Gaethje weathered the undefeated Ilia Topuria’s early storm on the White House lawn, then flipped the script in a massive fourth-round TKO that forced Topuria’s corner to throw in the towel. Ciryl Gane flatlined Alex Pereira’s triple-champ dream with a jab and a torrent of ground-and-pound in Round 2. Suga Sean O’Malley snapped Aiemann Zahabi’s 7-fight streak with a walk-off left-right hook combo that sent the place into a frenzy. We break down all seven main-card finishes — including Josh Hokit’s mauling of Derrick Lewis, Mauricio Ruffy’s video game blitz on Michael Chandler, Bo Nickal’s striking statement, and Diego Lopes’ brawl with Steve Garcia. This card was 7-for-7 on finishes and we’re running it back with the energy it deserves. Ray Longo pulls up for the Ray Longo Minute to give his raw, uncut take on the title shift and what’s next. RJ Clifford hops in for Rated RJ with the stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Then Matty Bets run the Main Event Challenge, breaking down UFC Fight Night: Kape vs Horiguchi II — with Vinicius Oliveira vs Andre Fili, Navajo Stirling vs Ion Cutelaba, and the flyweight rematch we’ve been begging for. Matty drops his $1K bet live, so tail or fade at your own risk. This show is in partnership with @allthesmoke and @atsfight, and it’s the only Monday joint that gives you instant reaction, betting insight, and the realest voices in the game. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
More from The Anik & Florian Podcast
UFC fans, get ready to BUCKLE UP! 🥊 We're back LIVE on Monday, October 19th, and the fight game is absolutely on fire! We're breaking down all the fallout from a wild UFC Fight Night: Malott vs. Buckley, and the news cycle is spinning with fight announcements, shocking postponements, and a new champion crowned in the PFL. You do NOT want to miss this one as we get you set for UFC 333: Volkanovski vs. Evloev!
It's fight week, and we are BACK! Join Jon Anik and Kenny Florian LIVE at 11:30 AM ET for a stacked Episode 615. We are reacting to everything from UFC Vegas 122, where Brendan Allen pulled off a stunning late submission over Christian Leroy Duncan in the fifth round. We'll break down what that finish means for the middleweight division and what's next.
The Anik & Florian Podcast is BACK and UFC 332 just set records for the most first-round finishes, the most knockouts and the most knockdowns on a single card. Natalia Silva is the new women's flyweight champion, now 15 straight wins and 9-0 in the UFC, and Kenny breaks down why her speed was a problem Wang Cong never solved, comparing it to what he had to do as the slower fighter against Jose Aldo. Jon makes the case that Alexa Grasso is his 2026 female fighter of the year and should be next. Payton Talbott did what a 7-to-1 favorite is supposed to do to Deiveson Figueiredo, and Kenny calls him a future champion. And Damian Pinas threw an uppercut that had Daniel Cormier calling him maybe the hardest puncher he has seen in ten years.
The Anik & Florian Podcast is BACK on a Tuesday and 2026 is officially the most special year in mixed martial arts history. UFC 331 was one of the greatest live events Jon has ever called. Joshua Van is still the undisputed flyweight champion after beating Alexandre Pantoja a second time, at 24 years old, with two Hall of Fame fights already on his resume and a shoulder he could barely throw with two weeks out. Van joins us LIVE at the end of the show to tell the whole story: destroying his AC joint the first day back from the Philly press conference, three weeks without training, sparring against his head coach's wishes the final week, and why Manel Kape is next.
UFC 332 Preview with Ray Longo and Guests Roberto Soldic, Scott Coker & Rich Chou