UFC CEO Dana White has officially announced the main event for UFC 317, scheduled as part of International Fight Week. After waiting for months, the headliner for the event, which is now just six weeks away, has finally been revealed by the promotion.
It is now confirmed that Ilia Topuria will compete against Charles Oliveira for the vacant UFC lightweight championship.
In addition to the main event, the card will feature a flyweight title rematch in the co-main event, with Alexandre Pantoja facing Kai Kara-France. The pay-per-view event is also slated to include the return of Paulo Costa, who is set to take on Roman Kopylov.
Dana White`s Unexpected Announcement
Earlier tonight, UFC CEO Dana White made a sudden announcement on social media to reveal the UFC 317 main event. Scheduled for June 28 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, White is known for surprising fans with major fight news via impromptu online appearances, and this evening was no exception.
He confirmed Ilia Topuria`s highly anticipated move up to lightweight for a bout against former world champion Charles Oliveira. This matchup comes after initial plans for Islam Makhachev to defend his lightweight belt in a `champion vs champion` contest shifted, with the Russian champion now reportedly agreeing to a shot at the welterweight title instead.
Speculation had also included rumors of a potential middleweight title clash between Dricus Du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev. However, that fight seems to be reserved for later in the year, following public verbal agreements from both competitors.
Ilia Topuria Vacates Featherweight Title for Lightweight Ambition
Following his victory over Alexander Volkanovski for the featherweight title last year and his subsequent defense against Max Holloway at UFC 308, Ilia Topuria has opted to vacate his championship. While a rematch with Volkanovski was briefly teased post-UFC 308, Topuria has since shifted his focus.
His decision was to move up a weight class to challenge for the lightweight belt, initially targeting Islam Makhachev. However, with Makhachev now pursuing the welterweight champion, Jack Della Maddalena, Topuria faces Oliveira for the vacant title.
Topuria, who has previously competed as a bantamweight in Cage Warriors, will be transitioning to lightweight relatively smaller than some competitors in the division. Nevertheless, with an undefeated record in MMA, he expresses confidence that his fighting power will successfully carry up to the new weight class.
Jack Thornley