Closing out International Fight Week 2025, which saw the debut of UFC BJJ and the annual UFC Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, UFC 317 had a different feel to it than many of the UFC‘s usual summer cards.
For starters, the main event had not a reigning champ, but two former champions vying for a vacant lightweight title. With Islam Makhachev moving to welterweight, his old title was up for grabs. Ilia Topuria had vacated his own featherweight belt for just this sort of opportunity; he was paired up with ex-lightweight champ Charles Oliveira.
A Topuria win would open up the 155lb division, given “El Matador” had never fought in the weight class in the UFC. It could also set up a grudge match with Paddy Pimblett, an old rival of Topuria dating back to an incident during the UFC London Fight Week back in 2022.
The co-main event of UFC 317 on Saturday was a little more under the radar. It found Kai Kara-France, another talent from City Kickboxing, looking to dethrone flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja. Yet Pantoja had quietly built up one of the best resumes in 125lb history, making him a formidable challenge for the New Zealand native.
Following UFC 317, tune in for the post-fight press conference to stay on top of all the latest storylines. A live stream is available above.
