UFC 317 fight card: Dana White announces headliners for vacant lightweight title; other major clashes
UFC CEO Dana White took to Instagram Live on Tuesday to confirm the main and co-main events for the upcoming UFC 317, scheduled for Saturday, June 28. The event will be held at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Headlining the card will be former featherweight champion Ilia Topuria and former lightweight titleholder Charles Oliveira. They will be battling for the vacant UFC Lightweight Championship.
The title was vacated after the current champion Islam Makhachev decided to move to the welterweight division. He is expected to face the newly crowned champion Jack Della Maddalena. The date of the bout has not been finalised yet, but it is expected to take place later this year.
As per a UFC report, Topuria, aged 27, is on a high after his impressive finishes over Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway. The face-off will also mark the return of Topuria to the lightweight category for the first time since his 2022 knockout win over Jai Herbert.On other hand, Oliveira is coming off a Fight of the Night performance against Michael Chandler at UFC 309. Known for his dynamic grappling and attacking, Oliveira held the belt from 2021 to 2022 and is aiming to reclaim it in Las Vegas.UFC Flyweight Champion Alexandre Pantoja will be defending his title against Kai Kara-France in the co-main event. Pantoja is on a dominant seven-fight win streak with recent title defences against Kai Asakura, Steve Erceg, and Brandon Royval.
Meanwhile Kara-France, is returning to the fight for title after a swift TKO win over Erceg and is hoping to seize gold in his second championship opportunity following his 2022 loss to Brandon Moreno.Also Read : Buffalo Bills NFL Schedule Release 2025: Key fixtures, record prediction, opponents
The remainder of the UFC 317 cards are shaping up to deliver a thrilling night of action which features a stacked lineup across multiple weight classes. Middleweights Paulo Costa and Roman Kopylov will be facing off in a high-stakes showdown. Beneil Dariush will be taking on Renato Moicano in a compelling lightweight battle. Also, on the lightweight battle slate is the clash between veteran Michael Johnson and rising star Daniel Zellhuber.
In the flyweight division, Brandon Royval faces Manel Kape in what should be a high-paced battle, and another flyweight matchup is scheduled between Viviane Araujo and Tracy Cortez. Heavyweights Jhonata Diniz and Justin Tafa will also meet, as middleweights Jack Hermansson and Gregory Rodrigues look to make their presence known.With three to four additional fights set to be announced over the next few weeks, UFC 317 is shaping up to be one of the most thrilling cards of the year.Reportedly, Dana White also confirmed the UFC 319 main event wherein middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis will be defending his title against undefeated contender Khamzat Chimaey at Chicago's United Centre on August 16.
Dricus du Plessis recently outnumbered Sean Strickland for the second time at UFC 312 and will be making his third title defence. Chimaey, on the other hand, has long been viewed as a title threat, with marquee wins over Gilbert Burns, Kamaru Usman, and Robert Whittaker.
Q1: Why is the UFC lightweight title vacant?The title was relinquished upon champion Islam Makhachev choosing to drop down to welterweight, where he is poised to encounter Jack Della Maddalena.
Q2: Where and when is UFC 317 happening? UFC 317 takes place on Saturday, June 28, 2025, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, as part of the UFC's annual International Fight Week.
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