UFC 317 video: Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira hug at friendly first faceoff
LAS VEGAS – Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira came face-to-face for the first time in a formal setting ahead of Saturday's UFC 317 title fight, and it was a friendly scene.
Topuria (16-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) and Oliveira (35-10 MMA, 23-10 UFC) will clash to determine to claimed the vacant lightweight belt left behind by Islam Makhachev when they meet in the main event at T-Mobile Arena (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+).
Thursday's pre-fight press conference went down at the host venue, and after taking questions from the media, Topuria and Oliveira got a chance to square up. The height disparity on the side of former 155-pound titleholder Oliveira was noticeable against former 145-pound champ Topuria, who vacated his belt to move up and attempt to become the 11th in history to claim belts in two divisions.
Overall, though, it was a highly respectful first faceoff, with hugs and smiles exchanged on both ends.
Check out the video above to see the UFC 317 press conference staredown between Topuria and Oliveira.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox Sports
33 minutes ago
- Fox Sports
Dybantsa, Peterson, Boozer headline list of top lottery candidates for 2026 NBA draft
Associated Press The NBA has had Victor Wembanyama and Cooper Flagg as obvious No. 1 overall draft picks in recent years. AJ Dybantsa has been headed toward that status for 2026. The BYU signee has been a favorite to sit atop draft boards next summer and ranks as the nation's top recruit by ESPN, On3 and Rivals. Kansas signee Darryn Peterson tops the list for 247Sports to make it a more open race for No. 1. Here's an early look next summer's potential lottery prospects: 1. A.J. Dybantsa, BYU The 6-foot-9 forward chose the Cougars over Kansas, North Carolina and Alabama. Athleticism and versatility shine through his rangy scoring skillset, notably when he attacks off the dribble and finishes at the rim. The Massachusetts native spent last year with Utah Prep and is on this summer's USA Basketball Under-19 National Team for the FIBA World Cup. 2. Darryn Peterson, Kansas The 6-5 guard from Ohio offers perimeter size with ability to play on or off the ball. He can attack off the dribble or step outside, offering potential to overwhelm smaller guards and impact games defensively. Peterson played last season with Prolific Prep in California and was co-MVP of the McDonald's All-American game. 3. Cameron Boozer, Duke The 6-9 forward joined twin Cayden in winning a high school national title and fourth straight Florida state title. The son of former Duke and NBA forward Carlos Boozer showed his inside-out game (22 points, 16 rebounds, six assists) leading the U.S. past the World team in the Nike Hoop Summit. He joined Peterson as the McDonald's game co-MVP. 4. Nate Ament, Tennessee The 6-9 forward is a McDonald's All-American and Gatorade player of the year for Virginia with versatile skills. He'll improve as he adds strength to his lean frame, though he stands out with ballhandling and shooting range. 5. Caleb Wilson, North Carolina The 6-9 forward from Atlanta and McDonald's All-American offers two-way potential with his athleticism and length, including as a shot blocker. The McDonald's All-American announced his UNC commitment on TNT's 'Inside The NBA' show alongside former NBA players Shaquille O'Neal, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith. 6. Chris Cenac Jr., Houston ESPN and 247Sports rank Cenac as the nation's top center, offering rangy skills and outside shooting that made him the MVP of the NBPA Top 100 camp in summer 2024. Houston coach Kelvin Sampson has said the McDonald's All-American is 'not a big man's big man... he is a basketball player who happens to be 6-foot-10.' 7. Karim Lopez, New Zealand Breakers (Australia) The versatile 6-8 wing from Mexico is part of the National Basketball League's 'Next Stars' program designed to develop high-end prospects, averaging 9.6 points and 4.7 assists in his 2024-25 debut season. He turns 18 in December. 8. Jayden Quaintance, Kentucky The 6-9 forward was a top-10 recruit last year entering Arizona State, where he averaged 9.4 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.6 blocks. He later transferred to join the Wildcats. 9. Mikel Brown Jr., Louisville The 6-3 McDonald's All-American is big signee for Pat Kelsey entering Year 2 of his tenure with the Cardinals, ranking as the No. 1 point guard prospect for Rivals. He joined Dybantsa in making the U.S. U-19 team. 10. Darius Acuff Jr., Arkansas The 6-2 Acuff is the top point guard prospect for 247Sports (No. 5 overall) and ESPN (No. 7). The McDonald's All-American operates smoothly in the pick-and-roll with the ability to attack defenders off the dribble and from 3-point range. 11. Tounde Yessoufou, Baylor ESPN's ninth-ranked recruit offers a sturdy frame (roughly 6-5 and 210 pounds) and versatile athleticism while being known for a high-motor style. He had 24 points for the World team against the U.S. in the Nike Hoop Summit in April. 12. Dash Daniels, Melbourne United (Australia) Like Lopez, the younger brother of Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels is will play for the NBL's 'Next Stars' program. Dash is a 6-6 point guard who has been through NBA Academy Australia. 13. Isaiah Evans, Duke The 6-6 guard withdrew from this year's draft and must add strength to a 175-pound frame. But there's clear upside with his explosive scoring potential, such as hitting six first-half 3s out of nowhere against Auburn in December. 14. Labaron Philon, Alabama The 6-4 freshman point guard was a last-minute draft withdrawal. He averaged 10.6 points and 3.8 assists for an Elite Eight team that just lost Associated Press first-team All-American Mark Sears from the backcourt. Others to watch (in alphabetical order): —ALIJAH ARENAS: The son of former NBA guard Gilbert Arenas is a McDonald's All-American known for scoring and court vision, but the 6-6 guard's status is unclear as he's still working back from an April truck accident that had him placed in a medically induced coma. Arenas avoided major injury and said this week he works out daily, with the plan of soon joining USC summer workouts. — MILES BYRD: The 6-7 guard from San Diego State withdrew from the draft after averaging 12.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists as a redshirt sophomore. — IAN JACKSON: The 6-4 guard averaged 11.9 points while shooting 39.5% from 3-point range at North Carolina as a five-star freshman before transferring to St. John's. — YAXEL LENDEBORG: The 6-9, 240-pound forward has gone from junior college to UAB and now Michigan. He withdrew from the draft after averaging 15.8 points and 11.0 rebounds in two seasons with the Blazers. — TAHAAD PETTIFORD: The 6-1 freshman averaged 11.6 points and shot 36.6% on 3s for Auburn's Final Four team. He's set for a leading role after withdrawing from the draft. — MELEEK THOMAS: The 6-4 guard averaged 33.5 points per 40 minutes with Overtime Elite. He's a McDonald's All-American who signed with Arkansas. ___ AP NBA: recommended
Associated Press
34 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Johni Broome was a college force at Auburn. He'll start his NBA journey as a 2nd-round draft pick
Johni Broome was a college basketball headliner at Auburn, the Associated Press first-team All-American an undeniable force powering the Tigers to the Final Four. His NBA journey is coming with less fanfare. The fifth-year big man went to the Philadelphia 76ers with the No. 35 pick in Thursday's second round of the draft. If offered an example of how elite college production doesn't always equate to high-end NBA potential or draft status, particularly when it comes to an older player deemed more of a finished product compared to the youngster with rising upside. Still, the player ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas described simply as a winner is tough, tested and eager to start his pro pursuit all the same. 'I think what he said was right,' Broome said of Bilas during Thursday's ESPN broadcast. 'I'm a winner. I get things done, offensively and defensively, so the Sixers got a good one.' The 6-foot-9, 249-pound Broome — who started his career as an unheralded recruit for two years at Morehead State — averaged 18.6 points, 10.8 rebounds and 2.1 blocks last year for Auburn, which started the year at No. 11 in the AP Top 25 poll but immediately climbed to a top-5 status it wouldn't yield for the rest of the year behind Broome's brilliance. That included eight straight weeks ranked at No. 1 from mid-January to early March. Broome stuffed box scores so thoroughly that he was the player of the year in a rugged Southeastern Conference, which was hands down the nation's top conference and produced a record 14 bids to the NCAA Tournament. And he finished as runner-up for AP national player of the year to Duke freshman and eventual No. 1 overall draft pick Cooper Flagg in what was a true two-man spotlight this season, with Broome collecting a third of the vote as the only other player named on a ballot. He pushed the Tigers program to only its second trip to college basketball's biggest stage, grinding through an elbow injury suffered during the Elite Eight win against Michigan State and then being hampered by it during the loss to eventual champion Florida in the national semifinals a week later. That all seemingly had him positioned to be a first-round prospect who led Auburn to 59 wins in the past two years alone. NBA evaluations, however, are different. Broome lacks elite athleticism. His testing and measurements at the combine didn't help his first-round chances; he had a 28-inch max vertical leap, tied for second worst at the combine, while only six players posted a lower standing vertical leap (24.0). He also finished tied for fourth-worst in the shuttle run (3.23 seconds) designed to test agility. Numbers aren't everything, of course. Maryland big man Derik Queen tied Broome for the second-worst max vertical and still went on to go late in the lottery (No. 13). But Queen is the still-developing prospect growing into his upside at 20 years old and with just 36 games of college experience, compared to Broome being the as-is prospect who turns 23 on July 19 after playing 168 college games. When it comes to his game, he plays more below the rim and lacks the defense-stretching range essential in today's game built around floor-spacing. His jumper is rated as 'below average' in Synergy's analytics rankings, with him making 27.1% to rank in the 25th percentile — with most of those attempts coming in catch-and-shoot situations. That underlying data aligns with his outside-shooting statistics, where Broome made just 31.4% of his 3-point attempts (53 of 169) over the last two seasons and had at least two made 3s in just 15 of 71 games. He was at his best in post-ups, as a cutter, working as the roll man in pick-and-rolls and attacking the offensive glass, ranking 'good' to 'very good' in all of those categories in Synergy. He also ranked as 'very good' in finishing layups and dunks at the rim, converting 65.9% of those attempts to rank in the 81st percentile. Metrics aside, there's a place in the NBA for guys who can rebound and defend with toughness. He's already proven he can, along with putting in the work going back to being a three-star signee with Morehead State. 'He may not be an above-the-rim big guy, but he carves out space and he gets things done,' Bilas said during the broadcast. 'A really productive player that has been overlooked before and has come through.' ___ AP Sports Writer Steve Reed contributed to this report. ___ AP NBA:
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Rocket Classic tee times: Schedule, groups, how to watch for June 27
Here's the full tee time schedule for Round 2 at Rocket Classic for June 27 and how to watch all the action. Or see our sortable schedule to filter by golfer. Rocket Classic tee times today All times Eastern and accurate as of Thursday, June 26, 2025, at 10:00 p.m. Second Round Watch golf every week with Fubo (free trial). Rocket Classic leaderboard, scores, how to watch See leaderboard and results for the players listed above Second Round Coverage Golf Channel, ESPN
