Fight By Fight Preview | UFC 317: Topuria vs Oliveira

The finale to this weekend’s fight card pits Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira against one another with the vacant lightweight title hanging in the balance.

Topuria moves up to the 155-pound weight class following a monumental year at featherweight in 2024, where he claimed the title with a second-round knockout of Alexander Volkanovski before successfully defending the strap by finishing Max Holloway in the third round of their late October tussle in Abu Dhabi. Now the undefeated 28-year-old ventures up a division in search of another championship victory and a place alongside the nine individuals that have held UFC gold in two weight classes.

GET YOUR TICKETS: UFC 317 | UFC Nashville

Oliveira steps into the Octagon looking to etch his name in the history books as well, seeking to become the first fighter to ever win the UFC lightweight title on two separate occasions. Last year, “Do Bronxs” dropped a competitive decision to Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 300 before rebounding with a dominant decision win over Michael Chandler at UFC 309 in New York City, moving him into a three-way tie with Donald Cerrone and Andrei Arlovski for the second-most wins in UFC history. 

There are myriad questions that hang over this contest, including how Topuria will handle the move up in weight, and how the former champion Oliveira will approach this matchup. All of those queries and several others will be answered in 25 minutes or less as these two battle it out for divisional supremacy on Saturday night in Las Vegas. 

Flyweight Championship Co-Main Event: Alexandre Pantoja vs Kai Kara-France

Veteran lightweights Beneil Dariush and Renato Moicano face off in the featured bout of this weekend’s pay-per-view main card at T-Mobile Arena.

Competing for the first time since December 2023, Dariush heads into UFC 317 aiming to halt a two-fight skid. After collecting eight straight victories to climb into title contention, the 36-year-old ran into Oliveira in his first fight after losing the lightweight strap, and then shared the cage with an ascending Tsarukyan six months later, getting stopped in both instances.

WATCH: UFC 317 Embedded | Episode 1

Moicano makes his second start of the year, having been drafted at the 11th hour to challenge for the lightweight title in January, where he lost to Islam Makhachev by submission. The setback halted a four-fight winning streak for the energetic, financially-focused Brazilian, who has been an all-action competitor for the entirety of his 11-year career in the UFC.

These two were slated to fight at UFC 311 before Moicano was tabbed to replace Tsarukyan and face Makhachev. Now they’re paired off again, with each seeking to get back into the win column and solidify their place in the lightweight pecking order prior to a new champion being crowned.

Brandon Royval vs Joshua Van

Before the flyweight title goes up for grabs in the co-main event, the next to challenge for the belt could be determined here, as top contender Brandon Royval squares off with ascending youngster Joshua Van. 

After losing to Pantoja at the end of 2023, Royval used his 2024 campaign to solidify his place at the top of the division, earning split decision wins over Moreno and Tatsuro Taira in February and October, respectively. The Colorado-based contender is 7-3 inside the Octagon, having already avenged his previous loss to Moreno, while seeking an opportunity to get a third crack at Pantoja here.

BREAKING: Dana White Announces Retirement Of Jon Jones

Van makes his second start of the month and third appearance of 2025 this weekend, having already posted impressive wins over Rei Tsuruya and Bruno Silva this year to push his winning streak to four. The 23-year-old Houston native has gone 7-1 in two years since joining the UFC roster, and can put himself in the thick of the title chase with a win here. 

This was originally scheduled to be a matchup between Royval and Manel Kape, but the Portuguese standout was forced out with a foot injury, opening the door for Van to make the rapid turnaround after beating Silva at UFC 316 in Newark earlier this month. Will the established contender hold serve and defend his place in the queue or can Van keep rolling and pick up the biggest win of his career? 

Payton Talbott vs Felipe Lima

Bantamweights open the pay-per-view as Dana White’s Contender Series grad Payton Talbott faces off with surging Brazilian Felipe Lima in a fascinating pairing to kick off the main card.

Entering the year with a perfect 9-0 record and carrying a ton of buzz, Talbott stumbled in his 2025 debut, landing on the wrong side of the results at UFC 311 in a clash with veteran Raoni Barcelos. Now coming off a loss for the first time, Saturday’s contest feels like a critical moment in the Nevada native’s career, as plenty of people will be paying close attention to see how Talbott responds in this one.

UFC 317 COUNTDOWN: Topuria vs Oliveira | Pantjoa vs Kara-France | Full Episode

A natural bantamweight, Lima made his first two UFC starts at featherweight, earning a short-notice submission win over Muhammad Naimov last June before sticking around the 145-pound weight class and out-working Miles Johns. Now the Stockholm-based standout brings his 14-fight winning streak back to his usual stomping grounds, aiming to collect a third consecutive UFC victory while handing Talbott a second straight setback.

Both of these men were included in the two-part Fighters on the Rise feature highlighting ascending names to track at the start of the year, and despite Talbott’s loss in January, they both remain fascinating names to track in the talent-rich 135-pound weight class. One will take a big step forward on Saturday, and determining who that will be should be compelling theatre for as long as it lasts.

Preliminary Card Pairings

Veteran middleweight Jack Hermansson and Gregory Rodrigues clash in this bout that potentially carries Top 15 ramifications.

Hermansson returns to action for the first time since February 2024 when he slow-played things against Joe Pyfer, rallying to beat the powerhouse from Philadelphia on the scorecards. Rodrigues also competes coming off a main event assignment, angling to get things moving in the right direction again after being stopped by Jared Cannonier back in February.

Hyder Amil vs Jose Delgado

Hyder Amil and Jose Delgado share the Octagon in a matchup of ascending featherweights with a combined 20 wins in 21 appearances, including 16 finishes.

The 35-year-old Amil has been one of the most exciting additions to the roster over the last 18 months, garnering a trio of wins and standing as an all-action presence since graduating from Season 7 of Dana White’s Contender Series. Delgado, a Season 8 grad, looked sharp in his promotional debut earlier this year, wiping out Connor Matthews to extend his winning streak and finishing streak to six straight.

Viviane Araujo vs Tracy Cortez

It’s a battle of Top 10 flyweights as Viviane Araújo and Tracy Cortez collide on Saturday’s preliminary card slate. 

The 38-year-old Araujo remains one of the division’s top litmus tests, having closed out her 2024 campaign by halting the rise of fellow Brazilian Karine Silva. Cortez returns to action for the first time since last summer when she stepped up on short notice to face off with Rose Namajunas in Denver, where she landed on the wrong side of a decision. 

Terrance McKinney vs Viacheslav Borshchev

Terrance McKinney and Viacheslav Borshchev make their second appearances of the year opposite one another, squaring off in what should be a combustible lightweight pairing early in the evening. 

An explosive talent that has never been to the scorecards in 24 professional appearances, McKinney looked sharp in his 2025 debut, running through veteran Damir Hadzovic in February in Saudi Arabia. Borshchev arrives in Las Vegas looking to return to the win column, having dropped a decision to Tom Nolan earlier this year at UFC 312 to fall to 3-4-1 inside the Octagon. 

Jhonata Diniz vs Alvin Hines

Heavyweights get in on the action early in the night as Jhonata Diniz welcomes Alvin Hines to the Octagon for the first time. 

After earning victories in each of his first two UFC starts, Diniz ran afoul of veteran Marcin Tybura last November at Madison Square Garden. The 33-year-old Hines steps in for Justin Tafa, carrying a perfect 7-0 professional record with six finishes in his short-notice promotional debut this weekend.

Niko Price vs Jacobe Smith

It’s “veteran versus prospect” in the welterweight ranks as Niko Price and Jacobe Smith lock horns in the UFC 317 opener.

The 35-year-old Price has made 18 appearances inside the Octagon, holding an 8-8 record with two no contests and a reputation as an unpredictable wild card every time he steps into the cage. The latest Fortis MMA product to graduate from Dana White’s Contender Series, Smith impressed in his debut back in January, needing just 73 seconds to dispatch Preston Parsons.

Christopher Ewert vs Jackson McVey