UFC 317: Topuria vs Oliveira – Start time, fight card, how to watch, venue

5 hours ago 3

ARTICLE AD BOX

In what is arguably the biggest UFC bout of 2025, ex-featherweight champ Ilia Topuria and former-lightweight champ Charles Oliveira of Brazil clash for the vacant 155-pound (70-kilogramme) rubric astatine UFC 317.

Topuria, who is unbeaten, vacated his featherweight rubric earlier this twelvemonth to determination up to lightweight people with the archetypal intension of warring chap superstar Islam Makhachev, ranked by ESPN arsenic the champion pound-for-pound UFC combatant successful the world; Topuria is ranked fig two.

Instead, the Georgian-Spaniard volition present look different formidable hostile successful the signifier of Oliveira, who holds aggregate UFC records for astir submission wins astatine 16, astir finishes astatine 20 and astir bonuses astatine 20.

Here is each to cognize up of the Topuria-Oliveira bout:

When and wherever is UFC 317?

UFC 317 is scheduled to instrumentality spot astatine T-Mobile Arena successful Las Vegas connected Saturday.
The venue has a seating capableness of 20,000 for UFC events.
The main paper is scheduled to statesman astatine 02:00 GMT connected Sunday (7pm PT / 9pm CT / 10pm ET connected Saturday, 4am CEST connected Sunday).
The ringing locomotion for Topuria-Oliveira volition hap astatine astir 04:00 GMT (9pm PT / 11pm CT /12am ET connected Saturday, 6am CEST connected Sunday), and the header combat volition commencement soon thereafter.

Why isn’t Topuria warring Makhachev for the UFC lightweight title?

Makhachev vs Topuria would undoubtedly person been 1 of the top draws successful UFC past – and it mightiness inactive hap successful the future.

Makhachev, who sports a stupendous 27-1 UFC grounds and is simply a four-time lightweight champion, announced successful May that helium would vacate his rubric and determination up a value people to the welterweight part to look newly-crowned rubric holder, Jack Della Maddalena. The day for that combat has yet to beryllium announced.

Topuria, who relinquished his 145-pound (66kg) featherweight rubric earlier this twelvemonth and had publically expressed his tendency to combat Makhachev astatine the heavier lightweight classification, initially voiced his displeasure astatine the champion vacating his rubric loop connected May 13, accusing the Russian of moving distant from the challenge.

However, successful a caller interrogation connected The Ariel Helwani podcast, Topuria said helium understood the reasons down Makhachev’s decision.

“I don’t deliberation helium [Makhachev] is ducking me, to beryllium honest,” Topuria said. “I would beryllium lying to you if I told you that he’s ducking me. I deliberation he’s bushed of the value chopped [at lightweight division]. He wants a caller challenge. He moved to the welterweight division. He feels and helium thinks that helium has a accidental to go a treble champion. I deliberation that this is each he’s trying to do.”

How tin Topuria win?

Topuria’s wide method warring endowment and boxing capabilities are legendary, truthful Oliveira volition request to beryllium wary of trading blows with the almighty 28-year-old successful the Octagon.

In 2024, Topuria sensationally knocked retired 2 erstwhile all-time large UFC champions – Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway – to found his dominance successful a stacked featherweight division.

“Skill for skill, helium mightiness beryllium the champion pound-for-pound combatant successful the satellite … each of his opponents person stood toe-to-toe, and each person fallen,” said MMA commentator Alan Jouban connected ESPN.

“He [Topuria] volition decorativeness upstairs, and he’s got powerfulness that puts you to sleep,” added Jouban.

6 days 🌹 pic.twitter.com/g877zuSzMX

— Ilia Topuria (@Topuriailia) June 22, 2025

How tin Oliveira win?

If Oliveira tin triumph backmost the vacant lightweight loop connected Saturday, he’ll contradict Topuria joining a abbreviated database of legendary two-division champions.

Oliveira is 1 of the top lightweights of all-time and Topuria – a supremely-confident rival – cannot marque the mistake of underestimating the Sao Paulo native’s contrasting skillset.

The 35-year-old’s way to triumph lies successful his sublime quality to grapple with opponents. Oliveira’s crushed crippled is impressive, and his 16 wins by submission – successful a assortment of ways – marque him some a tricky and unsafe hostile for Topuria.

“I think, for Charles [Oliveira], he’s got to beryllium successful each the mode oregon each the mode retired and effort to unit immoderate grappling … helium needs to get connected top, helium needs to marque him [Topuria] wrestle. We haven’t seen [Topuria] person to bash that overmuch successful the UFC yet,” said Paul Felder, erstwhile MMA combatant and existent UFC commentator astatine ESPN.

Oliveira besides has advantages successful tallness (1.78m vs 1.7m) and scope (1.88m vs 1.75m), though el Matador, famously known for his spot successful the featherweight division, volition apt person a powerfulness vantage against the Brazilian, contempt moving up a value class.

Topuria Stats:

Topuria has a cleanable 16-0 UFC record.

His past combat was astatine UFC 308 successful Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, connected October 26, wherever helium made bully connected his bold committedness to go the archetypal antheral to sound retired Holloway.

“To bushed a fable similar Max Holloway, I don’t cognize what to say,” Topuria said astatine the time. “He’s been a large illustration for the generation. … I anticipation I’m gonna beryllium a tiny illustration helium has been for maine for the caller generation.”

Age: 28
Height: 5′ 7″ (1.7m)
Reach: 69 inches (1.75m)
Total fights: 16
Record: 16-0-0

Oliveria Stats:

Oliveira has a nonrecreational grounds of 35 wins and 10 losses, with 1 no-contest decision.

He endured a dilatory commencement to his career, winning lone 2 of his archetypal 7 fights portion fluctuating betwixt antithetic value classes.

From 2018 to 2021, ‘Do Bronx’ reeled disconnected a superlative 11-fight triumph streak that culminated successful him being crowned the UFC lightweight champion aft defeating Michael Chandler successful the rubric bout.

He mislaid the lightweight rubric to Makhachev connected October 22, 2022, erstwhile the Russian pulled disconnected a sensational head-and-arm choke submission successful the 2nd circular astatine UFC 280 successful Abu Dhabi.

Age: 35
Height: 5′ 10″ (1.78m)
Reach: 74 inches (1.88m)
Total fights: 46
Record: 35-10-0 (1 NC)

What person Topuria, Oliveira said astir the fight?

Topuria: “You tin ne'er number him retired due to the fact that he’s a unsafe guy,” Topuria said of Oliveira. “He has the astir finishes successful the UFC’s history. But I person faced those benignant of situations many, galore times, with [Alexander] Volkanovski, with Max Holloway”, helium said.

“The accomplishment improvement I’m bringing to this sport, they’ve ne'er felt it, they ne'er saw it. So this is what’s going to hap with Charles. He thinks that helium has immoderate opportunities, but the world is that helium [does] not. The lone happening helium has to bash is amusement up, and I’ll bash the rest.”

“I’m going to decorativeness him successful the archetypal round”, Topuria added.

Oliveira: “In reality, I’m not precise focused connected what [Topuria] has been doing, but [rather] connected what we tin get and take,” helium said.

“We are much than prepared for this fight. [Topuria] is simply a pugnacious opponent, but I cognize the firepower I person successful my hands.

“I’ll spell each in, I person a committedness to beryllium fulfilled, and I’m going to get this belt.”

Who is warring successful the co-main event?

A 2nd UFC rubric is astatine involvement successful the co-main lawsuit erstwhile Brazil’s Alexandre Pantoja takes connected Kai Kara-France for the flyweight championship.

Pantoja, the reigning flyweight champion, is defending his rubric against the dynamic striking New Zealander 9 years aft the brace archetypal clashed successful an Ultimate Fighter: Tournament of Champions bout.

Pantoja won the archetypal combat backmost successful 2016 but its just to accidental some competitors person progressed substantially since then.

Main combat card

Lightweight (title) – Ilia Topuria vs Charles Oliveira
Flyweight (title) – Alexandre Pantoja vs Kai Kara-France
Lightweight – Beneil Dariush vs Renato Moicano
Flyweight – Brandon Royval vs Joshua Van
Middleweight – Paulo Costa vs Roman Kopylov

How to watch

UFC Fight Pass is simply a planetary service, disposable successful astir countries extracurricular of Brazil. The app is disposable connected web, smartphones, tablets and Smart TVs. You tin besides find it connected the Apple Store and Google Play.

In the US, UFC 317: Topuria vs Oliveira volition beryllium broadcast unrecorded connected ESPN PPV, with streaming disposable via the ESPN+ app.

In India, Sony LIV volition broadcast UFC 317.

In the UK, TNT Sports and Discovery+ volition livestream the event.

Al Jazeera Sport volition supply live substance and photograph commentary of UFC 317, opening astatine 00:30 GMT connected Sunday morning.

Read Entire Article