This weekend’s UFC 317 event in Las Vegas will feature Ilia Topuria battling Charles Oliveira for the vacant lightweight title, setting the stage for a historic moment in Charles Oliveira UFC lightweight history. With 12 undisputed lightweight champions and three interim titleholders in UFC history, the division has never seen a two-time champion at 155 pounds. Oliveira, a former lightweight king, has the chance to make history if he wins against Topuria.
Charles Oliveira’s journey through the lightweight championship
Charles Oliveira first captured the lightweight crown in 2021 by defeating Michael Chandler via technical knockout at UFC 262, a title fight open after Khabib Nurmagomedov’s retirement in late 2020. Oliveira successfully defended his belt twice: first against Dustin Poirier at UFC 269, then against Justin Gaethje at UFC 274. However, the bout against Gaethje was not for the title because Oliveira missed weight by half a pound, resulting in the loss of his championship status before the fight. Had Gaethje won, he would have claimed the belt.
Following that, Oliveira fought Islam Makhachev for another vacant lightweight title at UFC 280 but was submitted in the second round, ending his winning streak. Makhachev successfully defended the title multiple times before vacating it earlier in 2024 to chase the welterweight championship, leaving the lightweight crown vacant once again.
The fight against Topuria will mark Oliveira’s fourth opportunity to win the UFC lightweight belt, and notably, three of those four title matches have been for vacant championships.
Topuria’s quest to become a two-division champion without a loss
Ilia Topuria enters UFC 317 undefeated with a 16-0 professional record and an 8-0 UFC tenure starting from 2020. The 28-year-old Spanish-Georgian star claimed the featherweight title in early 2024 by knocking out Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 and successfully defended that belt at UFC 308 by delivering the first knockout defeat to Max Holloway.
Should Topuria defeat Oliveira, he would be UFC’s 10th two–division champion and the first to do so without ever suffering a professional loss. Although he vacated the featherweight belt in April, his new title win at lightweight would make him only the second fighter after Conor McGregor to hold titles in both featherweight and lightweight divisions, though not simultaneously.
Flyweight division excitement: Joshua Van’s emerging title ambitions
On the UFC 317 main card just before the lightweight title bout, Joshua Van will take on Brandon Royval in a pivotal flyweight match. Van, a rising star who seized this fight on short notice, is riding an impressive 7-1 UFC record and ranks third all-time in significant strikes landed among flyweights. His 8.2 strikes per minute lead all active UFC fighters across all weight classes.
At just 23 years old and originally from Myanmar, Van expressed strong confidence ahead of his match.
“After I (beat Royval) I’m gonna get the title for sure.”
—Joshua Van, UFC Flyweight Contender
Van also emphasized the excitement his pressure-fighting style will bring, saying,
“The thing I bring is a little different. The pressure, Two pressure fighters going to fight in the middle of the cage, so it’s going to be great for the fans.”
—Joshua Van, UFC Flyweight Contender
Royval enters as the flyweight division’s number one contender but carries two losses to reigning champion Alexandre Pantoja, including a unanimous decision defeat at UFC 296.
Van plans to weigh in at championship weight, preparing to possibly step in for Pantoja or Kara-France if needed, highlighting his readiness for a title opportunity.
Alexandre Pantoja and Kai Kara-France prepare for rematch at UFC 317
Co-headlining UFC 317, Alexandre Pantoja defends his flyweight title against Kai Kara-France in a rematch of their 2016 Ultimate Fighter exhibition bout where Pantoja earned a unanimous decision victory. Both fighters have evolved considerably since then.
Pantoja, 35, is currently on a seven-fight winning streak, including a December 2023 submission win over Kai Asakura. Kara-France, 32, returned from a 14-month injury layoff earlier last year with a first-round TKO win over Steve Erceg, who had previously pushed Pantoja to a full five rounds at UFC 301.
Pantoja praised Kara-France’s skills, stating,
“He has powerful hands, amazing takedown defence, That’s a good challenge for me because I like to go to the ground, I like to finish my opponents, I like to use my jiu-jitsu, and maybe for Kai, I need to use more of my striking. It’s a good challenge.”
—Alexandre Pantoja, UFC Flyweight Champion
Pantoja expressed confidence ahead of their rematch:
“He knows, and I know I can win one more time.”
—Alexandre Pantoja, UFC Flyweight Champion
Veteran lightweight bout: Renato Moicano seeks to best Beneil Dariush
A longtime UFC lightweight veteran, Renato “Money” Moicano will meet Beneil Dariush in a rebooked matchup at UFC 317 after an original fight fell through earlier this year. Moicano, 36, who was given a short-notice title chance against Islam Makhachev in January after Arman Tsarukyan’s withdrawal, is favored but with less certainty than before due to his recent loss to Makhachev.
Moicano joked about his intentions leading into the fight, aiming to end Dariush’s career:
“putting a beating on Dariush and sending the greybeard into retirement.”
He also noted that his second training camp for Dariush felt smoother and more productive than the first.
Felipe Lima aims to impress in UFC 317’s surprise main card feature
Felipe Lima has emerged as an exciting bantamweight contender with 14 consecutive wins since beginning his professional MMA career in 2015. Moving from featherweight, where he won twice in 2024, Lima will return to 135 pounds to face Payton Talbott at UFC 317. Talbott, coming off his first professional loss in January, previously earned three stoppage wins in the UFC.
Lima acknowledged his opportunity, saying,
“Payton has a good name behind him, he has good hype, so I think beating Payton is gonna put me in a good position in the UFC.”
—Felipe Lima, UFC Bantamweight Fighter
Lima promises to deliver an impressive performance in his main card debut to showcase his growing skills and potential.
Last-minute change in preliminary fight lineup
UFC announced a change to the preliminary card where Sedriques Dumas was removed from his scheduled bout against Jackson McVey. McVey now faces UFC newcomer Chris Ewert. Both McVey and Ewert come undefeated into their UFC debuts, with McVey holding a 6-0 record and Ewert 7-0 as a professional.
Dumas, 29, has been dealing with serious legal issues stemming from an arrest in late April, facing multiple felonies and misdemeanors, which likely affected his removal from the card.
Full UFC 317 fight card and schedule
Main card:
— Ilia Topuria vs. Charles Oliveira (Vacant Lightweight Title)
— Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Kara-France (Flyweight Title Defense)
— Brandon Royval vs. Joshua Van
— Beneil Dariush vs. Renato Moicano
— Payton Talbott vs. Felipe Lima
Preliminary card:
— Jack Hermansson vs. Gregory Rodrigues
— Hyder Amil vs. Jose Delgado
— Viviane Araujo vs. Tracy Cortez
— Terrance McKinney vs. Viacheslav Borshchev
— Jhonata Diniz vs. Alvin Hines
— Niko Price vs. Jacobe Smith
— Christopher Ewert vs. Jackson McVey
Significance and future implications for UFC lightweight history and beyond
The main event between Charles Oliveira and Ilia Topuria is more than just a fight; it could rewrite UFC lightweight history by crowning the division’s first-ever two-time champion. Oliveira’s pursuit ties back to his impactful legacy and resilience following setbacks and losing the title. Meanwhile, Topuria aims to cement his dominance with an undefeated record and dual-division success, a rare achievement that would elevate his standing among UFC legends.
The flyweight showdown between Pantoja and Kara-France promises an intriguing battle of contrasting styles, while Joshua Van’s rising star and readiness to seize a title shot hint at the continuing evolution of the 125-pound division.
With compelling matchups across the card, UFC 317 appears poised to deliver pivotal moments that will influence title pictures and fighter trajectories in multiple weight classes throughout 2024 and beyond.