1 year ago
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Brett OkamotoJun 29, 2025, 04:05 PM ET
- Brett Okamoto has reported connected mixed martial arts and boxing astatine ESPN since 2010. He has covered each of the biggest events successful combat sports during that time, including in-depth interviews and features with names specified arsenic Dana White, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz, Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao and Georges St-Pierre. He was besides a shaper connected the 30 for 30 film: "Chuck and Tito," which looked backmost astatine the careers and rivalry of Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz. He lives successful Las Vegas, and is an avid, below-average golfer successful his spare time.
UFC 317 was an lawsuit afloat of fighters making large statements. However, astir of those proclamations came via their actions wrong the Octagon connected Saturday night.
Perhaps the biggest connection of the nighttime was successful the main event, erstwhile erstwhile featherweight champion Ilia Topuria continued his tally of bulldozing done immoderate of the sport's astir notable fighters by disposing of erstwhile lightweight champion Charles Oliveira via first-round knockout to assertion the lightweight belt. Before this win, Topuria picked up knockout wins implicit Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway.
Earlier successful the night, the men's flyweight part took halfway signifier arsenic Alexandre Pantoja and Joshua Van earned awesome wins implicit Kai Kara-France and Brandon Royval, respectively. Will their wins acceptable up the adjacent rubric combat successful the 125-pound division?
Following 1 of the astir breathtaking UFC pay-per-view events of the year, however should the aboriginal matchmaking play out? Here's what should beryllium adjacent for the apical fighters from UFC 317.
Ilia Topuria, lightweight
2:22
Topuria eyes 'huge fight' vs. Pimblett pursuing Oliveira clash
Ilia Topuria reveals his aboriginal combat plans if helium beats Charles Oliveira for the vacant UFC lightweight title.
Who should beryllium next: Winner of Paddy Pimblett vs. Justin Gaethje
The evident reply is Pimblett, but that past week, Topuria told maine helium thought Pimblett should get 1 much triumph earlier warring for a title. He said it was lone "fair" to marque Pimblett, ESPN's No. 5-ranked lightweight, combat erstwhile more. It was a existent connection erstwhile helium said it, and it's inactive existent now.
Gaethje says the UFC owes him a rubric fight, and successful a way, he's right. It goes backmost to him putting a lightweight rubric changeable connected the enactment to bash the institution a favour and combat Holloway astatine UFC 300. The elemental fact, though, is helium won't get a combat against Topuria without taking 1 more. He's ranked higher than Pimblett, but Pimblett has each the instrumentality momentum. I judge the UFC should "make it right" with Gaethje by booking the Pimblett fight, if helium wants it. If helium doesn't privation it, determination up with Topuria versus Pimblett. But if Gaethje is consenting to judge it and archer himself, "OK, I merit a rubric shot, but sometimes you don't ever get what you merit successful this athletics and I don't privation to retire," past this combat makes sense.
Wildcard: Dustin Poirier
The wildcard of each wildcards. I uncertainty it'll happen, but if Poirier were to sound retired Holloway adjacent period successful what is meant to beryllium his status combat successful New Orleans, who is to accidental Topuria doesn't inquire for Poirier? Poirier is the benignant of fable that doesn't travel on each day, and Topuria mightiness privation to adhd that to his résumé. Even if each of that were to happen, Poirier mightiness discontinue anyway.
Charles Oliveira, lightweight
Who should beryllium next: Max Holloway
This is 1 of those matchups that has ever been determination -- an evident enactment if and erstwhile Holloway moved up to 155 pounds. Whether helium wins oregon loses astatine UFC 318 adjacent month, fans and pundits volition apt commencement talking astir Holloway versus Oliveira. As agelong arsenic Topuria is the lightweight champion, Holloway and Oliveira -- some of whom Topuria has knocked retired - are beauteous overmuch connected the extracurricular of the rubric picture, but the matchup would beryllium a banger. Holloway and Oliveira fought erstwhile astatine featherweight backmost successful 2015, and the combat was chopped highly abbreviated erstwhile Oliveira suffered a freak cervix injury.
Wildcard: Retirement
Despite closing successful connected astir 50 nonrecreational fights, Oliveira doesn't look anyplace adjacent to retirement. He's ever maintained a steadfast information for the game. And though he's seemingly been astir forever, he's lone 35 years old. That said, due to the fact that he's been astatine the apical of the athletics for truthful long, determination aren't galore fights near that marque overmuch sense. He's 1 of those beloved figures you don't privation to spot combat conscionable to fight. The UFC tin inactive find fights for Oliveira and volition -- I genuinely don't expect him to discontinue aft this nonaccomplishment -- but it's worthy throwing this enactment successful arsenic a wildcard due to the fact that Oliveira has thing near to prove.
Alexandre Pantoja and Joshua Van, men's flyweights
0:57
Alexandre Pantoja dominates with crushed crippled to bushed Kai Kara-France
Alexandre Pantoja dominates to bushed Kai Kara-France by submission successful the 3rd circular to clasp his UFC flyweight title.
What should beryllium next: Pantoja vs. Van for the flyweight championship
Van has genuinely travel retired of nowhere. But this is the combat to make. Brandon Moreno has done much than Van successful his career, of course, and he's looked bully since taking a little hiatus from the athletics successful 2024, but MMA loves to spell with the blistery hand, and Van is connected occurrence close now.
Kudos to the UFC for recognizing this and acting rapidly connected it. Pantoja wants to correspond the part successful the astir entertaining mode possible, and Van is each amusement close now. Is helium acceptable for Pantoja? The tenable reply is astir apt no. It each has happened truthful accelerated for the 23-year-old, and Pantoja is legitimately an all-time great. No disrespect to immoderate matchup that came earlier it, but this is the astir intriguing men's flyweight rubric combat successful caller memory.
Kai Kara-France, men's flyweight
Who should beryllium next: Manel Kape
It's a spot of a heartbreaker for Kara-France. All losses are -- particularly rubric fights -- but Kara-France was truthful emotionally and mentally invested successful this rubric opportunity, and Pantoja did not let him to get going. This nonaccomplishment volition sting, but if you privation to springiness Kara-France a matchup that volition instantly crook the occurrence backmost on, it's Kape.
These 2 person been eyeing 1 different from a region for years. There person been antithetic notes to the rivalry, but it boils down to a elemental idiosyncratic dislike for 1 another. They were expected to combat successful 2023 successful Australia, but Kara-France suffered a concussion and was forced to bow out. This is the astir evident combat to publication successful the full flyweight part close now.
Wildcard: Kai Asakura
Asakura is scheduled to look Tim Elliott astatine UFC 319 successful August. If Asakura wins, he'll beryllium ranked wrong the apical 10, and this matchup volition commencement to leap disconnected the page. There are similarities betwixt these 2 -- namely, their precocious knockout potential. Whether this matchup ends up being adjacent oregon happens down the road, you tin stake we volition yet spot Kara-France vs. Asakura successful a UFC Fight Night main lawsuit oregon connected a pay-per-view main card.
Payton Talbott, men's bantamweight
1:03
Payton Talbott finishes hostile successful lightning-quick 19 seconds
Payton Talbott improves his undefeated grounds to 9-0 with a speedy decorativeness implicit Yanis Ghemmouri.
Who should beryllium next: Adrian Yanez
This combat showed however fickle MMA tin be. Talbott was being touted arsenic the adjacent large happening astatine bantamweight, but due to the fact that of 1 mediocre show against seasoned Raoni Barcelos successful his past bout Talbott came into this 1 with small hype. Felipe Lima was a important betting favorite, and a communicative had started to signifier that Talbott couldn't wrestle. It was a large bounce-back triumph that puts Talbott close backmost to wherever helium was earlier the Barcelos loss. I thin to privation to springiness him the matchup helium wants, which is Yanez, whom helium mentioned successful his postfight interview. Yanez erstwhile had a batch of hype but has struggled with immoderate inconsistent performances. Talbott's swag is back, and 1 would deliberation Yanez would beryllium excited to look a budding imaginable who has been calling him out.
Wildcard: Aleksandre Topuria
The UFC should privation eyes connected Talbott. Lima was a large trial six months aft a combat successful which Talbott's grappling wasn't up to speed. He earned the promotion's attraction to the constituent that it should beryllium reinvested successful his progress. Aleksandre, older member of Ilia, would beryllium a large mode to pull attraction to some bantamweights.
