Featherweight to Lightweight: Topuria's Bold Move

In the world of mixed martial arts, big things are happening. UFC 317 is set to take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Two major fights are stealing the spotlight. First, Ilia Topuria is making a weight class jump. He's moving from featherweight to lightweight. His opponent? None other than Charles Oliveira. Both fighters are aiming for the vacant 155-pound belt. Topuria is no stranger to success. He's currently ranked No. 2 pound-for-pound by Uncrowned. His recent victories against Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway have solidified his status as a rising star. Topuria is Georgian but calls Spain home. He's 28 years old and hungry for another title. His only other UFC fight at 155 pounds ended in a knockout win over Jai Herbert. Oliveira is a seasoned veteran with an impressive record. He holds the UFC record for most finishes, submissions, and post-fight bonuses. At 35, he's still chasing lightweight gold. His last win came against Michael Chandler in November. From 2018 to 2022, Oliveira was on a roll. He won 11 straight fights, including championship stoppages of Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje. The co-main event features Alexandre Pantoja defending his flyweight title against Kai Kara-France. Pantoja is ranked No. 4 pound-for-pound by Uncrowned. He's on a seven-fight win streak since 2021. His title defenses include wins over Brandon Royval and Steve Erceg. Kara-France earned his shot with a first-round knockout of Erceg in August. The action starts with the preliminary card at 7 p. m. ET on ESPN+ and Disney+. The main card kicks off at 10 p. m. ET on ESPN+ pay-per-view. Fans can expect round-by-round updates and highlights throughout the night.