Ilia Topuria made a statement in his lightweight debut, knocking out Charles Oliveira in the opening round to capture the vacant UFC lightweight title. There was no warm-up - Oliveira came out aggressive with low kicks and clinch work, even threatening a leg entanglement, but Topuria stayed composed and clinical.
The finish came moments later: a sharp right hand stunned the former champion, and the brutal left hook that followed shut him down instantly. With this win, Topuria adds another all-time great to a growing list that already includes Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway.
HE IS UNSTOPPABLE 🏆🏆@TopuriaIlia defeats Charles Oliveira by KO to become the new lightweight champion of the world! #UFC317 pic.twitter.com/2wM4qOonk7
— UFC (@ufc) June 29, 2025
Elsewhere on the card, Alexandre Pantoja retained his flyweight belt with a third-round submission of Kai Kara-France in a grappling-heavy showcase. Pantoja dominated early, securing takedowns and threatening with submissions, while Kara-France struggled to keep the fight standing. The challenger showed grit, but the champion's control was relentless.
After two dominant rounds, Pantoja once again took the back in the third and sunk in the fight-ending rear-naked choke. It was another clear-cut title defence for the Brazilian, who remains one of the most suffocating fighters in the division.
#AndStill 🏆#UFC317 | @PantojaMMA pic.twitter.com/uzalQT2BJl
— UFC (@ufc) June 29, 2025
Joshua Van and Brandon Royval lit up the arena with a potential fight of the year. Royval pushed a relentless pace, but Van matched it with measured pressure and power punching. Both men left it all in the cage, trading clean shots and momentum swings in every round.
Van pulled away late, dropping Royval in the third and sealing a unanimous decision in a career-defining performance. After the bout, he called for a shot at the flyweight title - and based on this showing, few would argue he hasn’t earned it.
Beneil Dariush showed veteran resilience against Renato Moicano, bouncing back from a rough first round to grind out a hard-fought decision win. After getting dropped early, Dariush turned to his grappling and completely shifted the dynamic in round two.
In the final frame, both fighters looked exhausted, but Dariush dug deep, secured back control, and shut down Moicano’s offence. It was a gutsy showing and a much-needed win for the 36-year-old, who proved he’s still a force at 155.
Opening the main card, Payton Talbott bounced back from his first professional loss with a composed and calculated win over Felipe Lima. The young prospect showed major improvements in his takedown defence, stuffing 11 of 14 attempts and punishing Lima on the feet.
It wasn’t a blowout, but it was a clear display of growth and grit. Talbott is still very much a name to watch in the bantamweight division.
Read on for all the results from T-Mobile Arena:
UFC 317 full card results
Main Card
- Ilia Topuria def. Charles Oliveira via knockout for the UFC lightweight title (2:27 into round one)
- Alexandre Pantoja (c) def. Kai Kara-France via submission for the UFC flyweight title (1:55 into round three)
- Joshua Van def. Brandon Royval via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
- Beneil Dariush def. Renato Moicano via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Payton Talbott def. Felipe Lima via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Prelims
- Gregory Rodrigues def. Jack Hermansson via TKO (4:21 into round one)
- Jose Miguel Delgado def. Hyder Amil via TKO (0:26 into round one)
- Tracy Cortez def. Viviane Araujo via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Terrance McKinney def. Viacheslav Borshchev via mounted guillotine choke (0:55 into round one)
Early Prelims
- Jacobe Smith def. Niko Price via rear-naked choke (4:03 into round two)
- Jhonata Diniz def. Alvin Hines via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)