In the headline bout of Saturday`s UFC 317 event, Ilia Topuria is slated to challenge Charles Oliveira for the vacant UFC lightweight championship. Topuria`s significant decision to move up to the 155-pound division, after relinquishing his featherweight belt, poses a major question: will this considerable gamble pay off against one of the most acclaimed lightweight fighters in the history of the sport?
Looking ahead to the International Fight Week card, MMA Fighting`s Mike Heck and Alexander K. Lee provided a comprehensive preview of the pay-per-view lineup. Their discussion specifically delved into the Topuria-Oliveira title encounter, potential future directions for each competitor depending on the fight`s conclusion, and what the most unexpected outcome of the match could be. The preview also covered the co-main event – the flyweight title fight between Alexandre Pantoja and Kai Kara-France – identified which athletes on the card face the highest pressure, addressed the unfortunate weigh-in incident resulting in Christopher Ewert`s removal from the promotion, and touched on various other relevant points concerning the event.
