Matchups to make after UFC 317: Ilia Topuria has a number of potential suitors

UFC 317 feels prefer it might be a “where were you when” touchpoint within the careers of a pair of supreme abilities that continued to show themselves to be amongst one of the best pound-for-pound opponents within the sport at the moment.

In the co-main occasion of the night, flyweight ruler Alexandre Pantoja dominated harmful Maori challenger Kai Kara-France, utilizing his supreme edge within the grappling division to neutralize Kara-France’s best weapons and in the end work to submit him slightly below two minutes into the third spherical. It was the Brazilian’s fourth consecutive profitable title defence and second consecutive bout the place he blew out and completed his opponent with ease, in addition to his eighth straight win general, all of which mix to scream “pound-for-pound great.”

And then we had been formally ushered into The Topuria Era, as the damaging 28-year-old claimed the vacant light-weight title with an hellacious first-round knockout win over Charles Oliveira, simply as he had promised.

The win made Topuria the second fighter to carry each the featherweight and light-weight belts, the second youngest athlete to achieve “double champ” standing within the UFC, and put him on a trajectory the place “all-time great” standing doesn’t really feel out of the query. It’s not simply that he’s operating by means of legends as he’s executed in his final three bouts both; it’s that he’s calling his photographs and doing it with fashion, inside and outdoors of the Octagon, elevating himself to the purpose the place he’s unquestionably the face of the UFC proper now and the subsequent potential international celebrity for the game.

He’s additionally a person that has plenty of choices going ahead, which we must always dive into.

A SIMMERING FUED SET TO COOK

Topuria and Paddy Pimblett first began getting beneath each other’s pores and skin a bit of over three years in the past, when the previous was nonetheless a featherweight and the latter had but to totally set up himself as a risk within the light-weight division.

Words had been exchanged in particular person and on social media, bottles of water and hand sanitizer had been thrown in varied instructions, and as they’ve every continued to have success, they’ve all the time stored tabs on the opposite, getting in little verbal jabs right here and there to ensure everybody remembers that they’ve a real dislike for each other.

Fast ahead to Saturday night time, the place Pimblett sat within the crowd that featured a number of others hoping to be the primary referred to as upon to face the newly-minted champion, solely to have Topuria commit his consideration to the lovable Scouser, calling him into the Octagon the place they bought face-to-face and a bit of testy earlier than being separated.

That one selection, that one interplay set the stage for what might be an enormous light-weight championship battle between a pair of professional rivals with huge fanbases behind them.

There are going to be those who need to argue that Justin Gaethje or Arman Tsarukyan deserve the primary shot at Topuria extra, and on benefit, that’s in all probability the case, however we’re not coping with a meritocracy right here. We’re speaking about prize-fighting, and neither of these two fights generate as a lot fervour and pleasure because the pairing between Topuria and Pimblett unquestionably will over the subsequent six months.

This potential pairing — which completely looks like the fitting path to go, for my part — is sort of a higher model of Sean O’Malley dealing with Chito Vera in his first bantamweight title defence, as each are extra partaking and charismatic than their 135-pound counterparts, and “Paddy the Baddy” has executed sufficient to the place it feels cheap for him to be on this place given the tensions between the 2. After all, he’s 7-0 within the UFC and coming off an absolute drubbing of Michael Chandler.

The case for Tsarukyan is that damage price him the chance to problem Islam Makhachev for the title at UFC 311 in January. He’s 9-1 over his final 10, together with a win over Oliveira, and presents an interesting problem for the brand new champion each bodily and stylistically. If there wasn’t such a ready-made rivalry and simple sale of a battle sitting there ripe for the choosing, a bout between Topuria and Tsarukyan, who served because the backup fighter for Saturday’s light-weight championship battle, could be a straightforward decide.

Gaethje’s case is a bit more tenuous, as he’s already fought for the title twice earlier than and misplaced, and is only one win faraway from being specified by the centre of the Octagon by Max Holloway at UFC 300. While the all-action standout would definitely be a compelling puzzle for the champion to have to unravel, it looks like his standing as a contender in the intervening time is closely leveraged on his general slate and the way timing didn’t work in his favour throughout Makhachev’s reign, and fewer about his having put up the form of wins that immediate you to offer severe consideration to Gaethje getting a 3rd shot on the UFC light-weight title.

The most fascinating particular person to think about in all of this isn’t even one of many potential challengers, however fairly the person that Topuria defeated on Saturday night time in Las Vegas to ascend to the light-weight throne, former champ Charles Oliveira.

This was a gnarly defeat that left him with a substantial minimize over his proper eye and specified by the middle of the cage for greater than only a beat or two. He stated all week the identical factor he is been saying for nearly three years now — “The Champion Has a Name” — however that identify clearly isn’t Charles Oliveira, and it’s important to surprise if this turns into the tip of the road for the beloved Brazilian?

He’s simply 2-2 over his final 4 fights, beating Beneil Dariush and Chandler, whereas shedding to Tsarukyan and Topuria, who each occur to be 28 years outdated and on the vanguard of the subsequent technology of expertise surging ahead within the UFC in the intervening time. 

Titles and legacy are the 2 issues that proceed to inspire “Do Bronx,” however with how issues went at UFC 317 and the abundance of choices out there to Topuria already, I’m undecided the 35-year-old will need to commit himself to a two-year push for yet one more shot that may ship him into battle in opposition to a bunch of harmful adversaries in non-title bouts, with no ensures of victory or a title shot ready within the wings.

Should Oliveira choose to maintain soldiering ahead, a matchup with both Dan Hooker or Max Holloway, ought to Holloway greatest Dustin Poirier subsequent month and efficiently defend his BMF title would make sense as marquee bouts that would offer a transparent indication of the place the previous champion stands within the division and what the longer term might maintain.

NEXT FLYWEIGHT TITLE FIGHT MADE ITSELF

One of the explanations it’s all the time nice to have a No. 1 contender bout on the identical card — or no less than on a really comparable timeline — as the most recent championship battle is that when the smoke clears, you recognize precisely who shall be dealing with who subsequent and have a good suggestion of when that battle may happen offered everybody got here away from their respective bouts with none severe accidents.

Right earlier than Pantoja ran by means of Kara-France to defend his flyweight title, Joshua Van wrapped up an insane first six months of 2025 by defeating Brandon Royval of their short-notice title eliminator. It was the second win of the month for the 23-year-old native of Myanmar, his third victory already this 12 months, and eighth in 9 UFC appearances, all of which have come within the final two years.

Rather than head to the again to make the media rounds following his thrilling win over Royval in what must be the clubhouse chief within the Fight of the Year race, Van sat out by the Octagon and watch Pantoja’s bout with Kara-France, becoming a member of the Brazilian champion within the Octagon afterwards for a tense stare down.

There aren’t any different choices to think about proper now at flyweight: Pantoja needs a contemporary problem, Van simply had a breakout second in an exciting battle that confirmed his toughness and moxie, in addition to his ability, and there’s no one else that has a robust sufficient case to be thought of right here.

As a lot as all of us love Brandon Moreno, the previous champion is 0-2 in opposition to Pantoja within the UFC, with one other loss throughout their time on The Ultimate Fighter, and good wins over Amir Albazi and Steve Erceg simply don’t really feel like fairly sufficient to place him of their with Pantoja once more, not when there’s a enjoyable and thrilling different on the prepared. If Manel Kape can get wholesome by September, pair him off with Moreno, as a result of the winner of that one would then have a robust case for a championship alternative in 2026.

Beneil Dariush: After snapping a two-fight skid with a hard-earned win over Renato Moicano in Las Vegas, a pairing with Rafael Fiziev is a straightforward battle to make based mostly on timelines and rankings. Both are ranked within the Top 10 and Fiziev halted a bit of slide of his personal the earlier weekend in Baku, so lining them up reverse each other later this 12 months retains the victor transferring ahead within the loaded light-weight division.

Payton Talbott: Folks jumped off the bandwagon when Talbott misplaced to Rani Barcelos in January, however some will seemingly be seeking to reclaim their seats after the Reno, Nevada native earned a hard-fought win over Felipe Lima to kick off Saturday’s most important card. Up subsequent, how about Chris Gutierrez?

Gregory Rodrigues: “Robocop” closed out the prelims by thumping Jack Hermansson, and a date with Abus Magomedov or the winner of the approaching conflict between Paulo Costa and Roman Kopylov could be stable choices.

Jose Miguel Delgado: With a pair of first-round stoppage wins to open his rookie season within the UFC, we may see the MMA Lab product get a major step up in competitors subsequent day trip. Can I curiosity you in a bout with Chepe Mariscal, who’s unbeaten in his 5 UFC begins?

Tracy Cortez: Cortez bought issues transferring in the fitting path once more with a grinding victory over Viviane Araujo at UFC 317. The ladies’s flyweight division is a bit of jumbled in the intervening time, however a rematch between Cortez and Erin Blanchfield, who fought to a break up choice beneath the Invicta FC banner, may assist make clear issues within the higher tier of the 125-pound ranks.