UFC 317 Pay-Per-View: Initial Betting Lines for Main Event
Hear ye, hear ye! The UFC's announced the slap ‘em, tap ‘em lineup for the upcoming UFC 317 PPV, set to drop a fistful of fighty-goodness on June 28, 2025, at the T-Mobile Arena in Sin City, baby! This pun-ch-packed party will be the 2025 version of the UFC's annual International Fight Week, and it doesn't get more international than Vegas, baby!
The UFC dropped the main card during the UFC 316 broadcast, and au contraire to what you might expect, there ain't gonna be any fairy-tale themes in sight for this summer fight bonanza. Here's the card, and you can bet your last buck on it:
- Ilia Topuria (-300) vs. Charles Oliveira (+250) - For the vacant UFC lightweight title
- Alexandre Pantoja (-250) vs. Kai Kara-France (+210) - Pantoja's UFC flyweight title on the line
- Paulo Costa (+185) vs. Roman Kopylov (-220) - Middleweight iron fists collide
- Beneil Dariush (+155) vs. Renato Moicano (-180) - Turn the lights out, bro, it's the lightweight showdown you've been waiting for
- Jhonata Diniz (-265) vs. Justin Tafa (+225) - Heavyweight beef to be settled(Odds via BetOnline)
Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira - The Lightweight Title Tussle
Ilia Topuria (16-0), a former Cage Warriors champion, stepped into the UFC in 2020, all guns blazing. Winning nine before he even got here, this dude didn't waste any time making a name for himself. Ranked No. 14 in the featherweight division after three UFC bouts, he didn't stop until he was beating 'em left and right, with three of those victories coming via knockout.
claiming his first "Performance of the Night" bonus and climbing to the ninth spot in the rankings. A matchup with No. 5 ranked Josh Emmett followed, and after a Face-Off Fight of the Night scrap, Topuria picked up the decision win.
When Topuria faced off against Alexander Volkanovski for the UFC featherweight title at UFC 298, he stepped into the octagon as the No. 3 ranked featherweight. The little guy left as the champ after knocking out Volkanovski in the second stanza.
In his first defense of the UFC featherweight crown, Topuria made history, becoming the first fighter to finish former 145-pound champion Max Holloway via strikes. Knocking out the ex-champ in the third round of their UFC 308 meeting in October 2024, Topuria said "see ya" to the featherweight division and vowed to sit tight until he got a 155-pound title shot. That fight takes place at UFC 317.
Charles Oliveira (35-10-0-1) has been mixing it up with the UFC since 2010. Winning the vacant lightweight title with his win over Chandler and defending it once, beating Dustin Poirier, Oliveira missed weight for his second title defense against Justin Gaethje. That became his only defense before losing his belt on the scale and losing the fight via submission, but with each setback, this dog comes back fighting harder.
With an impressive record of 20 finishes in the UFC, Oliveira is a fan favorite and, make no mistake, he's got some serious submission skills, bro! Since that loss, Oliveira is 1-1, beating Beneil Dariush by TKO in June 2023 and losing to Arman Tsarukyan via split decision in April of this year.
Oliveira is coming off a November 2024 decision win over Michael Chandler. Ranked No. 2 in the official UFC lightweight rankings, Oliveira believes he's got the punching power to take down Topuria.
Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Kara-France - Flyweight Battle Royal
Alexandre Pantoja (29-5) is riding a seven-fight winning streak heading into the UFC 317 dance. Making his UFC debut in July 2017, the 35-year-old Brazilian took home a split-decision win over Eric Shelton. Pantoja's career had its ups and downs over the next three years, where he went 5-3, but he's gotten his groove back since dropping a decision to Askar Askarov in July 2020.
Pantoja won the UFC flyweight title in July 2023 on the heels of two "Performance of the Night" submission wins. Pantoja secured the 125-pound title with a split decision win over Brandon Moreno. Since that victory, Pantoja has defended his title three times, beating Brandon Royval in December 2023 and Steve Erceg in May 2024, both fights ending in decision victories. Pantoja picked up his 19th career finish in his third title defense, submitting Kai Asakura at UFC 310 in December 2024.
Kai Kara-France (25-11-0-1) was 17-7-0-1 when he got the call from the UFC in 2019. In his first fight with the promotion, the New Zealander faced a short-notice opponent in Elias Garcia. The duo won "Fight of the Night" honors for their efforts, with Kara-France taking the decision win. Kara-France followed that victory with two more wins on the judge's scorecards before facing future champion Brandon Moreno on the early prelims of the UFC 245 pay-per-view card. Moreno took the decision in that bout, but Kara-France tore off three straight wins between March 2021 and March 2022.
Climbing to No. 2 in the division, Kara-France found himself facing Moreno once again, this time in the co-main event of UFC 277, with the interim UFC flyweight title on the line. Moreno emerged the victor, winning the bout by TKO in the third round. Kara-France followed that setback with a split-decision loss to Amir Albazi in June 2023.
Kara-France was scheduled to fight Manel Kape in September 2023 for UFC 293, but a concussion during training camp prevented Kara-France from competing on that card. He didn't return to action until August 2024, where he earned a first-round TKO win and a "Performance of the Night" bonus against Steve Erceg.
Ranked No. 4 in the official UFC flyweight rankings, Kara-France aims to take the title from Pantoja and climb to the top. Stay tuned for more on this flyweight showdown and the rest of the UFC 317 fight card as the event draws near.
Sports enthusiasts and mixed-martial-arts fans alike eagerly await UFC 317, set to take place during International Fight Week in Las Vegas, as it promises an exciting lineup of fights, including the main event between Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira. This matchup sees Topuria, ranked ninth in the UFC's lightweight rankings, aiming to take the vacant title from Oliveira, who is number two in the division.
Following his impressive victory over Alexandre Pantoja for the UFC's flyweight title, Kai Kara-France has been set to defend his belt against Pantoja once more at UFC 317. Kara-France, currently ranked fourth in the division, will strive to maintain his title against the formidable Pantoja, who has won seven straight fights and holds the UFC flyweight championship title.
