Are mixed martial arts fans about to see an even better version of Ilia Topuria when he steps into the UFC 317 main event spotlight this weekend against Charles Oliveira?
“I’ve never felt so good on fight week,” Topuria told UFC Embedded less than a week out from his vacant lightweight title fight that caps off the organization’s International Fight Week.
Watch UFC 317 on Sportsnet+
Ilia Topuria faces Charles Oliveira for the vacant lightweight title and Alexandre Pantoja defends his flyweight title against Kai Kara-France. Watch UFC 317 on Saturday, June 28 with prelim coverage beginning 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT, and pay-per-view main card starting at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT.
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Topuria was the UFC’s undisputed featherweight champion and ended his tenure at 145 pounds with back-to-back knockout wins over Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway before deciding to vacate the title and move up to the 155-pound division.
The 28-year-old Spanish-Georgian star is 16-0 in MMA with half of his wins coming under the UFC banner over the past five years.
Topuria had only fought once as a lightweight in the UFC but cited the difficult weight cut down to 145 pounds as the main reason for his permanent move up to 155 pounds.
“The reality is I belong (in) this weight division,” Topuria added on Embedded. “My muscle is on point, my power’s on point, everything is on point.”
Topuria’s anticipated title fight with Oliveira, plus the co-main event between flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja and challenger Kai Kara-France, aren’t the only things fight fans can look forward to this week.
Sportsnet’s Aaron Bronsteter and Anna Dua are on site in Las Vegas for International Fight Week festivities, so stay tuned to Sportsnet.ca for exclusive content and one-on-one fighter interviews.
Here’s what else is happening this week …
June 25, Media Day: Official media events begin Wednesday when participating athletes will speak with gathered reporters at the UFC Apex.
June 26, Pre-fight Press Conference: UFC 317 athletes will be on stage Thursday beginning at approximately 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT. Scheduled participants include all main card fighters. This event will be available to stream live on Sportsnet+.
June 26, UFC Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony: Thursday night will see a handful of legends get enshrined into the Hall of Fame. The inductees are: Robbie Lawler and Amanda Nunes (Modern Era), Vitor Belfort and Mark Kerr (Pioneer Era), Israel Adesanya vs. Kelvin Gastelum (Fight Wing), Craig Piligian (Contributor Wing), and Oliveira is the recipient of the Forrest Griffin Community Award.
June 27, UFC 317 Official Weigh-in Show on Sportsnet: Fans can start their Friday off by tuning into Bronsteter and Dua, who will be broadcasting live from the UFC Apex on Friday as they report the official weights for UFC 317 athletes and speak to some of the participating fighters.
This special event will be available to stream live on Sportsnet.ca and Sportsnet+ beginning at approximately 11:55 a.m. ET / 8:55 a.m. PT.
There will be a one-pound allowance for all non-title bouts, but the four title competitors won’t have that luxury. Topuria and Oliveira must weigh no heavier than 155 pounds for their lightweight title fight to be made official, while Pantoja and Kara-France must weigh no heavier than 125 pounds.
June 27, UFC 317 Ceremonial Weigh-in: Later on Friday, fighters will face off with their respective opponents in front of cheering fans on the eve of the event at T-Mobile Arena. This will also be available to stream live on Sportsnet+ beginning at approximately 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT.
June 28, UFC 317: Saturday’s preliminary card coverage begins at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT on Sportsnet 360 and Sportsnet+ with the pay-per-view main card available for purchase through Sportsnet+ set to start at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT.
UFC 317 FIGHT CARD AND PROJECTED BOUT ORDER
MAIN CARD
-- Ilia Topuria vs. Charles Oliveira (five rounds for vacant lightweight title)
-- Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Kara-France (five rounds for men's flyweight title)
-- Brandon Royval vs. Joshua Van
-- Beneil Dariush vs. Renato Moicano
-- Payton Talbott vs. Felipe Lima
PRELIMINARY CARD
-- Jack Hermansson vs. Gregory Rodrigues
-- Hyder Amil vs. Jose Delgado
-- Viviane Araujo vs. Tracy Cortez
-- Terrance McKinney vs. Viacheslav Borshchev
-- Sedriques Dumas vs. Jackson McVey
-- Jhonata Diniz vs. Alvin Hines
-- Niko Price vs. Jacobe Smith
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