UFC 317 is now concluded, marking a significant event where Ilia Topuria became the new lightweight champion. Competing in Las Vegas on Saturday, Topuria successfully moved up to the 155-pound division, achieving a first-round knockout victory over Charles Oliveira. This win made him just the 10th fighter in UFC history to hold titles in two divisions. His recent string of victories is undeniably legendary, but questions arise: how legendary is it truly? We convened the MMA Fighting panel of experts to discuss Topuria`s impressive run, Alexandre Pantoja`s successful title defenses and rising status, and other major talking points from UFC 317.
Impressions of UFC 317
Martin: This event was exactly what the UFC needed. Looking back at the 2025 pay-per-view results so far, there hasn`t been much significant progress in terms of building new stars for the promotion. While fighters like Merab Dvalishvili and Jack Della Maddalena brought some excitement, UFC 317, from start to finish, delivered massively like no other card this year. Well done.
Lee: Although it appeared somewhat uncertain on paper, UFC 317 proved to be a highly entertaining card with lasting implications for the lightweight and flyweight divisions. To borrow a thought from the insightful Dan Tom, perhaps stocking your card with elite fighters under 155 pounds is indeed a good strategy?
Heck: This was the best card of 2025, and it`s not even close. We will be discussing this event for a considerable amount of time, and it`s likely that more than one year-end award will be influenced by events that took place on Saturday.
Meshew: Simply put: thrilling, riveting, impressive, and genuinely good fun.
Discussing Ilia Topuria`s Historic Run
Meshew: In terms of a three-fight sequence, this certainly ranks among the very best. In my estimation, Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway are two of the top 10 greatest fighters of all time, and Charles Oliveira is within the top 25. This means Topuria has now knocked out three all-time greats, slightly past their absolute prime, in three consecutive fights, including being the first fighter ever to knock out Holloway. While other runs might be similarly impressive, I don`t believe we have ever witnessed anyone accomplish something more remarkable.
Martin: His current standing is exceptionally high, solely based on the caliber of competition he has faced and the utterly dominant manner in which Topuria has defeated everyone. His recent three-fight run includes knockout victories over two of the three greatest featherweights ever, Volkanovski and Holloway. Then, he goes on to demolish Oliveira, who hadn`t been knocked out in nearly six years! That is incredibly impressive. The only person whose run challenges Topuria`s is Jon Jones after he defeated Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Lyoto Machida, and Rashad Evans in succession. Defeating four former champions back-to-back is quite extraordinary.
Lee: I`m giving him the nod. Every time I write about Topuria, I typically recount his recent run, and no matter how many times I type it, it never fails to sound insane: the only fighter to defeat Volkanovski at 145 pounds, the only fighter ever to knock out Holloway. And now, add a knockout of Charles Oliveira, a top-10 all-time lightweight, in under half a round? It is the best run ever.
Heck: It`s becoming increasingly difficult to argue against it. Topuria is a rare talent in this sport. Of course, many fighters have had great runs, or possessed limitless potential, high ceilings, or immense talent, the list goes on. But very few in the history of the sport can truly be described as “special,” and Topuria belongs on that exclusive list. I still believe Jon Jones` run following his disqualification loss to Matt Hamill, through winning the light heavyweight title and up to the first Alexander Gustafsson fight, holds the top spot. However, Topuria has significantly narrowed that gap. I think “El Matador” is currently ranked No. 2, and he is far from finished. I am confident that Jones won`t hold that top position for much longer.
Alexandre Pantoja`s Continued Ascent
Heck: This served as a stark reminder that even if the UFC is sometimes said to lack mainstream stars, they certainly possess some exceptionally talented fighters on their roster. The fact that Alexandre Pantoja is ranked No. 5 on my current pound-for-pound list highlights the depth of talent present right now – from Islam Makhachev, to Topuria, Merab Dvalishvili, Dricus du Plessis, Pantoja, Tom Aspinall, and many others. Fans should cherish this era where the pound-for-pound debate involves five or six fighters who could legitimately make a case for the top spot, and Pantoja is unquestionably part of this discussion. Pantoja is the second-greatest flyweight of all time and might just be the best fighter in the sport right now. How good is he? Exceptionally good!
Meshew: He is much better than people often acknowledge. I understand that in the aftermath of UFC 317, some will argue that Topuria is the best fighter on the planet – and they might be right – but I am increasingly leaning towards the idea that it is actually Pantoja. Pantoja has defeated eight consecutive ranked opponents, finishing four of them. Going back to The Ultimate Fighter 24, he holds a total of 11 wins against ranked opponents. He has beaten the No. 1, No. 2, No. 4, No. 6, No. 7, No. 9, and No. 14-ranked flyweights. Pantoja has definitively cleared out his division in a way no other active champion has, and he is now poised to begin facing the next generation of contenders. Furthermore, on Saturday, Pantoja became just the 21st champion in UFC history with four or more title defenses, and only the second fighter, after Volkanovski`s somewhat asterisked win earlier this year, to break the “35-plus curse” (referring to the difficulty champions over 35 have retaining titles). It is time to show proper respect for “Pants.”
Martin: He is amazing, but I`m not convinced UFC 317 revealed anything about Pantoja that we weren`t already aware of. To be honest, Kai Kara-France didn`t really have a strong case to be challenging him coming off a single win streak, and he now has a record of 1 win and 3 losses in his last four fights. That doesn`t exactly suggest top-tier competition. This is certainly not Pantoja`s fault, as he has already convincingly defeated the best available fighters at 125 pounds. Despite the hopes placed on Muhammad Mokaev developing into a top flyweight, it ultimately appears that Joshua Van will provide the new blood and a fresh challenge for Pantoja when they eventually face off.
Lee: He`s good enough that I believe he would give prime Demetrious Johnson a serious challenge. Yes, I said it. Pantoja is unlikely to remain champion long enough to surpass Johnson`s record reign at the top of the flyweight division. However, when you compare the quality of competition they faced, Pantoja stands alongside the all-time greats. Would Johnson have accumulated nearly a dozen title defenses if contenders like Brandon Moreno, Brandon Royval, or Manel Kape were consistently in the mix during his era? Probably, but these fighters represent the standouts of what I consider a stronger, healthier division than the one Johnson navigated (although I maintain that much of Johnson`s opposition is underrated). Beyond that, Pantoja is simply incredibly fun to watch because he always fights his fight, no matter the opponent. That approach might cost him someday, but for now, let`s all enjoy the spectacle.
Losers of the Night
Lee: It might sound strange to call a fighter who just improved his record to 11-0 a “loser,” but Jacobe Smith… what exactly was that? I appreciate a good troll as much as anyone, and I admit, the third time Smith nonsensically yelled “JOE ROGAN” at the top of his lungs gave me a chuckle. But the act went on for too long, he failed to say anything meaningful with his microphone time, and the Las Vegas crowd was clearly not reciprocating his energy. Smith went from being hyped as the biggest betting favorite in UFC history to appearing as a rambling eccentric within the span of two minutes. It`s back to the drawing board for him.
Heck: My pick for the loser is “Hokey Pokey Herb Dean,” because, ladies and gentlemen, this individual continues to decline in his performance as a referee and is genuinely going to get someone seriously injured, or worse. Dean was the referee for the featured preliminary bout between Jack Hermansson and Gregory Rodrigues. “Robocop” knocked Hermansson unconscious with a powerful punch; Hermansson`s head hit the canvas forcefully, and his entire body stiffened. Dean ran towards them and appeared to shout at Rodrigues to stop, but he failed to take any further action, which allowed Rodrigues to land a brutal, completely unnecessary follow-up shot. Let me be absolutely clear: Rodrigues bears ZERO blame for this. The responsibility rests entirely with Dean for, once again, not stepping in confidently and making the correct call. Hermansson was unconscious, lying on the mat for what felt like an eternity. Perhaps if Dean had intervened quickly enough, the follow-up punch wouldn`t have landed, and Hermansson might still have been unconscious for the same duration. Perhaps that`s the case. But the fact that we will never know the answer to that question infuriates me. I`ve been referring to Dean as “Hokey Pokey Herb” for almost five years now, and his performance is only deteriorating.
Meshew: Charles Oliveira. Don`t misunderstand me, “do Bronx” is already a first-ballot Hall of Famer, but that loss effectively ended his aspirations for the lightweight title, and the brutal nature of the defeat may have significant repercussions for his career. Oliveira is 35 years old and just suffered one of the most damaging losses of his career. I am uncertain how he will recover from this, but however he does, it won`t be for long, and he will likely never reach these career highs again.
Martin: Everyone in the lightweight division except Paddy Pimblett. Topuria being crowned champion injected considerable excitement into what is historically the sport`s best division. There were legitimate challengers awaiting him in Arman Tsarukyan and Justin Gaethje. However, neither of those fighters is likely to receive the next title shot due to the very real rivalry between Topuria and Pimblett. The UFC would be absolutely insane not to book that fight next, given all the animosity generated by Topuria and Pimblett. This means Gaethje will either have to fight again or potentially follow through on his talk of retirement. Tsarukyan is the true loser in this situation because weighing in as the backup fighter for UFC 317 guaranteed him nothing, and he is now unquestionably behind Pimblett in the line of likely challengers to Topuria`s reign.
Winners of the Night
Martin: While it`s the most obvious choice, it is also the correct answer – Joshua Van. What an unbelievable story this young man has, fighting and defeating Bruno Silva just a few weeks ago – at UFC 316, apparently breaking his toe – and not hesitating whatsoever when the UFC called with an offer to face Brandon Royval at UFC 317. Merely accepting the opportunity already demonstrated Van`s toughness, but the fact that he went in there and delivered a potential Fight of the Year performance while defeating Royval is simply incredible. At just 23, Van now has the potential to become one of the youngest champions in UFC history – assuming everything aligns and he faces Pantoja next – and his story is still largely unwritten. In fact, we might just be witnessing the first chapter of Van`s remarkable career.
Lee: Terrance McKinney, you are a beast, as always. There are very few certainties in combat sports, but one is that a McKinney fight will not extend beyond the midpoint of the second round, and it is extremely likely it won`t even make it past the first round. Indeed, there`s a high probability the fight won`t even reach the first minute. “T. Wrecks” continued his usual antics on Saturday, securing an early takedown against Viacheslav Borshchev and immediately seeking submissions. Borshchev tapped out in less than 60 seconds. I neither know nor care if McKinney will ever achieve a win streak long enough to contend for a title. What I do know is that this man needs to have 50 UFC fights before his career concludes… health permitting, of course.
Heck: While Royval and Van are obvious winners, I want to highlight the “UFC Baku” moment of UFC 317 – Jose Miguel Delgado. Delgado stepped into the octagon on Saturday night against a capable and dangerous opponent in Hyder Amil and immediately threw himself into the fray. Twenty-six seconds later, the fight was finished, Delgado secured the biggest win of his career, and virtually nobody remembers it happened. No bonus, no mentions, not even a top five or seven talking point amidst everything else that transpired. If Delgado is Khalil Rountree in this analogy, then UFC 317 is Jon Jones retiring. It was a genuinely excellent performance and finish that unfortunately got lost in the shuffle. But I haven`t forgotten you, Jose.
Meshew: It is remarkable how quickly we forget things in this sport. I remember when Payton Talbott was considered one of the most promising prospects in the entire sport (this was only six months ago). And just last week, people were counting him out, claiming his matchup against Lima was a poor and ill-planned decision. After all, Lima was now the favored prospect, and Talbott was supposedly being sacrificed. Guess again. Talbott performed like an elite prospect who had learned and improved from a previous loss. His defensive wrestling was significantly sharper, his grappling transitions were slick and polished, and his striking was fundamentally sound and effective. Furthermore, he clearly executed an excellent game plan. Many impressive things occurred on Saturday, so Talbott won`t necessarily grab headlines, but he reminded the world that he represents the future of the bantamweight division, and we should not abandon our belief in fighters who experience a setback so quickly.
