In one of the most devastating knockouts in the history of the UFC, Gregory Rodrigues put out the lights of Jack Hermansson, scoring the first-round finish in the featured prelim bout of UFC 317.
Hermansson got on the attack early, working low kicks and combinations as he placed a small cut on Rodrigues. Rodrigues looked to pressure back, however, and showed his power in his punches.
The fight ended in dramatic fashion as “Robocop” landed a devastating left hand that dropped Hermansson right to the mat, putting him out cold. Rodrigues followed it up with another strong hammerfist before referee Herb Dean could jump in to stop the action.
I thought Hermanson was looking really good too. Robocop bas the one shot KO power though. Wish herb got in the way of that hammer fist at the end. #ufc319
For the second time in the televised UFC 317 prelims, we see a fast finish, as Jose Miguel Delgado needed less than 30 seconds to score a big knockout of Hyder Amil.
Delgado looked to take the fight to the ground, but Amil countered it and was the one who got the fight to the ground. That was brief, as the pair made their way back to the feet.
After a pair of hooks, Delgado came through the middle with a strong knee that dropped Amil, leading to the referee halting the action and giving Delgado the quick win.
Jose Miguel Delgado Knees His Way To First-Minute KO Of Hyder Amil
Delgado is now 2-for-2 on first-round finishes in the UFC, entering the promotion off a finish of Ernie Juarez on Dana White’s Contender Series last year. Delgado knocked out Connor Matthews in about three minutes in his UFC debut this past February.
This marks the first loss in the professional MMA career of Amil. He entered tonight 3-0 in the Octagon after his 2023 appearance on DWCS.
The momentum Terrence McKinney has gained continue to push through UFC 317, as he scored a fast victory during the preliminary card over Viacheslav Borschev.
Borschev looked to come forward on McKinney in the opening stages of the fight, but that resulted in McKinney locking him up in a tight guillotine choke. To Borschev’s credit, he stayed in the fight and hung on, but the submission quickly tightened — especially as McKinney managed to make it a mounted one.
Borschev tapped 55 seconds into the fight, giving McKinney a quick win via submission.
Terrence McKinney Submits Viacheslav Borschev In Under A Minute At UFC 317
McKinney is a damn savage. Doesn’t waste time. #UFC317
UFC 317 is almost here, and we here at MMANews are here to provide you the latest on betting odds for the card.
The card takes place from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Saturday, June 28. The pay-per-view main card portion of the event will start at 10PM ET/7PM PT, with preliminary action starting at 7PM ET/4PM PT (moved back from the original 6:30PM ET start time due to Ewert vs. McVey falling off).
The headline attraction for the event will feature the vacant UFC lightweight championship on the line, as Ilia Topuria faces Charles Oliveira.
In the co-main event, Alexandre Pantoja will defend the UFC flyweight championship against Kai Kara-France.
The pay-per-view card will also feature Brandon Royval facing Joshua Van, a lightweight contenders clash between Beneil Dariush and Renato Moicano, and a bantamweight battle between Payton Talbott and Felipe Lima.
UFC 317: Topuria vs. Oliveira Betting Odds
Listed below are the latest betting odds for UFC 317 as of June 28 (fight day) at 12pm ET, courtesy of DraftKings.
Main Card:
Lightweight Championship: Ilia Topuria (-425) vs. Charles Oliveira (+330)
Flyweight Championship: Alexandre Pantoja (-230) vs. Kai Kara-France (+190)
Flyweight: Brandon Royval (+110) vs. Joshua Van (-130)
Lightweight: Beneil Dariush (-115) vs. Renato Moicano (-105)
Bantamweight: Payton Talbott (+140) vs. Felipe Lima (-166)
Preliminary Card:
Middleweight: Jack Hermansson (+180) vs. Gregory Rodrigues (-218)
Featherweight: Hyder Amil (+120) vs. Jose Delgado (-142)
Women’s Flyweight: Viviane Araujo (+170) vs. Tracy Cortez (-205)
Lightweight: Terrance McKinney (-155) vs. Viacheslav Borshchev (+130)
Early Preliminary Card:
Welterweight: Niko Price (+1200) vs. Jacobe Smith (-2400)
Heavyweight: Jhonata Diniz (-485) vs. Alvin Hines (+370)
Fabian Edwards is going to have another crack at becoming a champion in MMA like his brother, as he’s now one fight away from the middleweight PFL World Tournament title after defeating Joshua Silveira in the PFL Chicago main event.
After a strong leg kick trading battle to start, Edwards began to find a rhythm, mixing up combinations and leg kicks. Silveira, however, got Edwards off balance with one of his leg kicks and pressed the action in the clinch.
Edwards, however, became more of the presser with his striking during the second round, working the body. Silveira got another clinch, but he was hurt by a big knee. Edwards was able to get the fight to the ground and control the action from there, landing strong strikes, including elbows.
Edwards continued to bring the pressure before wobbling Silveira with a left hand during the final round. Edwards continue to completely outwork Silveira both on the feet and ground en route to a decision victory.
Fabian Edwards Outclasses Joshua Silveira To Reach Middleweight PFL World Tournament Final
Fabian Edwards has never looked better than in this tournament.
Edwards has now won six of his last eight. He reached tonight’s semifinals with a finish of former PFL light heavyweight champion Impa Kasanganay in April.
Silveira, a former PFL light heavyweight finalist, earned this semifinal spot with a decision win over Mike Shipman in April.
In a major upset, Sullivan Cauley manages to secure one of the spots in the PFL World Tournament light heavyweight final, defeating Phil Davis via unanimous decision in the PFL Chicago co-main event.
Cauley will now face Antonio Carlos Jr. in the light heavyweight tournament finals in August.
The opening round was competitive, with both men exchanging as Davis tried to assert control with his wrestling and takedowns. Cauley caught Davis’ attention late in the round with a sharp right hand, setting the tone for what would come.
Davis was using wrestling to his advantage more in the second round, busting open Cauley’s cheek with a pair of clinch knees to the head. But the momentum of the fight swung dramatically when Cauley rocked Davis late in the round with a right hand before a combination scored him a knockdown.
Cauley continued to get the better of Davis in the third, landing the more effective strikes and defending his wrestling and grappling well, going on to earn the nod on all three judges’ cards.
Sullivan Cauley Reaches PFL World Tournament Final With Upset Win Over Former Bellator Champ Phil Davis
What an incredible performance from Sullivan Cauley! He is a stud everywhere and he handled business with Phil Davis excellently.
Nobody does that to Phil Davis. That’s a hell of a performance for a guy so fresh in his career. The evolution is going to be incredible to watch.…
Sullivan Cauley just had the best performance of his career against an all-time great at 205. The PFL needed him to win this. #PFLWorldTournament#PFLMMA
Sullivan Cauley scored this semifinal spot with a first-round finish of Alex Polizzi. This marked Cauley’s first victory that went past the first round.
Davis, the former Bellator light heavyweight champion, earned his spot in tonight’s semifinals with a finish of former PFL champion Rob Wilkinson when they met in May.
A fight between former teammates and two of the best bantamweights in the world was ultimately lackluster; however, Sergio Pettis did enough to defeat Raufeon Stots at PFL Chicago.
Pettis dictated the pace early with kicks, landing clean combinations, while Stots didn’t bring out his expert wrestling abilities until scoring a takedown with about 40 seconds left in the round.
Pettis landed a slick backfist early in the second, but Stots responded by landing a strong punch that stumbled Pettis before landing a takedown. Pettis didn’t provide much defense from there, as Stots controlled the round on the ground.
Both men traded in a stand-up affair for the third round before, again, Stots scored a takedown with 40 seconds left, but didn’t do enough to take the round.
All three judges scored the fight for Pettis 29-28.
Sergio Pettis Outworks Raufeon Stots In Battle Of Former Teammates At PFL Chicago
Stots vs. Pettis is a sparring match. I get that their friends but there’s a shot at $500k on the line cmon guys
Awful, awful decisions back to back continue to water down the PFL’s already garbage product. Even Sergio Pettis was shocked he got the decision in a fight he very clearly didn’t win #PFLWorldTournament
Pettis, the former Bellator bantamweight champion, came into this fight off a pair of losses against Patchy Mix (losing his belt in the process) and Kyoji Horiguchi (a rematch of Pettis’ award-winning knockout in 2021).
Stots, the former interim Bellator champion, is now 3-2 in his last five.
When the two first met in Bellator a few years ago, Aaron Jeffery was able to end Dalton Rosta’s then-undefeated record by forcing him away from his typical gameplan.
The rematch at PFL Chicago was very close, but Rosta edged out a split decision to score the win in the rematch, earning revenge and the first spot in the middleweight final portion of the PFL World Tournament.
Jeffery was aggressive in the opening round, trying to use his pressure early and bring clinch exchanges against the fence. Rosta, however, answered with strong knees and counters, including a sharp right hand and body shots late in the round that seemed to solidify momentum in his direction.
Jeffery continued with the pressure in the second round, looking to control large stretches of time. Jeffery brought forward pace and pressure, though Rosta fired back with flurries.
Rosta then found success with solid combinations and a late flurry in the third round, while Jeffery continued to push for takedowns.
While one judge gave the fight to Jeffery with a 30-27, Rosta earned 29-28 scores on the other two cards, giving him the nod.
Dalton Rosta Scores Revenge, PFL World Tournament Final Spot By Defeating Aaron Jeffery
LOL. Dalton Rosta clearly lost that fight, Aaron Jeffery just got robbed big time.
The fuck are we doing? You can't convince me that Dalton Rosta won that fight. Sure, he may have won a round but he didn't win that fight#PFLWorldTournament
— Notorious, Byron Ashworth (@Notorious_Byron) June 28, 2025
Rosta, who made his name as a rising young name in Bellator prior to the PFL, earned this semifinal spot with a submission of former PFL champion Sabidou Sy.
Jeffery, a former CFFC champion, earned this semifinal spot with a split decision over Murad Ramazanov.
Antonio Carlos Jr. is one fight away now from taking home his second piece of PFL hardware, scoring a decision over Simeon Powell during PFL Chicago to advance to the light heavyweight finals of the PFL World Tournament.
Carlos Jr. used his experience and grappling to control the pace from the opening round, working Powell to the fence early and often, landing knees and searching for openings. While Powell attempted to keep the fight at range, Carlos Jr.’s clinch work and pressure, as well as his takedown attempts, prevented that.
Carlos Jr. was able to score his sole takedown of the fight in the second round, getting right to Powell’s back. Powell had some moments throughout the second and third rounds, but the fight was mostly Carlos Jr. imposing his will on the British fighter.
Even a late outburst from Powell wasn’t enough, as the judges all gave the nod to Carlos Jr.
Antonio Carlos Jr. Bests Simeon Powell To Advance To PFL World Tournament Finals
Bruh Shoeface is harming this man
What a crafty bastard. Stroke of genius when he went to the PFL#PFLWorldTournament
Simeon Powell is a fighter who has all the Skills but has 0 dog in him, Every time he would get hit he would Wintz while Shoeface would walk forward. I really thought he could be somebody but U cant teach toughness. He just got pieced up by a Jui Jitsu fighter. #PFL#MMATwitter
Has an MMA coach every walked away from his fighter and left him find his own way home???? I would curse out Simeon Powell till I got fired for that stunt….if you get outboxed by Shoeface AT 205, you are in wrong business
Carlos Jr., the 2021 PFL light heavyweight champion, advanced to tonight’s semifinal after defeating Karl Moore in May.
Powell’s loss to Jakob Nedoh in the finals of the 2023 PFL Europe light heavyweight tournament was the sole loss of his career prior to tonight. Powell advanced to tonight’s semifinal after finishing Karl Albrektsson in May.
In one of the most surreal finishes in PFL history, Valentin Moldavsky vs. Alexandr Romanov ends in a no contest after a knee to the groin left Romanov unable to continue with 34 seconds left in the first round.
Romanov was reportedly unable to stretch out his legs and had to be stretchered out of the cage.
Romanov, however, was selected by the judges as the winner of the round and will now face Oleg Popov in the finals of the PFL World Tournament at heavyweight in August.
Romanov used his wrestling to great success early, landing a belly-to-belly suplex and displaying top control, including a pair of submission attempts. Moldavsky landed a shot that wobbled Romanov late, with the pair swinging wildly until a clinch battle against the cage.
And it was there where Moldavsky landed a knee to the groin, causing an accidental foul. Romanov was in significant pain, and the fight was called off by the referee, resulting in the no contest.
Alexandr Romanov Advances To PFL World Tournament Finals After No Contest Vs. Valentin Moldavsky
Damn shame for Romanov’s PFL debut, he seems really banged up after that. Question would be if there’s a DQ or NC now, and how a potential NC decides who advances. Weird times. #PFLChicago
Romanov coach saying Romanov was dominating is wild lmao he was rocked then ran in for a clinch fest because he’s an out of shape fat lard piece of a shit #PFLWorldTournament
Moldavsky, the former Bellator interim heavyweight champion, competed in the 2024 heavyweight season, defeating Ante Delija before losing to Linton Vassell. Moldavsky earned a spot in tonight’s semifinal after defeating Sergey Bilostenniy in May.
Romanov, who joined the PFL after parting with the UFC at the end of last year, made his PFL debut with a sub-two-minute submission of former interim Bellator heavyweight title challenger Tim Johnson in their first-round heavyweight tournament battle in May.
For the first time since his amateur debut, Biaggio Ali Walsh — the grandson of the legendary Muhammad Ali — tastes defeat, as Chicago native Ronnie Gibbs pulled off the unbelievable upset with a submission during the early card of PFL Chicago.
Ali Walsh entered this fight as a -1100 favorite per DraftKings, while Gibbs was a +950 underdog.
Ali Walsh looked sharp in the opening round, making use of his crisp striking and power to drop and trouble Gibbs early. He outlanded Gibbs and delivered some strong ground-and-pound.
Gibbs, however, stole the momentum in the second round. Gibbs got a takedown late in the first and managed to get the fight back to the ground in the second, landing some strong ground-and-pound before an arm-triangle put Ali Walsh unconscious to secure the massive upset.
Ronnie Gibbs Scores Massive Upset Over Biaggio Ali Walsh At PFL Chicago
Ali Walsh such a fraud lmfao that was some of the worst ground work I’ve ever seen ever #PFLMMA
Ali Walsh like a fish out of water on the ground. PFL should stay away from having 2-0 fighters on their cards imo. Walsh should’ve learned this lesson on the regional scene, not on TV and in front of an arena #PFLWorldTournament
Oleg Popov is known for his brute strength and overwhelming wrestling, and those were on display as he defeated Rodrigo Nascimento in the semifinals of the PFL World Tournament at heavyweight during the preliminary card of PFL Chicago.
From the start, Popov smothered Nascimento with his grappling pressure, setting up low kicks before taking him down more than once during the opening frame, and keeping Nascimento seated against the fence. Nascimento tried to fight back with combinations during the second, but Popov continued his relentless pressure and worked him well on the ground.
Popov appeared to do damage during the third round, rocking Nascimento with his punches, before continuing his grappling success en route to a one-sided decision.
Oleg Popov Dominates His Way Over Rodrigo Nascimento To Earn Finals Spot In PFL World Tournament
Didn't hurt him today but Popov absolutely needs to fix that head positioning. I'm sure Fedor tried, no way he didn't, but the way he stares off into space after throwing anything leaves him wide ass open to someone with faster hands. #PFL
Popov just snatching that ankle and controlling and riding like second nature is so impressive and something more takedown-first heavyweights should be doing. #PFL
Popov earned his spot in tonight’s semifinals after defeating Karl Williams in the first round in May. Popov made the finals of last year’s heavyweight tournament before his win streak was snapped at the hands of Denis Goltsov.
Nascimento, who joined the PFL after parting ways with the UFC at the end of last year, has now lost three of his last four. He earned his semifinal spot with a win over Abraham Bably in May.
Talk about a fast start — Rafael Xavier delivered that and then some, needing less than 30 seconds to finish Karl Albrektsson in the first bout of the PFL Chicago early card.
Xavier landed a left jab that wobbled Albrektsson, who went in for a takedown in response. Xavier stuffed the attempt before landing a series of punches until the referee stopped the fight.
Rafael Xavier Needs Less Than 30 Seconds To Defeat Karl Albrektsson In PFL World Tournament Card
We’re about 24 hours away from UFC 317, and MMANews is here to bring you the video from the ceremonial weigh-ins for the card!
UFC 317 takes place on June 28 from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The main event of the evening will feature Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira colliding for the vacant UFC lightweight championship. Topuria won the featherweight title from Alexander Volkanovski last year and retained against Max Holloway but vacated the strap to move up a weight class. Oliveira is a former champion who held the gold for a year, and he enters this fight off a win over Michael Chandler last November.
The co-main event, meanwhile, will see Alexandre Pantoja look to defend the UFC flyweight championship once again, as he takes on Kai Kara-France.
The rest of the main card will also see Brandon Royval face Joshua Van, Beneil Dariush square off with Renato Moicano, and Payton Talbott battle Felipe Lima.
Christopher Ewert vs. Jackson McVey, originally scheduled to open the early prelims, was scrapped after Ewert came in 10 pounds overweight and was cut from the UFC. All of the other fights, however, are still on!
The ceremonial weigh-ins present the last opportunity for opponents to face off before they meet inside the Octagon. Check them out below via the UFC’s official YouTube channel!
We are just one day away from UFC 317, and we’ve got the official weigh-in results for you here at MMANews.
Per tradition during the UFC’s International Fight Week, a highly-anticipated pay-per-view event in Las Vegas will take center stage, and UFC 317 finds itself in that role here. The T-Mobile Arena will see a card filled with some noteworthy matchups, including two title fights to close out the show.
In the main event, a new UFC lightweight champion will be crowned from former featherweight champ Ilia Topuria jumps up in weight to face the challenge of former UFC lightweight king Charles Oliveira. Topuria comes into this bout off his 14-month run as featherweight champion, during which he won the belt by knocking out Alexander Volkanovski and retained by knocking out Max Holloway. Oliveira won the lightweight title against Michael Chandler and retained against Dustin Poirier before losing the belt on the scales.
The co-main event will see Alexandre Pantoja defend the UFC flyweight championship against Kai Kara-France. Pantoja won the belt at International Fight Week just a couple of years ago, defeating Brandon Moreno. Since then, he’s retained the gold against Brandon Royval, Steve Erceg, and Kai Asakura. Kara-France earned the title shot with a knockout of Erceg last August.
The main card will also feature Royval taking on Joshua Van, Beneil Dariush facing off with Renato Moicano and Payton Talbott doing battle with Felipe Lima.
UFC 317 Weigh-In Video, Results
UFC 317 takes place Saturday, June 28 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada The main card begins at 10 PM ET/7 PM PT, with the preliminary card starting at 6:30 PM ET/3:30 PM PT.
See above to watch the UFC 317 Weigh-In Show, and check out the full results below.
Main Card:
Lightweight Championship: Ilia Topuria (155) vs. Charles Oliveira (154.5)
Flyweight Championship: Alexandre Pantoja (125) vs. Kai Kara-France (125)
Flyweight: Brandon Royval (125.5) vs. Joshua Van (125.5)
Lightweight: Beneil Dariush (156) vs. Renato Moicano (156)
Bantamweight: Payton Talbott (135.5) vs. Felipe Lima (136)
Preliminary Card:
Middleweight: Jack Hermansson (185.5) vs. Gregory Rodrigues (186)
Featherweight: Hyder Amil (145.5) vs. Jose Miguel Delgado (145.5)
Women’s Flyweight: Viviane Araujo (125.5) vs. Tracy Cortez (126)
Lightweight: Terrance McKinney (155) vs. Viacheslav Borshchev (156)
Early Preliminary Card:
Welterweight: Niko Price (170.5) vs. Jacobe Smith (170.5)
Heavyweight: Jhonata Diniz (257.5) vs. Alvin Hines (259.5)
Middleweight: Christopher Ewert vs. Jackson McVey — Canceled due to Ewert being 10 pounds overweight and getting cut from the promotion
It’s UFC International Fight Week, and we find ourselves just a couple of days away from this year’s card that coincides with the celebrations — UFC 317. And what better way to help hype things up further with a pre-fight press conference?
The seventh UFC pay-per-view event of the year goes down from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Saturday, June 28. UFC 317 will be headlined by former featherweight champion Ilia Topuria stepping up in weight to face former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira with the vacant 155-pound title on the line.
The co-main event will also see gold on the line, as Alexandre Pantoja looks to defend his UFC flyweight championship for a fourth time, as he goes toe-to-toe with Kai Kara-France.
Watch The UFC 317 Pre-Fight Press Conference
The main card will also see a flyweight contenders’ battle between Brandon Royval and Joshua Van, more lightweight action from Beneil Dariush and Renato Moicano, and a bantamweight scrap between Payton Talbott and Felipe Lima.
As per tradition, the UFC pay-per-view main card participants will be featured in a press conference during fight week. This is the opportunity for fighters to answer questions from media and fans, as well as potentially lay in some smack talk on their opponents.
The 2025 edition of International Fight Week is here, and that means UFC 317 is upon us. Get yourself ready and in the know with another edition of MMA News staff fight predictions.
The event will be available exclusively on ESPN+ pay-per-view on Saturday, June 28. The main card will begin at its usual 10pm ET start time, with preliminary card action kicking off at 6:30pm ET.
The main event will see a new UFC lightweight champion be crowned, as former featherweight champ Ilia Topuria steps up in weight to take on former lightweight king Charles Oliveira. Topuria won the featherweight title at UFC 298 last year with a knockout of Alexander Volkanovski and defended it at UFC 308 by becoming the first man in years to finish Max Holloway. Oliveira, who comes into this bout off a win over Michael Chandler at UFC 309, defeated Chandler to become champion in another vacant title fight at UFC 262. He then defended it against Dustin Poirier at UFC 269 before losing the belt on the scales prior to UFC 274.
The co-main event, meanwhile, will see the flyweight title at stake as Alexandre Pantoja defends against Kai Kara-France. Since winning the title from Brandon Moreno at UFC 290, Pantoja has defended the belt against Brandon Royval (UFC 296), Steve Erceg (UFC 301) and Kai Asakura (UFC 310). Asakura, meanwhile, comes into this bout off a knockout of Erceg at UFC 305.
The main card will also see Royval in action against short-notice replacement Joshua Van (who just fought at UFC 316), Beneil Dariush take on Renato Moicano and Payton Talbott facing Felipe Lima.
UFC 317: MMA News Staff Predictions
With UFC 317 just a couple of short days away, Ryan Jarrell, Pranav Pandey, and myself (Thomas Albano) have provided our picks for the fights that make up the main card.
Below, you can check out the current leaderboard through six cards in 2025.
Pranav Pandey (17-10) Thomas Albano (16-11)
Ryan Jarrell (15-12)
And now, let’s take a look at everyone’s picks for UFC 317!
Bantamweight: Payton Talbott vs. Felipe Lima
Images: UFC
Pranav Pandey: It’s hard to make a confident pick here, given how little we’ve seen from either fighter at the highest level. Talbott tasted his first professional loss in his last outing against Raoni Barcelos, and I expect him to come in sharper, having learned from that experience. That said, one glaring hole in his game stood out: his takedown defense, which could be a real liability in this matchup.
On the other hand, Lima looks like the real deal. “Jungle Boy” hasn’t lost in nearly a decade and brings a well-rounded, composed skill set to the table. He’s dangerous in all areas, but particularly effective on the mat. That’s where I see him having the clearest path to victory. If he can get Talbott to the ground, I believe he can control the pace and potentially dominate from top position. (Prediction: Lima)
Thomas Albano: Felipe Lima has caught some attention of late with his pair of victories in the Octagon thus far. And it’s enough of an impression that the UFC wanted to book him against Payton Talbott in a battle of young rising prospects. Talbott was shocked by Raoni Barcelos at UFC 311, and he needs this win to keep the momentum that he’s had going. The problem is Lima, a former Oktagon MMA champion, hasn’t lost since dropping his professional MMA debut.
Talbott has the height and reach advantage in this one, but if Lima can get on the inside and push the pace, how will he respond? He struggled against Barcelos, and Lima has shown he can adapt to either a high-paced brawl or a calculated, cerebral attack. My feeling is the more Lima finds holes in Talbott’s game and the more he scores takedowns, the better he’ll nullify Talbott’s offense and work his way toward a decision win. (Prediction: Lima)
Ryan Jarrell: This is a tough one to call for me. Felipe Lima is definitely more technically sound and has impressed me more thus far in his UFC run. Lima’s wins over Naimov and Johns were enough to lead me to believe he could fight for a title down the road. Obviously the UFC sees Star potential in Talbot, but this is a really tough matchup for him. I think Talbot learned some valuable lessons in his recent loss to Raoni Barcelos, but I’m not sure he has evolved enough to get past Lima. Give me Felipe Lima to use his footwork and striking en route to a UD win. (Prediction: Lima)
Consensus: 3-0 Lima
Lightweight: Beneil Dariush vs. Renato Moicano
Images: UFC.com
Pranav Pandey: Both Dariush and Moicano are seasoned veterans who bring grit and experience into the cage. Moicano was gaining serious momentum before stepping in on short notice against Islam Makhachev. But prior to that, he had put together some impressive wins, and his dismantling of Benoît Saint Denis was a statement-making performance that showed just how dangerous he can be when he’s dialed in.
As for Dariush, I still rate him as a high-level lightweight. His eight-fight win streak wasn’t a fluke. But ever since it came crashing down in 2023 with back-to-back knockout losses, he hasn’t returned to action. That layoff, in my opinion, could be a real factor. The question is whether he can match the rhythm and urgency Moicano brings with his recent activity. I’m leaning toward Moicano here, but it won’t be easy. He’ll have to dig deep and weather some tough moments, because Dariush isn’t the type to go quietly. (Prediction: Moicano)
Thomas Albano: Two 36-year-old lightweight contenders. Two men who are looking to get back into the win column. Two men who were supposed to face off at UFC 311. And only one of them can come out on top and potentially rise up the ranks toward a crack at the gold.
Renato Moicano may have lost his last fight, but that was a title shot against Islam Makhachev that came on one day’s notice after Arman Tsarukyan withdrew. It was this fight that caused the cancelation of Dariush vs. Moicano the first time around. It may have been a one-sided loss, but that decision and hearty performance proved something fans of “Money” Moicano already knew – the man is game.
Dariush has been a lightweight contender for some time now, but he’s hit a couple of really rough patches of late. Dariush hasn’t fought since 2023, a year that saw an eight-fight win streak of his get snapped at the hands of Charles Oliveira, followed by a knockout loss against Tsarukyan. While these aren’t bad losses per say against the kind of competition he’s facing, a third straight loss is going to seriously hurt his contender status. And given the age of these two men, time is running out.
Unfortunately for Dariush, that might be his reality. Moicano having all of this momentum, combined with him being the better all-around product, leads me to give the nod his way. (Prediction: Moicano)
Ryan Jarrell: This should be a very fun fight and one the hard core fans are really looking forward to. I have become a huge fan of Moicano over his last few fights, and he is always money on the microphone. Dariush hasn’t fought since his ugly performance against Arman Tsarukyan in late 2023. I wonder if the time off and his age will play a factor in this fight against a much more active fighter in Renato. I think skill for skill these two are pretty even, but I do expect Moicano to land more significant strikes and be the aggressor throughout the fight and win it on points. (Prediction: Moicano)
Consensus: 3-0 Moicano
Flyweight: Brandon Royval vs. Joshua Van
Images: UFC.com
Pranav Pandey: There’s something really intriguing about this matchup. First off, credit to Joshua Van for stepping up on short notice. That alone speaks volumes about his mentality. “The Fearless” is riding a wave of momentum right now, and while he’s still young, he’s already proven that he belongs among the division’s elite.
That said, Brandon Royval is no stranger to high-pressure situations. He’s been in deep waters with the best of the best and knows exactly how to navigate chaos. With his experience and ability to thrive in scrambles, I think “Raw Dawg” will be sharp enough not to leave any openings. If he stays composed and sticks to his rhythm, I see him getting the job done. (Prediction: Royval)
Thomas Albano: This is probably the fight I am seriously looking forward to on this card outside of the title fights. It’s also the one I’m having the most difficulty in picking, and apparently, I’m not alone given that these two men have near-even odds as of this point.
What we saw at UFC 316 earlier this month is exactly what makes Van so entertaining; he pushes the pace, is aggressive with his striking, and he’s not afraid to get in a brawl. And Bruno Silva was a battered victim of that in route to a third-round TKO, marking Van’s fourth straight win and 12th win in his last 13 fights. Royval has earned a following for a similar fight style, though he’s been a lot more strategic in his most recent outings against the likes of Brandon Moreno and Tatsuro Taira.
This is a no-risk matchup for Van; he’s already coming off one strong performance, and anything that comes out of this fight should just be a bonus. That said, even if this becomes a memorable slugfest, the all-around abilities of Royval and his experience should give him the edge here. (Prediction: Royval)
Ryan Jarrell: Josh Van has looked incredibly impressive as of late and definitely has the skills to be a top contender for years to come. But this seems like a bad idea to step up on very short notice against a legit top 5 fighter in the division, especially after just competing against Bruno Silva a couple of short weeks ago. I understand that if a great opportunity presents itself a lot of fighter’s want to jump all over it and hopefully capitalize. But Brandon Royval is a dangerous puzzle that you need a full camp to prepare for and I don’t see Van having much for him in this contest. Give me Royval to make a statement in this fight and put a halt to Van’s winning streak. (Prediction: Royval)
Consensus: 3-0 Royval
UFC Flyweight Title: Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Kara-France
Images: UFC.com
Pranav Pandey: Kai Kara-France is a legitimate threat in the flyweight division. His striking is sharp, explosive, and he’s proven time and again why he belongs among the elite. I’ll admit I picked against him in his last outing, and he made me eat my words with that knockout over Steve Erceg. But as impressive as “Don’t Blink” can be, I truly believe that everything he does well, the champ Alexandre Pantoja can do better.
“The Cannibal” seems to level up with every title defense. Whether he’s trading bombs on the feet or dragging the fight into deep grappling waters, Pantoja thrives in chaos. He can absorb pressure and return fire with even more intensity. Stylistically, this feels like a tough puzzle that Kara-France just isn’t equipped to solve. I think Pantoja overwhelms him and runs right through. (Prediction: Pantoja)
Thomas Albano: I’m going to get tomatoes thrown at me for what I’m about to say, but I hope I am heard out. I completely buy Kai Kara-France as a legitimate contender in the flyweight division and challenger for the flyweight title. When it comes to being a champion, however, I just don’t see it compared to some of the other names at 125.
I love KKF’s strike-heavy fighting style, but I don’t know how it helps him against Alexandre Pantoja, who, in my opinion, continues to get better and evolve even as the defending champion of his division. KKF has struggled against the top names of this division, and keep in mind, Erceg received the title shot and fought KKF last year even when he was, and still is, toward the bottom portion of the top 10.
Pantoja has been an absolute dog. Bring the fight to the ground? He’ll go toe-for-toe with you there. Keep the fight standing? He’ll show you power and accuracy. Pantoja is a very underrated champion, who should be considered one of the best champs that the UFC has, in a division filled with solid talent that includes KKF, Erceg, Brandon Royval, and Brandon Moreno. And I see the Pantoja train continuing to roll on. (Prediction: Pantoja)
Ryan Jarrell: The flyweight Champion seems to look better and better every time he climbs into the octagon. Pantoja is on a seven fight win streak and is cementing himself as an all time great at 125 pounds. I must admit I was surprised to see Kara France put out Steve Erceg the way that he did. Kai definitely is very savvy and skilled on the feet, but even if he gets the champ in any trouble, the diversity of Pantoja’s game will be enough to win any scrambles and dictate where this fight takes place. Give me the champ to win this one rather handily and retain his title for the 4th time in a row. (Prediction: Pantoja)
Consensus: 3-0 Pantoja
UFC Lightweight Title: Ilia Topuria vs. Charles Oliveira
Images: UFC.com
Pranav Pandey: Now this is a fight that has me counting down the days. We’ve got two certified finishers stepping into the Octagon, and I’d be shocked if this one even sniffs the judges’ scorecards. Topuria made a daring move by jumping up to lightweight. Some might even call it audacious, especially considering his more compact build compared to the division’s powerhouses. Still, I see him as someone who can rise to the occasion. “El Matador” possesses some of the cleanest and most precise boxing in the UFC today. He doesn’t just throw punches. He detonates them. His power is fight-ending, plain and simple. And while his wrestling hasn’t been tested much inside the Octagon, the glimpses we’ve seen suggest he’s more than capable if the fight hits the mat.
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Standing across from him is Oliveira, a savage finisher with a résumé full of elite-level fighters. While it’s no secret that “Do Bronx” owns arguably the most lethal submission game in UFC history, his striking is criminally underrated. He carries real knockout power in his hands and his body kicks slam into the midsection like sledgehammers that adds up quickly. That said, if Topuria can control the range, stay disciplined, and avoid getting tangled in Oliveira’s chaos, I can absolutely see him finding an opening and putting the Brazilian away inside three rounds. (Prediction: Topuria)
Thomas Albano: Yes, it’s not Ilia Topuria vs. Islam Makhachev. Yes, it’s disappointing. But Topuria vs. Charles Oliveira is still a matchup worth drooling over – and it’s going to become reality in just a couple of nights’ time.
I’m still not a fan of Topuria moving up in weight so quickly. Yes, he beat two of the featherweight GOATs last year. But this was something out of the Conor McGregor playbook; there was still a division full of solid contenders that includes Diego Lopes and Movsar Evloev. That said, I understand the appeal of this matchup for sure, and Topuria is a legitimate threat to become a world champion in a second weight class.
I know it sounds cliché, but this really sounds like the typical striker vs. grappler battle. We know how deep a threat Oliveira is in the ground game. That said, Topuria will look to keep distance and bring the power he’s brought in the lead up to becoming a world champion the first time around. And I think he has more to afford with being in Oliveira’s world on the ground than Oliveira has on the feet against Topuria and his striking. Maybe with others’ striking, but not with Topuria’s.
History will be made one way or another at the end of International Fight Week. I think it’ll be Topuria who is the one to do it. (Prediction: Topuria)
Ryan Jarrell: There is something special going on with the former featherweight champ. The parallels between Ilia and Conor at this stage of their careers are too similar to ignore. Topuria’s striking is a beautiful thing to watch and he always seems to dictate where the fight takes place. It would be a beautiful story to see Charles recapture the title again, but MMA is a brutal sport where the young typically eat the old. I believe Topuria puts on an impressive performance and beats the former champ via TKO at some point in round 2 or 3. (Prediction: Topuria)
Consensus: 3-0 Topuria
That’ll do it for our UFC 317 staff picks! What do you think? Do your predictions look similar? Let us know in the comments section!
Also, you can check out the full UFC 317 card below.
Main Card:
Lightweight Championship: Ilia Topuria vs. Charles Oliveira
Flyweight Championship: Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Kara-France
Flyweight: Brandon Royval vs. Joshua Van
Lightweight: Beneil Dariush vs. Renato Moicano
Bantamweight: Payton Talbott vs. Felipe Lima
Preliminary Card:
Middleweight: Jack Hermansson vs. Gregory Rodrigues
Featherweight: Hyder Amil vs. Jose Miguel Delgado
Women’s Flyweight: Viviane Araujo vs. Tracy Cortez
Lightweight: Terrance McKinney vs. Viacheslav Borshchev
Welcome, everyone, to the fifth edition of The TUF Stuff!
Each week, I’ll be guiding you through a recap of this season’s edition of The Ultimate Fighter, providing updates on what happens in each episode — from the drama and storylines out of the Octagon, to the looks into who the competing fighters are, to what goes down inside the cage.
This season celebrates the 20th anniversary of TUF. That inaugural season from 2005 helped to influence many future MMA fans, media members, and fighters (yours truly included). And now, two more fighters this summer will get the opportunity to call themselves TUF champions when it’s all said and done.
Last week saw the second welterweight matchup of the season, as Team Cormier’s Jeff Creighton defeated Team Sonnen’s Andreaas Binder, even after a weight disadvantage with Andreaas significantly missing weight.
Recap of The Ultimate Fighter Season 33 – Episode 5
Tonight’s matchup at flyweight will see Team Cormier’s Alibi Idiris will take on Team Sonnen’s Furkatbek Yokubov.
Let’s get into episode five of The Ultimate Fighter!
TUF House
Yokubov explains how his Islamnic faith ensures that he remains humble and stays driven, as well as the five times he and other Muslim combatants pray. He adds that while he dislikes having to fight someone he respect like Idiris, things change once the cage door closes.
Team Cormier Training Session – Brandon Moreno Joins
Brandon Moreno, an alumnus of season 24 of TUF, joins Team Cormier for their training. Moreno was the 16th ranked fighter of the season — featuring a collection of regional flyweight champions — losing to Alexandre Pantoja. Of course, Moreno would go past his projections and ended up becoming UFC flyweight champion on two occasions.
— The Ultimate Fighter (@UltimateFighter) June 25, 2025
Moreno tells the team that it doesn’t matter if they don’t come out on top in the end — it’s all about what they do in training in and after the competition.
“If you lose, don’t stop working hard,” Moreno tells them. “It’s going to build you as a person and as a human being.”
Focus every single day 🧠
Wise words from former TUF contestant Brandon Moreno!
— The Ultimate Fighter (@UltimateFighter) June 25, 2025
Moreno goes into the secrets of his boxing and footwork, as well as how he uses it to set up his wrestling.
Alibi Idiris Backstory
Idiris shows Danill a photo of his brother and his children. Idiris explains how hard it is to be away from them as he competes on the show, and how they’ve changed his life.
Idiris grew up in Kazakhstan, in a small town called Aktobe. He lives with his parents, wife, and children. Idiris says when things get tough in camp or cutting weight, his children give him the motivation to keep going. Idiris explains he is a family-first individual and that they serve as his motivation.
Alibi's whole family 🥹
TUF contestants are here for more than just themselves!
— The Ultimate Fighter (@UltimateFighter) June 25, 2025
When not in training, Idiris likes to ride horses.
Idiris explains that he joined an MMA gym one day and now has been fighting professionally for five years. We see footage of him training at Erkin Kush. Idiris hopes to show that even those who come from a small footage have the opportunities and abilities to do big things.
Furkatbek Yokubov Fight Prep
Uzbekistan’s Yokubov is a 15-4 fighter, who fights out of Dubai, who has good power and likes to use it to finish fights.
We see footage of his quick fight from LFA 196, where he calls himself a high-level striker.
Sonnen says this fight is interesting because the two have worked out before. Yokubov told him that while Idiris is the better grappler, he is the better striker. Yokubov adds that he’s watched Idiris fight before and knows the mistake he makes in the fight.
— The Ultimate Fighter (@UltimateFighter) June 25, 2025
Furkatbek Yokubov Backstory
We see a photo of Yokubov’s father and daughter. He mentions how hard it is to be without methods to contact them and his wife.
Yokubov was a kickboxing champion in 2013 before turning to MMA in 2016. Training out of TKMMA Fit, Yokubov says he is on a mission to become TUF champion, and then UFC champion.
We see photos of his late mother, and Yokubov becomes emotional discussing her and her telling him on her deathbed to continue on and become a champion. Yokubov says he is going to win this fight for his family.
Alibi Idiris Fight Prep
Idiris gives a gift of a robe to Cormier, looking to represent himself and his country. Idiris calls him a “Kazakh gangster.” Cormier praises his personality and humility.
Idiris is a striker who says he “loves knockouts” and is a former Naiza FC champion.
Cormier tells Idiris that he has great cardio and will be his best weapon in this fight. Cormier calls him “the hardest working fighter” he’s ever coached in his two seasons of TUF.
“You get a guy like that, with that effort, you’re drawn to him,” Cormier said.
DC has been a TUF coach twice and has NEVER seen someone work as hard as Alibi 🤯
— The Ultimate Fighter (@UltimateFighter) June 25, 2025
“When you’re standing across from somebody whose goals directly impact yours, you got to make sure you say, ‘Only one of us can live this dream,’” Clark said.
Alibi Idiris vs. Furkatbek Yokubov
Round 1
Low kick from Idiris to start. Idiris working short kicks early. Yokubov flashes a right. Low kick from Idiris. Combination from Yokubov. Idiris tries to come forward. Spinning kick misses by Idiris. Left hand from Yokubov. Idiris comes forward, urged by Cormier to bring pressure. Body kick by Idiris. Yokubov lands the right hand. Idiris comes forward, but Yokubov grabs a hold of him. He nearly gets Idiris to the fence before Idiris gets away. Left hook from Yokubov. A right hand gets Idiris to stumble back.
Another body lock battle for control. A left hand sends Idiris down briefly. Right hand from Yokubov. Low kick from Yokubov. Right hand from Yokubov. Right hand from Idiris, but Yokubov lands a knee. Idiris encourages more pressure. Another body lock. Knee from Yokubov lands low. Brief break in the action before time resumes. Idiris scores a takedown. Yokubov quickly gets to his feet, but he’s still pinned against the fence. Knee to the body by Idiris, followed by a trip. Yokubov is harshly warned for grabbing the fence.
Yokubov gets up but is warned again for grabbing the fence. Idiris trying for a takedown. Idiris gets to the back and starts to land ground-and-pound! Idiris looks for a choke before resuming his punches. Idiris continues to punch and look for a finish. Despite his chase, he doesn’t get the finish.
Round 2
Each man lands a job. Yokubov with a one-two. Left hand from Yokubov. Low kick from Yokubov. Idiris with a co,bination. Uppercut from Idiris. Idiris misses a spinning backfist. Right hand from Yokubov. One-two from Idiris. Left hand from Idiris. Knee to the body by Idiris. Right hand from Idiris. Elbow by Idiris. The referee calls a timeout for an eye poke.
Cormier tells Idiris that Yokubov is breaking. The referee deducts one point for the eye poke.
Front kick from Idiris. Combination from Yokubov. Knee from Idiris. Cormier yells at Idiris to focus on just winning the round. Yokubov warned for grabbing the cage. Idiris takes Yokubov down anyway and looks for a choke. He searches for an arm-triangle choke. Idiris looks like he’s squeezing. Yokubov says he’s okay. Idiris lets go of the choke and gets into mount again. Punches from Idiris, and the ref warns for back of the head punches. Cormier yells for a choke. Yokubov gets back to his feet but is returned to the mat by Idiris.
A couple of shots from Idiris before Yokubov gets back to the feet. Idiris misses a high kick. Idiris misses a spinning attack. Combinations from Yokubov. Another body lock, and another takedown scored for Idiris. Idiris hunts for the choke again. Idiris is told by Cormier to go back to top control, and he does so, landing punches in bunches until the horn.
Dominant performance from Idiris, who tells Dana White “Remember my name!” (Belal Muhammad might want to take action for gimmick infringement).
Winner: Alibi Idiris via unanimous decision after two rounds
Conclusion
Cormier notes that Idiris started with struggling taking Yokubov down, which gave Yokubov confidence. White knew Idiris was hurt at one point and Idiris knew he had to get the fight to the ground.
That’s when Idiris looks to dominate on the ground, and he does, with Sonnen noting something in the ground exchanges drained Yokubov.
Cormier feels Idiris will be a tough competitor to beat in the competition. Team Cormier, meanwhile, appears to be unbeatable ever since dropping the first fight of the season.
The latest action on offer inside the Octagon has seen some climb the UFC rankings toward contention and others fall away.
And in the aftermath of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night in Baku, MMA News has you covered with this week’s complete updates.
Men’s Pound-For-Pound: With the retirement of Jon Jones, new undisputed UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall moves up three spots to #8. Five men — Ilia Topuria, Dricus Du Plessis, Magomed Ankalaev, Alexander Volkanovski and Jack Della Maddalena each move up one spot, respectively, to #s 3-7.
Alexander Pantoja, Max Holloway, Belal Muhammad, Charles Oliveira and Arman Tsarukyan also all move up to #9-14, respectively. Pantoja shares the No. 9 spot with Alex Pereira. Khamzat Chimaev joins at #15.
Women’s Pound-for-Pound: No changes.
Women’s Strawweight: No changes.
Women’s Flyweight: Jasmine Jasudavicius moves up one spot to #5, sharing the rank with Maycee Barber.
Women’s Bantamweight: Daria Zhelezniakova joins at #15, replacing Chelsea Chandler.
Flyweight: Tagir Ulanbekov moves up to #11, swapping places with Joshua Van (#12). Kai Asakura moves up one spot to #14, swapping places with Bruno Silva (#15).
Bantamweight: Mario Bautista moves up one spot to #8, sharing the rank with Rob Font.
Featherweight: Brian Ortega moves up one spot to #6, sharing the rank with Arnold Allen.
Lightweight: Rafael Fiziev moves up to #10, swapping places with Renato Moicano (#11). Grant Dawson moves up one spot to #13, swapping spots with Benoit Saint-Denis (#14).
Welterweight: Michael Morales moves up one spot to #7, sharing the rank with Joaquin Buckley.
Middleweight: Abus Magomedov moves up one spot to #14, sharing the rank with Roman Kopylov.
Light Heavyweight: Khalil Rountree Jr. moves up three spots to #4. Jamahal Hill, meanwhile, moves down two spots to #6. Aleksandar Rakic moves down one spot to #7. Jan Blachowicz stays at #5.
Heavyweight: Obviously, with the confirmation of Jon Jones’ retirement, he has been removed from the rankings at heavyweight as well. Tom Aspinall becomes the new UFC heavyweight champion. Everyone moves up one spot in the ranks, while Rizvan Kuniev joins the rankings at #15.
For the first time in the promotion’s history, the UFC headed to Azerbaijan for a Fight Night event, with their June 21 card taking place at the Baku Crystal Hall in Baku, the country’s capital city.
In addition to fighters connected with Azerbaijan throughout the card, the main event featured a former UFC light heavyweight champion trying to get back to winning ways against a top-10 contender, as Jamahal Hill took on Khalil Rountree Jr.
Hill had previously won the light heavyweight title but vacated due to injury. He entered tonight on a pair of losses since then, getting knocked out by Alex Pereira at UFC 300 in an attempt to try and win back the gold and getting stopped by Jiri Prochazka at UFC 311. Rountree, meanwhile, had won five straight before it was snapped at UFC 307 — his most recent fight prior to this card — when he challenged Pereira for the UFC light heavyweight title.
The co-main event of the evening saw Rafael Fiziev look to snap a three-fight losing skid, as he took on Ignacio Bahamondes, who entered with three straight wins and victories in six of his last seven.
The main card also featured the return of former interim title challenger Curtis Blaydes, as he took on the UFC debutant Rizvan Kuniev. It also saw a catchweight bout between Tofiq Musayev and Myktybek Orolbai, a lightweight clash featuring Nazim Sadykov and Nikolas Motta and a featherweight battle between Muhammad Naimov and Bogdan Grad.
Who delivered? Who dropped the ball? Let’s find out with the hits and misses of UFC Baku!
Miss: Many Decisions, Just Two Post-Fight Bonuses
I don’t want to sound like one of these people where it’s a big finish or bust. There can be just as great fights that are expert grapple battles as fights that are slugfests. There are fights that can go the distance that are still great fights — sometimes, even better fights than the ones that have a big, quick highlight finish.
But the problem is, we didn’t get much of that at UFC Baku.
Only two fights on the whole card ended in decision. The main card, which aired on ABC in America, even started in the middle of the final prelim because of the pacing and the fact no prelim fights had finishes.
Most of the prelim fights, additionally, didn’t bring the excitement we’ve seen with prelims from other cards. One of the jokes around MMA X/Twitter of the event’s fallout is comparing UFC Baku to an Apex with people in the audience seen leaving the card early.
I’ll be more blunt and say I think this card was worse than some of the ones we’ve seen in the Apex.
Even Dana White seemed to agree, awarding all of the bonus money only to Nadim Sadykhov and Nikloas Motta for their exciting clash — and it’s deserved.
The UFC’s first-ever event in Baku might be an accomplishment; however, the card itself was a major disappointment.
Miss: Questionable Judging
And speaking of fights that ended in decision, how is it 2025 and we’re still having talks about judges and atrocious decisions?
Unfortunately, it seems Baku was hit with a couple of decisions from supposed MMA officials that left MMA fans scratching their heads in confusion, disbelief, and perplexity.
Azat Maksum put on a heart-filled showing against Tagir Ulanbekov, the 12th-ranked flyweight in the UFC. His reward? Winning only one round on all judge’s card across all three scorecards. A portion of the crowd booed the cards, and even UFC commentary called out the judges for their questionable scoring.
That was a SCRAP 💥@Ulanbekov_Tagir wins by UD & is now on a 4 fight winning streak!
Then came the main card bout between Curtis Blaydes and Rizvan Kuniev. Blaydes definitely won the first round with his wrestling ability, but Kuniev did some damage over the course of the next two rounds — and some might feel it was more than what Blaydes delivered and should have been given the nod.
It was a close fight for sure, so feel how you feel. But if we’re going by how many in the online MMA community feel, this was just another blow to their intelligence.
Unfortunately, I know the answer to this is never, but I’ll keep yelling it: When are we going to start holding MMA officials (referees, judges, etc.) accountable for how they perform in fights, too?
Hit: Ko Seok-hyun Scores Major Upset In UFC Debut
Oban Elliott has had quite a bit of attention on him as a rising up-and-comer out of Europe. “The Welsh Gangster” entered UFC Baku 3-0 in the Octagon since his 2023 appearance on Dana White’s Contender Series. And up against Ko Seok-hyun, who was making his UFC debut, most felt this was going to be another strong performance from Elliott.
Seok-hyun had other plans, however.
A +370 underdog as of about 12 hours prior to the start of his fight, Seok-hyun landed a hard left hand and then let his judo abilities take over. Seok-hyun took Elliott to the ground and landed with power at will, even opening a cut on Elliott at one point, as he dominated his way into a decision victory.
That's how you make a debut! 💪
Seokhyeon Ko wins the UD to earn his first victory! 👏
Elliott will probably rebound from this, but the focus here should be on a great UFC debut for the man who is dubbed “The Korean Tyson.” It will be fun to see what happens next for him in the Octagon.
Hit: Nazim Sadykhov And Nikolas Motta Deliver Fight Of The Year Candidate
As stated earlier, even Dana White agrees, there was one solo major highlight from the UFC Baku card: Nazim Sadykhov and Nikolas Motta beating each other to a bloody pulp until one dropped.
It was a slugfest that most agreed was one of the most exciting fights in MMA this year, let alone in just the UFC.
Motta appeared to have Sadykhov hurt in the first, and he landed a barrage of shots that seemed like would put him away for a quick ending to this fight. But Sadykhov held his own and then took advantage of a fatigued Motta, landing a barrage on him.
$100,000 between these two men is more than well deserved. I hope at the end of the year, we can look back on this fight, even if it doesn’t win Fight of the Year honors, and remember how these two gentlemen — in the midst of a card filled with so much bad — brought us eight or so minutes of exciting, wild battle.
Miss: So Much For Curtis Blaydes Being A Top Heavyweight Contender (And The Concerning State Of UFC’s Heavyweights)
As I stated earlier, Curtis Blaydes ended up getting a split decision victory after edging out Rizvan Kuniev, a former Eagle FC heavyweight champion who was making his Octagon debut on this card.
Blaydes had his fair share of shots in addition to controlling the action with his grappling and wrestling abilities, but Kiziev busted up one of his eyes and landed a stunning knee and late flurry in the third — which led plenty to believe Blaydes didn’t deserve the nod.
BY SPLIT DECISION ✂️@RazorBlaydes265 earns the win to keep his top 5 ranking! 👏
You obviously expect a ranked heavyweight contender, in his first fight since falling short in an interim title bout, to beat someone making their Octagon debut. But this was not in the way that’s going to earn Blaydes popularity points with the fans or Dana White.
Blaydes claimed he suffered an injury early on in the fight — but more than his own performance, it speaks to the state of the heavyweight division (especially in the wake of the breaking news of Jon Jones’ retirement).
Obviously the UFC’s rankings have to be taken with a grain of salt, but to say that was a performance from a top-five ranked contender is sad. And right now, there’s nothing that screams awesomeness and star power right now at heavyweight outside of new undisputed champion Tom Aspinall. Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane is the best matchup we’ve got at that weight class right now.
Blaydes’ performance is a reminder that the UFC needs to find an entertaining and talented name for the heavyweight scene outside of Aspinall – STAT.
Hit: Rafael Fiziev Gets Much Needed Win In Front Of Home Crowd
Considering his talent, it might be a surprise that Rafael Fiziev hadn’t gotten a win in three years. But the Azerbaijan native, competing in his home country, got a needed showcase with a win over Ignacio Bahamondes in the co-main event.
After targeting the body in a slow opening round, Fiziev countered Bahamondes’ attempts to get inside, and then, to everyone’s surprise, used takedowns of his own to help with controlling the action. He added in a knockdown of Bahamondes before the end of the round. Fiziev then got the better of the exchanges in an action-filled third round, earning a clean-sweep decision.
ON THEIR FEET AFTER THAT 👏@RafaelFiziev ends the fight on top in the co-main event!
After the pair of losses to Justin Gaethje, sandwiched between with an injury he suffered against Mateusz Gamrot, Fiziev is ready to take part in another lightweight contenders’ battle. Depending how future fights play out, perhaps someone in the lower part of the top-10 could be a next opponent – names that include Beneil Dariush and Renato Moicano, as well as a possible rematch with Gamrot.
Miss: A Lackluster Main Event, The Downfall Of Jamahal Hill
The UFC Baku main event between Jamahal Hill and Khalil Rountree Jr wasn’t just boring, it wasn’t even competitive. Rountree used his leg-kick-based offense and his distance work to completely take out Hill, putting on a one-sided beating in a clear decision victory.
The fault here shouldn’t lie on Rountree. As he stated after the fight, he was fighting his fight and clearly did more damage to the former champ. This was a solid victory for Rountree — and as others have mentioned, a fight between him and Jiri Prochazka sounds so appetizing with their styles.
Calm, cool & collected ✔️@KhalilRountree is now tied for 3rd in all time light heavyweight wins since 2016 with 10! 👊
Firstly, what is his corner doing lying to him and saying the fight is close? By the time round three ended, it was clear Rountree was up three rounds and Hill needed a finish. He could’ve fought differently had it not been for his corner telling him to fight for a decision win — a major blunder by championship-level cornermen. It’s such a blunder, in fact, I have to question their competence — which I shouldn’t be doing for the cornermen of a fighter who was just the welterweight champion a year ago.
And then for Hill to put on the showing he did and then try to talk trash after the fight about how boring it was? Let me remind him that it takes two to tango. Rountree fought a fight that got his butt whooped, and Hill did nothing about it.
I understand Hill is pretty much embracing the heel role with his trash talk and confidence-based predictions about his fights. It’s one thing to do this when you’re winning. It’s another thing to do this when you have gotten whooped three straight times and are on a three-fight losing skid.
This needs to be a wake-up call for Hill. Another loss and we can say he is on a downfall — if you don’t want to say he’s reached his peak and is on the fall already.
Jon Jones may now be retired from active MMA competition, but the former two-division UFC champion’s legal issues have not stopped it seems.
According to court records, charges were filed against Jones on June 17 for leaving the scene of an accident that took place back on February 24. MMA Fighting obtained the official court record.
Per the Albuquerque Journal, a police officer investigating a traffic crash found a woman in the front passenger seat “exhibiting signs of significant intoxication and lacking clothing from the waist down.”
The woman claimed Jones was the driver of the vehicle but fled the scene on foot. She then reportedly called Jones, and when a police aide spoke to the man on the phone believed to be him, he “appeared to be heavily intoxicated and made statements implying his capacity to employ lethal force through third parties.”
When a police officer received similar threatening statements from Jones, backup was requested. The man never confirmed if he was Jones when directly asked by officers.
Jon Jones Charged After Leaving Scene Of February Car Accident
The woman later told police that she drank and consumed mushrooms at Jones’ residence before needing to change her clothes. Then, “her next recollection was being at the scene of a traffic accident.” The woman claimed Jones was the last person she remembered driving the vehicle.
A few days after the incident, Jones was interviewed by police and claimed that the intoxicated woman had left his house earlier in the day and called him after getting into the accident. Jones claimed the person the woman handed the phone to “immediately opened the conversations with unprofessional language, which led him to doubt the legitimacy of the individual’s claim.”
There is no word on why the official charge came four months after the incident.
Jones is scheduled to appear in court on July 24 for a bond arraignment.
Of course, this is far from Jones’ first run-in with the law. Jones has faced multiple DWI charges throughout his career, as well as abuse charges. There is also the infamous 2015 hit-and-run Jones had that resulted in him being stripped of the UFC light heavyweight championship.
All this time waiting, and the Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall fight will not come to pass.
At the UFC Baku Post-Fight Press Conference, UFC CEO and President Dana White officially declared the status of Jon Jones as “retired,” officially ending Jones’ two-year run as the UFC heavyweight champion.
As a result, the UFC head honcho has announced, Tom Aspinall, who was the interim UFC heavyweight champion, will now be elevated to undisputed champion.
“Jon Jones called us last night and retired,” White said. “Jon Jones is officially retired. Tom Aspinall is the heavyweight champion of the UFC.”
Tom Aspinall Named New Undisputed UFC Heavyweight Champion Following Jon Jones Retirement
Since Aspinall’s interim title win, talks have circulated around a potential undisputed title fight between Jones and Aspinall — with those talks intensifying after Jones’ win over Miocic. Constant debates were had over if Jones would actually take up the fight.
While there had been moments of hope — for instance, White claiming the fight was nearly signed — there had been plenty of moments that showed the fight might not happen. Instances included Aspinall’s “duck” callout earlier in the year at UFC London, as well as Aspinall’s father berating Jones and his team about dragging out negotiations.
Just a couple of days ago, Jones appeared on the Full Send Podcast and stated that he is at a point where he doesn’t care about fighting.
“I am retired,” Jones said. “Right now, I could really care less about fighting. I’ve been doing it all my life at a very high level. When the itch comes back, if it comes back, then I’ll do it with my whole heart, and I’ll do it to the best of my abilities.”
🚨 Jon Jones says he has no interest in fighting right now:
“Right now, I could really care less about fighting…
When the itch comes back, if it comes back, then I’ll do it with my whole heart.”
Jones had been heavyweight champion since submitting Ciryl Gane at UFC 285 — which marked his first fight in the UFC after vacating the UFC light heavyweight championship — a division that Jones dominated throughout the 2010s — three years prior.
Jones only made one defense of the championship, defeating former champion Stipe Miocic in the main event of UFC 309 this past November. The two had been scheduled to meet at UFC 295 the previous year, also at Madison Square Garden, before a torn pec put Jones on the shelf.
It was at that UFC 295 card where Aspinall defeated Sergei Pavlovich to become interim heavyweight champion. He defended the interim title in a rare feat at UFC 304, scoring a first-round finish of Curtis Blaydes.
Khalil Rountree Jr.’s leg kicks have always been his key to success, and he continues to show why he is a legit contender in the light heavyweight division with a major, dominant victory over former light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill in the main event of UFC Baku.
After a very quiet opening round that saw plenty of leg kicks from each man, Rountree started to open up more in the second round. Rountree continued with the leg kicks, one of his specialties, and he notably damaged up one of Hill’s legs before starting to target the other. Hill’s movement was seemingly compromised by the middle of this second.
The third round had the familiar slow pace, but Rountree continued to pound away with the leg kicks. But Rountree scored the biggest moment of the night with a left hand that briefly sat Hill down. He followed that up that doing it again in the round’s dying seconds, this time with a big right hand.
Rountree continued his cerebral approach in the fourth, slowly chopping away at Hill outside of a body shot that stumbled Hill back. The fight’s pace went the same for the fifth round, as Rountree swept two judges’ scorecards in a clear, one-sided decision.
Khalil Rountree Jr. Scores One-Sided Decision Over Jamahal Hill
Alright, give me Rountree vs. Prochazka all day next.
Rountree Jr. has now won six of his last seven. This was his first fight since coming up short in a light heavyweight title fight against Alex Pereira at UFC 307.
Hill has now lost three straight since vacating the UFC light heavyweight title due to injury. This skid has also included a title fight loss against Pereira at UFC 300 and a loss to Jiri Prochazka at UFC 311 in January.
For the first time since 2022, Rafael Fiziev is finally back in the win column, coming out on top in the UFC Baku co-main event against Ignacio Bahamondes.
The first round between the two was a slow one, with both men landing leg kicks and feeling each other out. Fiziev, however, did seem to do more, thanks to his focus on working the body. Bahamondes looked to get inside during the second round, failing on a takedown attempt before pressing Fiziev into the fence. But Fiziev defended those attempts well, in addition to excellent striking defense, and continued to land sharply, including a pair of takedowns and a knockdown of Bahamondes in the later stages of the second.
The two did plenty of trading early in the third round, with Fiziev even denying a Bahamondes opportunity to bring the fight to the ground. Fiziev was getting the better of the exchanges once more, and he scored one more takedown in the final minute of the round. Bahamondes went frantic with elbows on the ground, but Fiziev’s ground strikes were too much. The fight returned to the feet and Bahamondes went for a drastic submission, but Fiziev countered it and ended the fight in full mount.
Fiziev swept the judges’ scorecards in a unanimous decision victory.
Rafael Fiziev Sweeps Scorecards Against Ignacio Bahamondes In UFC Baku Co-Main
Who saw Fiziev's wrestling becoming a factor. This has been a great comeback performance from Ataman
Was pretty surprised to see how counted out Fiziev was in this one. He's easily fought the better competition, and his last three losses were pretty deceiving. Solid showing to rebound.
Fiziev had entered this fight on a three-fight losing skid, with two of those fights coming against Justin Gaethje at UFC 286 and UFC 313. Between those fights, Fiziev lost to Mateusz Gamrot in September 2023 after suffering an injury.
Bahamondes had come into this fight on a three-fight winning streak, all three of which he earned performance bonuses in. His most recent win had come against Jalin Turner at UFC 313 in March.
Curtis Blaydes may have come out on top in his UFC Baku bout against Rizvan Kuniev, but it was a close fight that nearly saw him, a No. 5 fighter, lose to a UFC debutant.
Blaydes asserted his wrestling early with a takedown right away. Blaydes dominated with his grappling, controlling Kuniev against the fence and winning the clinch battles.
Kuniev adjusted and took some momentum in the second round, stuffing takedowns and landing clean combos, busting up Bladyes’ left eye.
Kuniev stunned Blaydes with a knee during the third round, though Blaydes landed plenty of his own shots, and he controlled the clinch with knees. Kuniev added a late flurry, with wild exchanges to conclude the fight.
All three judges scored the fight 29-28, with two scoring the fight for Blaydes, giving him the win.
Curtis Blaydes Scores Controversial Win Over Rizvan Kuniev At UFC Baku
Curtis Blaydes absolutely lost that fight, he got his ass kicked. UFC judges continue to be a joke.
