Just two more weeks to go and UFC 317 will be on our hands. The long expected event has put the fans of MMA in frenzy as more than a few high class bouts are scheduled for June 28th in T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas. The main event is the fight between Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira, but the co-main event is no slouch either as we will witness Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Kara-France.
It's been a while since UFC has put on a show we expect UFC 317 to be. Nevada events have always been some of the best in the history of MMA. There will be a lot of fire between the fighters in two weeks, and one hot UFC summer lies ahead of us. If you haven't started to prepare for this event by now, this is the right moment to check out these expert UFC picks and predictions for upcoming events, and to read our piece as we prepare you for what awaits ahead. Let's check out the top three fights scheduled for UFC 317, and what Alexandre Pantoja had to say about the upcoming event.
Ilia Topuria vs. Charles Oliveira
Topuria is one of the most ambitious fighters in the UFC at the moment. The goal right now is to win the lightweight title, and Ilia doesn't see past it. It was expected that he would face Islam Makhachev for the belt, but that storyline fell into the water. Just like Topuria, Islam moved divisions so the lightweight belt got vacated. This turn of events left Topuria with no choice than to fight Charles Oliveira for the vacated belt. During his career, Topuria hasn't experienced defeat, as he is 16:0 in his MMA career. UFC odds suggest that he is a heavy favourite vs. Charles too. A fighter like no other, his featherweight career saw him knocking out the likes of Volkanovski and Holloway in consecutive bouts. At the moment, Topuria is one of the hardest hitters in the UFC. So far no fighter was able to counter his boxing, hard hitting, and grappling skills. That's why he is favoured to come in out on top in the lightweight title bout.
On the other hand, while an underdog vs. Topuria, Charles Oliveira is still a veteran of this sport and shouldn't be underestimated. He was undefeated before going to UFC, but now holds an MMA record of 35-10. He is a submission master, having won 70% of his bouts by means of submission. Oliveira is a tough nut to crack, as no one has managed to KO/TKO him since 2017. That's a long time in the world of MMA, and Charles needs to be respected for it. We're not sure that Ilia is going to have that kind of respect as he is used to knocking his opponents down. With all due respect to Oliveira, we are predicting a KO win by Topuria in the second round.
Alexandre Pantoja. vs Kai Kara-France
Unlike in the main event, the honour of the defending champ is in question here. Pantoja became one of the most underrated champions in the UFC. He's been a champion for two years since he won against Brandon Moreno in 2023, but has also defended his title 3 times since. He is at the top of the flyweight division after 7 consecutive wins, and yet people still underestimate him. During his career, Pantoja had 34 bouts winning 29 of those, with 13 being in the UFC. The biggest aspect of his style, persistence, and champion mentality is the fact that hasn't been finished even once in his professional career.
Pantoja will defend his belt against Kai Kara-France, who is an adept kickboxer. His style is similar to the one of Israel Adesanya with whom he shares a gym. Professionally, Kara-France stands at 25-11, while in the UFC he has 8 wins and 4 defeats. As far as the flyweight divisions goes, Kai hasn't found his way around the top fighters in the division such as Brandon Moreno and Brandon Royal. What put him in the title fight is a KO win over ascending UFC darling Steve Erceg. While Kara-France was more than impressive against Steve, he is by no means close to winning here. The odds at Stake.com suggest that Pantoja is going to defend his title once more. We believe that a submission win is on the cards here.
Paulo Costa vs. Roman Kopylov
Only a few years ago, Paulo Costa had the world under his feet. The UFC is a ruthless business, where one misstep can derail a career. This is what happened to Costa. By 2019 he was 5-0 in the UFC. In the last six years he only has a 1-4 record. Disappointing. Things went south for the KO master after he lost a title fight at the hands of Israel Adesanya. He never looked the same again and his only win came against Luke Rockhold who is now a retired fighter, while he lost against the likes of Sean Strickland, Robert Whittaker, and Marvin Vettori. His current UFC record is 6-4, and great things are still expected of him, if he manages to overcome the recent string of injuries that have plagued him in addition to a few unpleasant defeats.
The glory awaits Costa in his next bout, but Kopylov is on the same path. Roman is a fantastic fighter who unlike Costa is in great form. He only lost one of his last seven bouts, winning 5 by KO/TKO. Anthony Hernandez was the only one taking him down, and besides that fight he has looked amazing in each of his fights, with some excellent striking performances. The best part about his style is that it is attractive as we witnessed when he won against Chris Curtis via head kick. Due to both his and Costa's form, UFC 317 odds see Roman as a clear favourite. It is hard to predict the outcome as one fighter is a KO/TKO master while the other only suffered 1 KO/TKO defeat in his career. Yet, as we need to make a decision, it is a Roman win by KO/TKO.
The three bouts we singled out are the biggest draws at the upcoming UFC 317 event without a doubt, and we even dare to say this year too, at least as far as main and co-main events go. Below you will find pieces of an exclusive Pantoja interview, and what the champ had to say about upcoming and past UFC events and his career so far. Here are the main Q&As.
What Stood Out About This Training Camp?
For Pantoja each camp is different despite being in the octagon since he was 17 years old. Sharing the thoughts about his training camp, Pantoja stated that for him best partners so far have been Henry Cejudo, and Marcos Da Matta. He is amazing, obsessed with work/training, and makes people around him better, proclaims Alexandre Pantoja.
Does Beating Kara-France Before Boost Your Confidence?
For Pantoja winning in the past matters. While reiterating that each fight is different, the fact that he won the last bout holds a certain weight for Pantoja. Yet, the Brazilian fighters is aware that this fight will be different. In the meantime Kai has become a father, and when you have family you have more reasons to fight, states Pantoja. Family makes you humble, it makes you a better human, and motivates you more in the octagon, believes Pantoja.
You’ve Praised Kai’s Right Hand-but With Your Chin, Do You Feel Like You Can’t Be Knocked Out?
So far so good, but I've been hit a lot by Pantoja. It is a part of the game I'm working on, and during the last fight with Kai Asakura I've proven many people wrong by not receiving too many punches, boasts Alexandre. So far in his career Pantoja has found ways to win in different manners and he is aware that in order to become and remain champion one needs to adapt. My chin is strong but made me too confident at times to remain honest as the flyweight champion. Right now, the selection of hits I receive is calculated, but the ones you fail to notice coming are the ones that take you down, claims Pantoja. Yet, he remains confident in his skill, preparation, and constant improvements he has undergone.
How has the American Top Team Helped You?
ATT made me the champ, is what Pantoja had to say to that question. I was always a good fighter but now I'm an amazing athlete and that comes down to American Top team training and facilities, states the Cannibal. Brazil was good to me, but in Florida I have found a home where I could grow into what I became today. After a few years here, I knew that there are ways for me to become a champion, concludes Alexandre Pantoja.
You’re Ranked #10 P4P - Should You Be Higher?
Yes! There is no doubt about it; the belt I've won should play a role, states Pantoja. For Pantoja one belt should be 50 points, and another 50 for title defence. The Cannibal believes that it should be about who's the best fighter in the world, and not some mysterious calculation. For Pantoja, he should be higher as he has cleared his divisions and had many fights in the last few years. It doesn't make sense to have Jon Jones leading the rankings, says Pantoja with all due respect. For Alexandre, the No1 needs to be Islam Makachev and then him. The Cannibal claims that everyone who follows the sport thinks just like him, and that he expects a jump once his duel with Kai Kara-France is over.
Do Flyweights Such as DJ Get the Respect They Deserve?
Things are not like they used to be, states Pantoja. Early UFC failed to give the deserved attention to the flyweight division, but that has changed now. Pantoja sees himself as one of the reasons for more attention the division gets as he has headlined two PPV events, and both had more than good marketing. As a recipe for more future success within the division, Alexandre believes that UFC needs to scout the world for young and upcoming fighters and to sign them to the flyweight division.
Moving up to Bantamweight?
If the UFC sees it beneficial for both me and the company I'll do it, claims Pantoja. Yet, Cannibal remains realistic for such a goal as it would take time for him to gain 10lbs of muscle. He sees gaining mass easier for bigger fighters, but for his build and the training/condition regimen he has, it would be a massive task. Despite the difference in weight, Pantoja keeps his chin high and claims that if UFC offered a title bout or a duel against someone such as Sean O'Malley he would take the challenge on. Considering that Merab Dvalishvili defeated Sean O'Malley at UFC 316, maybe the switch between divisions will happen in the foreseeable future. Pantoja could take on O'Malley, and if he wins, receive a title fight against Merab.
You’ve Stayed Active as Champ. How Long Should a UFC Champion Have Before They’re Stripped?
It should be close to six months. 10 months between the fights at most claims Pantoja. For Pantoja, Jon Jones is a legendary fighter who had his fair share of glory. Now, it is time to either fight or vacate the title claims the Cannibal. Everybody loves Jon, and nothing is to be taken from him, but Tom Aspinal needs to fight. Pantoja remains clear that if a fighter does not want to fight, he should retire, and let the others take the crown. Alexandre is a big fan of Aspinal, and is hoping that Tom is keeping his form up during these testing times.
While Tom vs. Jon is the dream duel, we're better off focusing on matches that are scheduled for real. Two such bouts await us in Pantoja vs. Kara-France, and Topuria vs. Oliveira, and we're more than looking at them.
