UFC 317: B/R Main Card Staff Predictions

It's that time of year again. The UFC's annual International Fight Week bonanza is underway in Las Vegas, and it will be capped off with the blockbuster UFC 317 card this Saturday.

The event will be topped by clash between unbeaten former featherweight champ Ilia Topuria and legendary former lightweight champ Charles Oliveira. The pair will be battling for the vacant lightweight belt, after Islam Makhachev walked away from the division to chase a new title at welterweight.

It's one of the most compelling matchups in recent UFC history, and just the palate cleanser we all need after Jon Jones retired and deprived us of a titanic heavyweight title fight with with Tom Aspinall last weekend.

That's not all we have to look forward to at UFC 317. In the co-main event, flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja will defend his belt against Kai Kara-France, a slick knockout artist from New Zealand.

Brazil's Pantoja has rapidly established himself as the best flyweight the UFC has seen since Demetrious Johnson moved to ONE Championship, but Kara-France has the power to stop anyone in the division.

Earlier on the card, we'll get an important lightweight clash between No. 9-ranked contender Beneil Dariush and the No. 11-ranked Renato Moicano. The fight was originally supposed to happen earlier this year, but fell through at the last minute when Moicano stepped up to replace the injured Arman Tsarukyan in a title fight with Makhachev.

Before we get to that, we'll get an even more important fight at flyweight, as No. 1 contender Brandon Royval risks his spot against the No. 12-ranked Joshua Van, arguably the hottest young contender in the division right now.

Royval had originally been set to fight Angolan knockout artist Manel Kape, but he is sure to have his hands equally full with Van.

Originally, the main card was also set to include a middleweight clash between Paulo Costa and Roman Kopylov. However, that fight was postponed and replaced by a clash of bantamweight prospects, with Payton Talbott looking to rebound from his pro loss against dangerous Brazilian Felipe Lima.

It's a main card full of fights that could go either way. Here's how the B/R combat sports squad sees it all going down in Las Vegas this Saturday.

Ilia Topuria vs. Charles Olivera

Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

Tom Taylor: I know how much my guy, Lyle, likes Charles Oliveira, so I always hate picking against the Brazilian legend when his fights roll around. But I just don’t have a choice.

I believe Ilia Topuria is the best fighter in the world right now. Better than Islam Makhachev. Better than Jon Jones. Better than his friend and fellow Georgian, Merab Dvalishvili. I mean, the guy just knocked out Max Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski in the span of a year. That's ridiculous. 

In other words, I am riding the hype train with my seat reclined and a cold drink in hand. As an Oliveira fan myself, it will sting to watch, but I believe Topuria will knock out another legend this weekend.

Prediction: Topuria by KO, Rd. 2

Lyle Fitzsimmons: You’ll have to forgive me if I’m feeling conflicted here. Oliveira is not only your favorite fighter’s favorite fighter, but he’s also my favorite fighter.

That said, I'm a believer in Topuria. At 28, he looks like the real deal to me, and I'd lay at least a little money on him to eventually become a three-division champ. The road to three titles must go through lightweight, though, and I guess that means I've got to pick him. Under duress.

Prediction: Topuria by KO, Rd. 2

Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Kara-France

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Tom Taylor: Kai Kara-France might be the hardest hitter at 125 pounds now, which makes him a compelling challenge for champion Alexandre Pantoja.

However, Pantoja seems to be made of steel, so I don't imagine his challenger's firepower will be a huge factor on Saturday. Outside the power differential, the champion is clearly better everywhere. Throw in his impressive experience in title fights, and he's a pretty easy pick here.

I think he survives some early scares and finishes this one with his jiu-jitsu sometime in the third or fourth round. I'll give Kara-France some credit and say it happens in the fourth. 

Prediction: Pantoja by submission, Rd. 4

Lyle Fitzsimmons: It’s Kara-France’s turn in the championship chute in the flyweight division and he’s coming off a first-round KO of a guy coming off a title shot, so it makes enough sense.

But even though he’s got the vibes going for him, this one feels a little above his level to me.

Pantoja seems the more well-rounded commodity to these eyes, and it's my guess he will find a way to get it to the ground and get it finished.

Prediction: Pantoja by submission, Rd. 3

Beneil Dariush vs. Renato Moicano

Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

Tom Taylor: A couple of years ago, when Beneil Dariush was one of the top contenders in the lightweight division, this would have been an easy pick.

However, the 36-year-old is riding back-to-back knockout losses, and the most recent of those was over a year and a half ago. He’s also been discussing retirement quite a bit lately, which is a worrying sign. 

Meanwhile, Renato Moicano will be eager to erase the memory of his bold but ultimately disastrous title fight with Islam Makhachev.

Dariush seems like a class act, so I'd kind of love to see him turn back the clock on Saturday, but I don't know how anyone could confidently back him to do so. I suspect he's still good enough to survive three rounds with Moicano, but by the time the fight's over, the victor will be obvious.

Prediction: Moicano by unanimous decision 

Lyle Fitzsimmons: The "Money" Moicano momentum was finally stalled at UFC 311 in January, but it took the best lightweight in the world (at the time) to do it. He won't be in that deep here against Dariush, who has reached his own top end with two straight quick losses after eight straight victories.

It's pretty tough to discern between the two, but I will go with Moicano being a slightly better striker and a bit more accurate on the takedowns.

Prediction: Moicano by unanimous decision

Brandon Royval vs. Joshua Van

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Tom Taylor: Joshua Van has been so much fun to watch lately, and I truly believe he will end up challenging for the flyweight title one day.

However, I can't shake the memory of Brandon Royval handling a similarly hyped contender in Tatsuro Taira last October. I worry this challenge will be far too much too soon for Van, just like it was for Taira.

It’s impossible to discount a knockout win for the young Burmese contender—he's got excellent striking and serious power—but Royval will have too many tricks up his sleeve. I see him outfoxing his foe over three fun rounds.

Prediction: Royval by unanimous decision

Lyle Fitzsimmons: It would be hard to be hotter these days than the 23-year-old Van, who’s won four in a row and will be shooting for a second victory this month with a three-week turnaround.

But it's no cakewalk with Royval, who has lost three of 10 fights in the UFC but only to guys on or heading toward the championship level.

Is Van that guy, too? Maybe, but I’ll have to see it to believe it.

Prediction: Royval by unanimous decision

Payton Talbott vs. Felipe Lima

Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

Tom Taylor: Surprisingly, this might be the hardest fight on the main card to call.

That's simply because both Payton Talbott and Felipe Lima are still pretty new to the sport. We know they both have a ton of potential, but there's far more we don’t know about them. 

Talbott's January loss to Raoni Barcelos was a worrying sign for his future in the UFC, but that loss looks a little better after Barcelos handled former champ Cody Garbrandt earlier this month.

I won't be surprised at all of Lima beats him—or ultimately achieves more in the sport—but I'm leaning toward the American in this one. I think he’ll put his hype train back on the rails with a close decision win. 

Prediction: Talbott by unanimous decision 

Lyle Fitzsimmons: Will the real prospect please stand up? Talbott had that tag after a Contender Series win in 2023 and three subsequent victories, but he was taken down nine times and controlled for nearly 10 minutes in his last time out in January.

In steps Lima, who has won two straight by a submission and a wide decision of his own. Maybe Talbott is still him, but he will have to prove it to these eyes.

Prediction: Lima by unanimous decision