5 Fights We Need to See After UFC 317
Ilia Topuria might just go down as one of the best to ever do it.
Topuria strengthened his argument in the main event of Saturday's UFC 317 card in Las Vegas, when he became a two-division UFC champion with a stunning knockout of Charles Oliveira, claiming the lightweight belt after an impressive run at featherweight. The big question now is who he will fight next—and perhaps more importantly, if anybody can stop him.
UFC flyweight champ Alexandre Pantoja was also in acton in the card. He cemented himself as one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the sport with a breezy submission win over the always dangerous Kai Kara-France, but still has some tough challenges ahead despite his dominance in the weight class.
Earlier on the card, we saw big wins from flyweight contender Joshua Van, lightweight veteran Beneil Dariush, and bantamweight prospect Payton Talbott—all of who can expect big names on their next bout offers.
Without further ado, here are the fights we'd like to see for the stars of UFC 317 when the dust has settled.
Ilia Topuria vs. Paddy Pimblett
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Ilia Topuria remains undefeated, at 17-0, but his last three wins have been particularly impressive, as he's knocked out three living legends in Alexander Volkanovski, Max Holloway, and now Charles Oliveira. In fact, it's possible he is on the best three-fight streak in the sport's history.
Time will tell if he can keep his momentum going. Having just arrived in the lightweight division, the new champion has a host of new and interesting challenges ahead of him. In terms of his next challenge, it seems to come down to three men: Arman Tsarukyan, Justin Gaethje, and Paddy Pimblett.
On paper, Tsarukyan is probably the most deserving of the bunch. Riding a decision win over Oliveira, he was set to challenge Islam Makhachev for the vacant belt early this year, but withdrew from the fight at the last minute, and seemingly soured his reputation with the UFC in the offing.
Gaethje, meanwhile, is a living legend much like Oliveira. However, he's 1-1 in his last two, suffering a stunning KO loss to Max Holloway, and later rebounding with a close decision win over Rafael Fiziev on short-notice. He's an incredible fighter, but is not as deserving of a title shot as he seems to believe.
That leaves Pimblett. The Brit doesn't have as solid a resume as Tsarukyan and Gaethje, but is riding a dominant finish over Michael Chandler, and is a bigger star than either man. That sees to be what the UFC is looking for. Shortly after Topuria won the belt, Pimblett was invited into the cage for a face-off with the new champ. There's no question he will be a massive underdog in the fight—despite a huge size advantage—but it will be a blockbuster matchup all the same.
Arman Tsarukyan vs. Justin Gaethje
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Neither Tsarukyan nor Gaethje was in action at UFC 317, but both men were cage-side for the main event, and after Pimblett was brought into the Octagon for a face-off with Topuria, it seems they may be destined to fight each other.
Gaethje seems entirely against the idea, recently claiming he'll retire if he isn't granted a title shot, but hopefully he'll reconsider. He may actually deserve the opportunity more than Pimblett, but is seemingly being passed up on the basis of star power, and frankly could do a little more to strengthen his claim. After all—as we've covered—he's just 1-1 in his last two fights .That's hardly the kind of streak that usually sets up a UFC title shot.
Tsarukyan, meanwhile, is riding four-straight wins—including a win over Oliveira—but after bailing on a title shot earlier this year, is clearly on the UFC's naughty list. In fact, it's been all but confirmed that he'll have to fight again before getting a crack at the lightweight belt.
With all of that factored in, it's clear that Tsarukyan and Gaethje need to fight while Topuria and Pimblett settle their score. It may not be what Gaethje wants, but it makes sense for both men, and the winner would be undeniable for the next crack at the Topuria vs. Pimblett winner.
Alexandre Pantoja vs. Joshua Van
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Alexandre Pantoja's UFC 317 victory over Kai Kara-France cemented what most already knew: he is one of the best fighters on earth right now, and the best flyweight champion since Demetrious Johnson left the UFC. However, his work is not done yet.
After four impressive title defenses, Pantoja has a clear challenger awaiting a shot at the belt: Joshua Van, who was also in action on Saturday.
Still just 23, Van was in action on the UFC 317 main card. Originally, he wasn't set to compete at the event, but after an injury to Manel Kape, he stepped in on short notice opposite No. 1 contender Brandon Royval. It was far and away the toughest test of his career, but he passed it in style, out-striking his top-ranked foe in a spirited three-round scrap that had fans on their feet.
After his win over Royval, Van is undeniable for a crack at the belt—so much so that the UFC promptly invited him into the Octagon for a face-off with the victorious champ, which all but confirms the fight is happening.
It will be a massive challenge for the 23-year-old contender, but as he proved at UFC 317, he should not be counted out—even against a world-class talent like Pantoja.
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Beneil Dariush vs. Michael Chandler
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Beneil Dariush is in a bit of a weird position.
His UFC 317 main card decision win over Renato Moicano separated him from a pair of losses to Arman Tsarukyan and Charles Oliveira—both way back in 2023—and proved that he's still deserving of his No. 9 ranking at lightweight. However, he's now 36 years old, and given his recent results, we can safely assume he will never fight for lightweight gold.
So what does he do now? He seems just as unsure as the rest of us, expressing frustration with his situation at the UFC 317 post-fight interview.
His best choice, if he decides to continue fighting, is probably to focus on exciting fights with fellow veterans. In that event, the best choice is clearly a clash with Michael Chandler.
Chandler, a former Bellator lightweight champ, has been part of some thrilling fights since joining the UFC, but is riding three straight losses to Dustin Poirier, Charles Oliveira, and Paddy Pimblett. At 39, he's in a similar boat to Dariush, as a fighter who remains dangerous but has likely missed the chance to become a UFC champion.
Given all of that, it definitely makes sense to match them up. The winner would prove he still belongs, while the loser might be forced to consider retirement. The fans, meanwhile, would be in for a treat, as both men are very well-rounded, powerful, and notorious for their roles in exciting scraps.
Payton Talbott vs. Cody Garbrandt
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Payton Talbott started 2025 as one of the hottest prospects in the bantamweight division, but after suffering a lopsided decision to Brazilian veteran Raoni Barcelos in January, had a lot to prove in his UFC 317 main card fight with Felipe Lima.
He did what he needed to do. Just months after being soundly out-grappled by Barcelos, Talbott showed off some massive improvements to his own grappling, out-foxing his highly-regarded opponent over three rounds en route to a clear-cut unanimous decision win.
It remains to be seen how close Talbott can get to a title shot at bantamweight, which is one of the deepest divisions in modern MMA, but there's no question that his hype train is back on the rails.
We'd like to see him take another step toward the top opposite former champ Cody Garbrandt. Garbrandt, who briefly reigned as the UFC bantamweight king in 2016 and 2017, is one of the most popular fighters in bantamweight history, but after his own loss to Barcelos, has clearly entered gatekeeper territory.
Let's see if can slow the rise of Talbott in the twilight of his career, or he'll become the latest fighter to be outmaneuvered by the rising prospect in the Octagon.
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