Topuria KOs Oliveira, Seizes Lightweight Crown at UFC 317; Pimblett Confrontation Looms

Topuria Claims Lightweight Title, Confronts Pimblett at UFC 317

Ilia Topuria, the former featherweight champion and No. 2-ranked pound-for-pound fighter, added another achievement to his resume by knocking out Charles Oliveira in the first round at UFC 317 on Saturday. This victory secured him the lightweight title, making him only the 10th fighter in UFC history to hold belts in two different weight classes.

The victory was followed by an unexpected confrontation. Paddy Pimblett, a known rival of Topuria, entered the Octagon from the crowd after the fight's conclusion. The two exchanged heated words, culminating in Topuria shoving Pimblett before security intervened. This sets the stage for a potential high-profile title defense for Topuria in the future.

In the co-main event, Alexandre Pantoja successfully defended his flyweight title for the fifth time. He defeated Kai Kara-France with a rear-naked choke in the third round.

Following Pantoja's victory, Joshua Van, who had previously defeated No. 2-ranked flyweight Brandon Royval earlier in the evening, entered the cage to face off with the champion. This strongly suggests that Van is the next likely challenger for Pantoja's flyweight title.