‘Absolutely extraordinary': Topuria explodes in savage title KO after ‘insane' UFC fight of year
The UFC has a new lightweight king after Ilia Topuria won the vacant belt to become a two-division champion, defeating Charles Oliveira in the UFC 317 main event.
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Topuria, who had moved up from 145 pounds having previously dethroned Australian Alexander Volkanovski, had just one lightweight fight on his resume in the UFC with a knockout victory over Jai Herbert in 2022.
But since then, the Spaniard has reigned supreme at featherweight and after clearing out the division, including former champions Volkanovski and Max Holloway, he wanted a new challenge.
So, he moved up to 155 pounds. The question, however, was whether the same power that scored him knockouts of Volkanovski and Holloway would translate.
Topuria answered that in emphatic fashion on Sunday, knocking out former champion Oliveira in the first round.
It was a savage right hand that dropped Oliveira, but the Spaniard backed it up with a left hook too to make sure the job was done.
Watch the savage KO in the video above
With it, the ever-confident Topuria also backed up his prediction earlier in the week of a first-round knockout.
'I'm the best fighter in the world,' Topuria said.
'It's not about if I'm going to win the belt; I'm going to do it. I'm going to knock him out in the first round ... If you beat legend after legend, you'll eventually become a legend.'
And a legend Topuria now is. A two-division legend, and this is just the start for the former featherweight champion, who now seems to be a collision course to defend his belt against rising lightweight sensation Paddy Pimblett.
Pimblett scored the biggest win of his career earlier this year by knocking out Michael Chandler at UFC 314, and he entered the octagon on Sunday to face off with Topuria.
But things took a turn fast after the pair shared words, with Topuria shoving Pimblett in a brief glimpse at what is to come from the two heated rivals.
They may have fought in different divisions for the majority of their UFC careers, but Topuria and Pimblett have a history that dates back to 2021, when Topuria — who lives in Spain but is of Georgian descent — took issue with comments Pimblett made about the Russo-Georgian War of 2008.
Meanwhile, earlier this year Topuria went as far as to say that if he could have any fight in the UFC it would be against Pimblett.
'Because I hate him,' Topuria said. Now, he's got his wish.
KIWI HEARTBREAK AS 'INSANE' FIGHT OF YEAR SETS UP TITLE BOUT
Alexandre Pantoja may not be the flyweight GOAT, with Demetrious Johnson still largely considered the best to do it at 125 pounds.
But there isn't much more you can say about the way Pantoja has dominantly destroyed any contenders that have threatened his reign at the top of the division, with the flyweight king defending his title for a fourth-straight time.
On this occasion, Pantoja was far too good for Kiwi Kai Kara-France, who had previously fought for the interim title and lost against Brandon Moreno, scoring a third-round submission victory in the UFC 317 co-main event.
With it, Pantoja passed Johnson for the most wins, finished and submissions in the flyweight division.
Kara-France was just the latest name to be added to a long list of challengers who have tried to dethrone Pantoja only to come up short, with the Brazilian also boasting wins against Brandon Royval (twice), Brandon Moreno (three times), Erceg and Kai Asakura.
As for who is next? Well, No.11 contender Joshua Van is certain to soar up the rankings after winning a three-round war against Brandon Royval in the fight before Pantoja's title defence.
Van, who had only just fought at UFC 316 when he scored a third-round TKO win over Bruno Silva, backed up three weeks later and with a broken toe as he took Royval all the way.
Royval, the flyweight division's No.1 ranked contender, was dropped by a brutal right hand in the third round as Van swarmed him to try get the finish but just ran out of time.
With the win Van, the No.11 ranked contender, looks to be in line for a shot at the title.
'The winner of the title fight tonight, they gon' have to see me,' Van said after the fight.
Let's go!! Van is an absolute monster!! #ufc
— Adrian Yaí±ez (@yanezmma) June 29, 2025
19-19. Royval strorms back. This fight is insane! #UFC317
— Henry Cejudo (@HenryCejudo) June 29, 2025
TWO MONSTER KNOCKOUTS CAP OFF PRELIMS
The preliminary card ended in explosive fashion with two-straight first-round knockouts.
Up first, he may still only be raw, but 27-year-old featherweight prospect Jose Miguel Delgado delivered the finish of the night as he sent Hyder Amil crashing to the canvas on the preliminary card.
Delgado, who secured a second-round TKO of Ernie Jaurez on the Dana White Contender Series to earn a UFC contract, now has two first-round finishes in the promotion.
The American made light work of Connor Matthews in his UFC debut but was even quicker to dispose of Amil on Sunday in under 30 seconds.
First, Delgado scored to the body and then partially landing a left hook before a brutal knee up the middle sent Amil down. Delgado was the quick to go to the ground and pound as referee Marc Goddard stepped in to stop the fight.
Then, in the featured bout on the prelims, a patient Gregory Rodrigues waited for his moment to put Jack Hermansson out in terrifying fashion.
It was a brutal left hook from Rodrigues in the final 40 seconds of the first round that sent Hermansson crashing to the canvas and referee Herb Dean wasn't quick enough to step in to stop the Brazilian before he landed a hammer fist to well and truly finish it.
Although plenty of people in the MMA world felt like Rodrigues didn't need to even go in for the second shot in the first place, with Joe Rogan noting in commentary that Hermansson was 'out cold'.
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