UFC 317 betting tips & Topuria vs Oliveira best bets: Topuria & Pantoja to hit the jackpot in Vegas
UFC 317 takes place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas this weekend, with Ilia Topuria facing Charles Oliveira for the vacant lightweight title in one of the biggest fights of the year.
earlier this year, setting his sights on the lightweight belt given up by reigning champion Islam Makhachev, and betting sites make him a heavy favourite to beat former champion Oliveira for the strap at 155lbs.
Oliveira, who holds the record for the most finishes and submissions in UFC history, beat Michael Chandler in his last fight for a shot at reclaiming the lightweight title, while Topuria comes into the bout after two recent knockouts of featherweight legends Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway.
In the co-main event in Las Vegas, Alexandre Pantoja takes on Kai Kara-France as the current flyweight champion looks to defend his title for the fourth time since winning it in July 2023.
The lightweight division will see a new champion this weekend for the first time since 2022 as Ilia Topuria bids to become a two-weight champ, while Charles Oliveira will be looking to regain the belt he was forced to vacate that year.
These are two talented fighters with skills both on the ground and with their hands, but it feels like the contest will be defined by Topuria's striking and Oliveira's ground skills.
Topuria will likely look to keep the fight as a standing contest and catch Oliveira with combinations, while the Brazilian will be aiming for a submission victory.
The problem for Oliveira is that in order to get a submission he will need to get dangerously close to a fighter who has proven to have excellent knockout power, and even if he does, Topuria's takedown defence of 92 per cent means the Brazilian could have a difficult time executing his gameplan.
Topuria vs Oliveira Odds
In fact, Topuria has only ever been taken down once in the Octagon, when he fought Bryce Mitchell in 2022. Add to that his explosive punching and accuracy – perhaps most notably demonstrated in a knockout of Holloway last year – and it becomes clear that Oliveira will have a tough time winning this one.
At 35, Oliveira has lost some of the athleticism he used to have and has proven to be susceptible to powerful punchers, which perhaps explain why UFC betting sites make the veteran such a long shot to win on Saturday.
There's little value on several of the main markets in this one, so with that in mind we're going for Topuria to win via KO or TKO, which is offered at around 8/13 with Willian Hill.
UFC 317: Alexandre Pantoja vs Kai Kara-France Prediction
Flyweight belt holder Pantoja faces the fourth-ranked fighter in the division in the form of Kai Kara-France, with the New Zealander having beaten Steve Erceg at UFC 305 to earn his title shot.
This will be Pantoja's fourth title defence, and the Brazilian is another heavy favourite on the night as he looks to add to a seven-win streak on Saturday.
The 35-year-old has not lost since 2020, and stands out as the clear best in his division thanks to an all-round blend of punching power, wrestling skills and ability on the ground.
This has helped him greatly in a division where few – if any – fighters have a standout single skill, with the Brazilian's elite jiu-jitsu perhaps standing out.
Alexandre Pantoja vs Kai Kara-France odds
Kara-France will look to land the win via striking, but Pantoja has proven that he has the ability to submit the division's best strikers, as he did last time out against Kai Asakura.
And the New Zealander's losses to Brandon Moreno and Brandon Royval – the latter of whom has been beaten twice by Pantoja in recent years – show that he is susceptible to counters from the division's more technical fighters, which could well be the case again this weekend.
Pantoja has won 11 of his fights via submission and 10 via decision, with the remaining eight coming via KO or TKO.
In terms of the method of victory, bookies have Pantoja to win by decision as 'most likely' at 15/8, but the better option may be on a submission win for the champ.
UFC 317 Free Bet Offers
NetBet, one of the UFC's official betting partners, are currently giving away a free UFC bet as part of their sign up offer.
New customers can currently bank £20 in free bets and 25 free spins from NetBet when they sign up, deposit a minimum of £10 and then wager £10 or more at odds of evens or greater on the sportsbook.
Once the qualifying bets has been settled, NetBet will credit punters with £20 in free bets, broken up into the following denominations:
1 x £5 bet builder (any sport, min odds 1.1)
1 x £5 acca (any sports, min 3 legs, min odds 2.0 per leg)
1 x £5 horse racing free bet (min odds 1.1)
1 x £5 UFC free bet (min odds 1.1)
NetBet are also giving away £2000 if anyone can predict the outcome of five fights at UFC 317, while there's the opportunity to boost the winnings on any UFC accumulators by as much as 50 per cent with the UFC acca boost.
Bettors should always practice responsible gambling. When using gambling sites be aware that sports betting can be addictive. Please take steps to remain in control of your time and budget.
The same applies whether you're using new betting sites, slot sites, casino sites, casino apps, betting apps, or any other gambling medium.
Even the most knowledgeable punter can lose a bet, so always stick to a budget and never chase your losses.
It's particularly important not to get carried away by any free bets or casino offers you might receive, both of which are available in abundance on gambling sites, but must be approached with caution.
You can stay in control by making use of the responsible gambling tools offered, such as deposit limits, loss limits, self-exclusion and time-outs.
You may also want to visit the following free organisations to discuss any issues with gambling you might be having:
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
13 minutes ago
- The Guardian
NHL draft: Islanders select Matthew Schaefer with No 1 overall pick during emotional ceremony
The New York Islanders selected defenseman Matthew Schaefer with the No 1 pick in the NHL draft on Friday night. High-scoring forward Michael Misa went second overall to the San Jose Sharks, and the Chicago Blackhawks took Swedish forward Anton Frondell third at the ceremony in Los Angeles' Peacock Theater. The Islanders maneuvered their way into three picks in the top 17, but they surprised nobody by using their first No 1 selection since 2009 on the 17-year-old Schaefer. The 6ft 2in blueliner from Hamilton, Ontario, with exceptional puck-moving ability and strong defensive skills spent the past two seasons with the Ontario Hockey League's Erie Otters. Schaefer persevered through tragedy to reach this moment. When he pulled on his Islanders sweater for the first time on the stage, he kissed a pink ribbon patch on the chest representing breast cancer awareness before breaking into tears and pointing to the sky. Schaefer's mother, Jennifer, died of cancer 16 months ago. He also endured the recent deaths of the Otters' owner, Jim Waters, and the mother of his billet family. 'I appreciate you taking a chance on me,' Schaefer said in a video conference call with the Islanders' front office. 'I promise I won't disappoint, but especially I just want to say to my mom and all my family and friends, thanks for everything.' The Islanders added the patch specifically for Schaefer, along with his mother's initials on the sweater collar. 'Seeing the ribbon on my jersey, and I saw a picture, it has JS on my back here,' Schaefer said. 'You can see just how high-class the organization is. It really means a lot. I wish my mom could be here today. Obviously, she's with me here in spirit ... Cancer sucks, and it's not fun. She didn't feel the best, but she was always the happiest in the family. She would do anything for us.' Schaefer scored 22 points while playing in only 17 games last season before breaking his collarbone in December. His acumen on both ends of the ice still propelled him to the top of nearly all draft boards. Schaefer is just the fifth defenseman picked No 1 overall since 2000, and the first since Owen Power went to Buffalo in 2021. Schaefer also is the second Erie product to go No 1, joining Connor McDavid in 2015. 'First and foremost, we drafted him because he's an unbelievable hockey player,' Isles general manager Mathieu Darche said. 'Obviously, the human being is exceptional. [For] a 17-year-old to have that resilience, maturity with everything that he's gone through is beyond impressive, honestly. I haven't met many 17-year-old kids that act like him. But at the end of the day, we're drafting him because he's a hell of a hockey player.' Schaefer got two new teammates when the Islanders used the 16th pick on Swedish forward Victor Eklund and nabbed defenseman Kashawn Aitcheson with the 17th selection. Both Pennsylvania teams were busy in Los Angeles. The Philadelphia Flyers grabbed forward Porter Martone sixth overall before trading up for the 12th selection to get forward Jack Nesbitt, while the Pittsburgh Penguins maneuvered up and down the draft to control three picks in the top 24, swinging two trades while drafting forwards Benjamin Kindel, Bill Zonnon and William Horcoff. Misa tore up the OHL last season as the captain of the Saginaw Spirit, scoring 62 goals and 134 points in just 65 games. While wearing a teal jersey for the first time, he repeated his desire to play in the NHL next season if he can crack the roster of a struggling Sharks organization that chose Will Smith fourth overall in 2023 and got center Macklin Celebrini with the first overall pick a year ago. 'He's an ultra-competitive kid who's been playing up a level, up a birth year his whole life,' Sharks general manager Mike Grier said about Misa. 'He wants to be the best. He wants to play against the best, so I'm sure this is what he wants to do, but you know we're not going to hand him anything. He's got to come into training camp and try and take a job.' Frondell excelled as a 17-year-old forward last season with Djurgården in Sweden's second division, showing off a two-way game that allowed him to push Misa on some draft boards. At 6ft 2in, he could provide a large complement to Connor Bedard. Frondell is the eighth Swedish player to be a top-three selection, joining elite company including Victor Hedman, Mats Sundin and the Sedin twins. Center Caleb Desnoyers went fourth to the Utah Mammoth, who moved up 10 spots in the draft lottery. The Nashville Predators chose physical forward Brady Martin with the fifth pick before trading up for the 21st selection to get Kitchener defenseman Cameron Reid. Martin skipped the draft, staying home on his family farm in Ontario. Fans of the host Los Angeles Kings inside the theater got fired up for their club to make the 24th selection – which the Kings promptly traded to Pittsburgh for the 31st and 59th selections, prompting groans from the crowd. Los Angeles eventually chose defenseman Henry Brzustewicz from the Memorial Cup champion London Knights in general manager Ken Holland's first selection for his new team. The Penguins created the majority of the surprises in the first round, first by choosing Calgary Hitmen center Kindel with the 11th pick – much higher than many prognosticators expected. Pittsburgh then traded the 12th pick, which originally belonged to the New York Rangers, to Philadelphia for the 22nd and 31st picks. The Flyers wanted the 6ft 4in Nesbitt, a fast-rising center from the OHL's Windsor Spitfires last season. The Penguins also gave a second-round pick to the Kings and swapped first-rounders so they could move up for Horcoff – the son of NHL veteran Shawn Horcoff – with the 24th pick. The Anaheim Ducks took a chance on forward Roger McQueen with the 10th selection. The 6ft 5in McQueen is widely thought to have enough talent to become an elite center, but the Saskatchewan native has been slowed by a back injury that scared off some teams. Two goalies were chosen in the first round for the first time since 2021 and only the third time in 13 years. Columbus grabbed Russia's Pyotr Andreyanov with the 20th pick, making him the highest-picked European goalie in fourth years, while San Jose added goalie Joshua Ravensbergen with the 30th selection. The Boston Bruins used the seventh overall pick on Boston College center James Hagens, the consensus top prospect for this draft a year ago. Hagens, a Long Island native coveted by many Islanders fans, slid down the board just enough to reach the Bruins, whose pick was announced by a video of Adam Sandler in character as Happy Gilmore, complete with his signature Bruins jersey. 'I'm so excited to be back in Boston, and to have Adam Sandler make the pick, that was special,' said Hagens, who cites Happy Gilmore as his favorite movie. 'I love to win, and I'm really glad that I'm in Boston.' The Islanders won the lottery to pick first in a draft that is packed with talent – while missing a few staples of recent drafts. There was no prohibitive lock at No 1, unlike the past two drafts. The draft also lacked the centralized structure that has long been a staple of this annual exercise. The 32 teams' executives are mostly at home, not strewn across the draft floor. The majority of the picks were taken to a video room just behind the stage to exchange televised pleasantries with their new front offices through video conferencing. While reviews of the new format seemed largely negative from television viewers and fans, many hockey executives praised the format afterward.
Scottish Sun
25 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Meet Ilia Topuria, the son of refugees and high school dropout set to replace Conor McGregor as the face of the UFC
TOP OF THE WORLD Meet Ilia Topuria, the son of refugees and high school dropout set to replace Conor McGregor as the face of the UFC Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE Ultimate Fighting Championship is potentially just days away from having a new poster boy. And it's somewhat fitting that the potential coronation of mixed martial arts' premier promotion's new king will take place nearly four years to the day that Conor McGregor - the face of the sport for several years - had what looked to be his final outing. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 9 Ilia Topuria is on the cusp of making UFC history Credit: AP 9 The Georgian-born Spaniard will look to claim the vacant UFC lightweight title Credit: GETTY 9 Standing between Topuria and yet more history is former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira Credit: GETTY 9 Topuria and his family come from incredibly humble beginnings Credit: INSTGRAM@ILIATOPURIA Many have long thought the heir apparent to McGregor's throne was 'Suga' Sean O'Malley, although back-to-back championship defeats to Merab Dvalishvili have seen the former bantamweight king's sweetness fade. The man poised to succeed 'The Notorious' is a Georgian-born Spaniard who made a statement on the prelims of what with increasing certainty looks to be the last McGregor card in UFC history. The man in question is former featherweight champion Ilia Topuria, who will bid to further write his name into the history books early on Sunday morning in the main event of UFC 317 in Las Vegas. Undefeated Topuria will do battle with fellow fan favourite and former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira for the vacant 155lbs belt, which the dominant Islam Makhachev left aside. READ MORE ON TOPURIA UFC 317 Topuria vs Oliveira: Live stream, results, start time and TV channel Becoming the TENTH two-weight champion in UFC history in the fashion he claimed and defended the featherweight title will catapult Topuria into a new stratosphere, one he always believed he'd reach. Topuria, 28, was born in 1997 in Halle, Germany, where his parents were granted refuge during the ethnic cleansing of Georgians in Abkhazia in the '90s. It was in Germany that Topuria would discover the sport of Greco-Roman wrestling, which he practised along with his younger brother, Aleksandre. The Topuria family would eventually return to Georgia, where the brothers would continue their education in Greco-Roman wrestling, in 2003. JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS 9 Ilia Topuria and his siblings are the sons of refugees who fled the ethnic cleansing of Georgians in Abkhazia in the '90s Credit: INSTGRAM@ILIATOPURIA 9 Topuria and his younger brother, Aleksandre, dropped out of school in their mid-teens to pursue MMA Credit: INSTGRAM@ILIATOPURIA 9 Topuria tore through the regional and European scene before being signed by the UFC Credit: INSTGRAM@ILIATOPURIA 9 He rewarded his dad's trust in him by winning UFC gold in February 2024 Credit: INSTGRAM@ILIATOPURIA Eager to provide a better life for their children, Topuria's parents, Zaza and Inga, moved the family to Alicante, Spain, in 2012. Not long after their arrival, Topuria's mother spotted a man sporting cauliflower ears and asked him if he knew where her sons could continue their training. Watch jacked Ilia Topuria complete epic UFC 317 body transformation after ditching crash diet to lose over 40lbs That chance encounter paved the way for Topuria to start his mixed martial arts journey under the tutelage of the Climent brothers, Agustin and Jorge. The Topuria brothers' passion for MMA was so fervent that they both asked their dad if they could DROP OUT of school to pursue their dreams of fighting in the UFC. In 2022, Ilia said of his early teenage years in Spain: 'Yes [it was hard to communicate], but I left school when I was like 15 years old. 'When I was 15 years old, I went with my brother to talk with my father to tell him, 'Hey, dad. ''We don't want to go to school any more, but we really want to train. 'And we're going to the gym all day, every day, and we're going to train.' 'Because my dream was to fight in the UFC. And he told me, 'If you're really going to train all the time like you tell me, then you have my approval. 'That's one of the reasons why I made my debut so young in the UFC, because it's very tough to get into the UFC from Spain. 'Because I wasn't living in the United States and I wasn't born here, because it's easier.' I left school when I was like 15 years old." Ilia Topuria Three years after beginning his training with the Climent brothers, Topuria made his professional debut at the tender age of 18. He'd rip through the competition on the regional and European circuits with eight straight finishes, seven of which came via submission. The UFC came calling in October 2022 and Topuria hasn't looked back since, stopping all comers bar Youssef Zalal and Josh Emmett - both of whom were battered from pillar to post - on his way to claiming and defending the featherweight crown. His coronation as featherweight king came last February with a sensational second-round knockout of fan favourite Alexander Volkanovski. And his final outing in the division last October saw him achieve the previously unthinkable and knock out iron-chinned former featherweight champion Max Holloway. Topuria's exploits - in particular his championship victories - have seen him become a superstar in Georgia, Spain and the rest of the Spanish-speaking world. He has a whopping 7.7million Instagram followers, has been recognised by boyhood footie team Real Madrid - who presented him in front of a capacity crowd at the Bernabeu after his KO of Volk - and is pals with Los Blancos legends Iker Casillas and Sergio Ramos. His global following will explode and the celebs in his orbit will only become bigger, even though he doesn't crave the limelight, should he become a two-weight champion in a similar fashion to his featherweight coronation. The title of 'biggest star in the UFC' is right there for the taking for Topuria. All that remains now is for him to make it his own in devastating fashion.
The Sun
26 minutes ago
- The Sun
Meet Ilia Topuria, the son of refugees and high school dropout set to replace Conor McGregor as the face of the UFC
THE Ultimate Fighting Championship is potentially just days away from having a new poster boy. And it's somewhat fitting that the potential coronation of mixed martial arts' premier promotion's new king will take place nearly four years to the day that Conor McGregor - the face of the sport for several years - had what looked to be his final outing. 9 9 9 9 Many have long thought the heir apparent to McGregor's throne was 'Suga' Sean O'Malley, although back-to-back championship defeats to Merab Dvalishvili have seen the former bantamweight king's sweetness fade. The man poised to succeed 'The Notorious' is a Georgian-born Spaniard who made a statement on the prelims of what with increasing certainty looks to be the last McGregor card in UFC history. The man in question is former featherweight champion Ilia Topuria, who will bid to further write his name into the history books early on Sunday morning in the main event of UFC 317 in Las Vegas. Undefeated Topuria will do battle with fellow fan favourite and former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira for the vacant 155lbs belt, which the dominant Islam Makhachev left aside. Becoming the TENTH two-weight champion in UFC history in the fashion he claimed and defended the featherweight title will catapult Topuria into a new stratosphere, one he always believed he'd reach. Topuria, 28, was born in 1997 in Halle, Germany, where his parents were granted refuge during the ethnic cleansing of Georgians in Abkhazia in the '90s. It was in Germany that Topuria would discover the sport of Greco-Roman wrestling, which he practised along with his younger brother, Aleksandre. The Topuria family would eventually return to Georgia, where the brothers would continue their education in Greco-Roman wrestling, in 2003. JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS 9 9 9 9 Eager to provide a better life for their children, Topuria's parents, Zaza and Inga, moved the family to Alicante, Spain, in 2012. Not long after their arrival, Topuria's mother spotted a man sporting cauliflower ears and asked him if he knew where her sons could continue their training. Watch jacked Ilia Topuria complete epic UFC 317 body transformation after ditching crash diet to lose over 40lbs That chance encounter paved the way for Topuria to start his mixed martial arts journey under the tutelage of the Climent brothers, Agustin and Jorge. The Topuria brothers' passion for MMA was so fervent that they both asked their dad if they could DROP OUT of school to pursue their dreams of fighting in the UFC. In 2022, Ilia said of his early teenage years in Spain: 'Yes [it was hard to communicate], but I left school when I was like 15 years old. 'When I was 15 years old, I went with my brother to talk with my father to tell him, 'Hey, dad. ''We don't want to go to school any more, but we really want to train. 'And we're going to the gym all day, every day, and we're going to train.' 'Because my dream was to fight in the UFC. And he told me, 'If you're really going to train all the time like you tell me, then you have my approval. 'That's one of the reasons why I made my debut so young in the UFC, because it's very tough to get into the UFC from Spain. 'Because I wasn't living in the United States and I wasn't born here, because it's easier.' Three years after beginning his training with the Climent brothers, Topuria made his professional debut at the tender age of 18. He'd rip through the competition on the regional and European circuits with eight straight finishes, seven of which came via submission. The UFC came calling in October 2022 and Topuria hasn't looked back since, stopping all comers bar Youssef Zalal and Josh Emmett - both of whom were battered from pillar to post - on his way to claiming and defending the featherweight crown. His coronation as featherweight king came last February with a sensational second-round knockout of fan favourite Alexander Volkanovski. And his final outing in the division last October saw him achieve the previously unthinkable and knock out iron-chinned former featherweight champion Max Holloway. Topuria's exploits - in particular his championship victories - have seen him become a superstar in Georgia, Spain and the rest of the Spanish-speaking world. He has a whopping 7.7million Instagram followers, has been recognised by boyhood footie team Real Madrid - who presented him in front of a capacity crowd at the Bernabeu after his KO of Volk - and is pals with Los Blancos legends Iker Casillas and Sergio Ramos. His global following will explode and the celebs in his orbit will only become bigger, even though he doesn't crave the limelight, should he become a two-weight champion in a similar fashion to his featherweight coronation. The title of 'biggest star in the UFC' is right there for the taking for Topuria. All that remains now is for him to make it his own in devastating fashion. 9
