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UFC 317 predictions, odds, full card preview: Can Ilia Topuria take over lightweight?
Ilia Topuria's run to the top of the MMA mountain has been magical. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC) International Fight Week 2025 in Las Vegas has arrived with UFC 317 and a pair of thrilling title fight matchups at lightweight and featherweight. In the evening's highly anticipated headliner, the undefeated former featherweight king Ilia Topuria collides with former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira. Violence is imminent in the vacant title tilt, as Topuria hopes to see his dominance translate full-time to 155 pounds. On the other side of the equation, Brazil's "Do Bronx" believes he still has one more title run in him after one of the most impressive and entertaining resurgences in MMA history that culminated with his first title win in 2021. Advertisement Speaking of dominant champions, flyweight's Alexandre Pantoja is on the hunt for his fourth consecutive title defense when tasked with Kiwi KO artist Kai Kara-France. Directly before that, the division will see the possible next title contender determined when Brandon Royval meets Joshua Van. There's a lot to like on the upcoming UFC summer slate, and it all begins with UFC 317. 👑 UFC 317's lineup Crown grade: B+. 👑 Betting odds courtesy of BetMGM. (Joseph Raines, Yahoo Sports) Charles Oliveira is ready to begin his second title run. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) (Jeff Bottari via Getty Images) 155 pounds, vacant title fight: Ilia Topuria (-450) vs. Charles Oliveira (+350) The thought of Topuria as a permanent injection into the mix of 155-pound killers is still almost too good to be true. Yet, here we are, starting him off with one of the most consistent deliverers of chaos. Advertisement Truthfully, Topuria did a great job of providing the breakdown work for us this week on Monday's edition of "The Ariel Helwani Show." As much as the world should all love Oliveira and his incredible improvements over the years, delivering banger after banger time in and time out, he's a match made in heaven for Topuria. It's no secret that Oliveira gets hit, and he plays possum better than most ever have, thanks to his world-class jiu-jitsu. But when you get hit by Topuria, you don't recover, and imagining the additional danger of his power at lightweight is a scary thought. In "El Matador's" previous lightweight appearance, he folded Jai Herbert like Sunday clothing. For the 35-year-old Oliveira to be as big of an underdog as he is should come as a surprise at first glance. He's the undeniable more versatile fighter of the two, possessing a Swiss-Army knife-like striking offense with that aforementioned submission game in his back pocket. Even the wrestling acumen of Oliveira shone in his recent victory over Michael Chandler. This isn't to say Topuria isn't also supremely well-rounded at the highest level. He is, and he's so damn good at what he does that he's expected to dogwalk an all-time great in a heavier division. As he indicated in his prediction for the fight, Topuria will live up to his nickname to the fullest, and his speed and power will execute Oliveira in another brilliant performance. This guy is the truth, and Oliveira simply has to hope he lands any eight points of contact first, or catches a wild submission mid-scramble. Advertisement Pick: Topuria 125 pounds: (C) Alexandre Pantoja (-275) vs. Kai Kara-France (+220) Pantoja has entered that territory of being so damn good that everyone knows it and doesn't seem to care. It's a sad reality that makes the "Cannibal" the most underrated fighter on Earth, but his fights are always must-see appointments. Against Kara-France, Pantoja is in a familiar position, with plenty of firepower coming his way. "KKF" has been a notorious threat on the feet at 125 pounds, particularly with his smooth and impactful boxing ability. Although that's the clear X-factor for Kara-France in this matchup, Pantoja's own striking acumen continues to get slept on as his reign extends. That's possibly a byproduct of the strikers he's beaten over the years, but he's more than willing to go to war when necessary. Advertisement Put that against Pantoja's X-factor, which is his superior grappling and top control. The flyweight champ is one of, if not the best scrambler in MMA. Pantoja getting hold of his challenger is inevitable, no matter who they are. He might not submit you, but he'll have his way for the most part, threatening at every turn. Outside of a puncher's chance, the chances are slim for Kara-France in the co-main event. Pick: Pantoja 125 pounds: Brandon Royval (+105) vs. Joshua Van (-125) After yet another Manel Kape withdrawal, UFC 317 gets one of its most compelling matchups with the short-notice addition of Van against one-time title challenger Royval. Advertisement This has all the makings to be the Fight of the Night, folks. Van has very quickly proven to be, or at least has every capability of being, a future champion. The 23-year-old has begun his run, riding a four-fight win streak into this huge potential title contender matchup, and put away Bruno Gustavo de Silva as recently as UFC 316 earlier this month. Talk about wasting no time. On the other hand, the perennial top flyweight Royval hasn't fought since October when he picked up a thrilling split decision win over Tatsuro Taira. "Raw Dog" doesn't know how to be in a bad fight, and against Van, he's playing the veteran role with far superior experience and level of competition. This matchup embodies too much too soon for the young Van, who has to get past the No. 1-ranked contender here. As a striker, Van is progressing at a wildly rapid pace. Royval is a gamer, ready to fight anywhere the action goes. I'm not sure we'll see a finish in this one, but it will be three rounds of chaos, seeing Royval comfortably take over and overwhelm the active youngster. Advertisement Pick: Royval Beneil Dariush and Renato Moicano are going to try this song and dance one more time. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC) (Cooper Neill via Getty Images) 155 pounds: Beneil Dariush (+100) vs. Renato Moicano (-120) We're going to rinse and repeat a bit with Beneil Dariush vs. Renato Moicano, as the fight was supposed to first take place at UFC 311 in January. Ultimately, the last-second shakeup of Arman Tsarukyan pulling out of his title fight led to Moicano losing to the then-lightweight champion Islam Makhachev. Outside of that, nothing has changed for these two contenders. Dariush has had an additional five months to recover and regather himself since his last appearance in December 2023. The layoff is certainly a concern, but for Dariush's position and the damage he took in his previous two bouts, it could have been the best thing for him. Accompanied by this matchup, Dariush is in a prime position to rebound. Advertisement Moicano himself has pointed out the hilarity of age claims towards Dariush when they're the same age. (That grey hair will get you, man.) Anyway, as for the fight itself, these guys are almost the same fighter, except Dariush does everything better than Moicano. His lone setback would be his durability, as well as whether his chin is cracked. Even then, Moicano isn't a finisher with strikes by any stretch of the imagination. I can see this looking similar to Dariush's win over Mateusz Gamrot, which had plenty of fun scrambles and grappling exchanges in it, but was primarily a display of Dariush controlling every aspect of the bout. Pick: Dariush 135 pounds: Payton Talbott (+150) vs. Felipe Lima (-185) Bantamweight prospect wars are the best kind of prospect wars. Advertisement Payton Talbott is not getting a cozy layup in his rebound attempt after career loss No. 1 to Raoni Barcelos in January. Felipe Lima has been perfect since he lost his debut fight, and he'll keep the ball rolling here against Talbott. Clearly, Talbott was exposed a bit in the grappling department thanks to Barcelos, and Lima will look to, and can, exploit that. We've seen some crazy striking exchanges and finishes from Lima, but he's been able to submit his opposition in impressive fashion, too. On the feet, Talbott is dangerous, but he will need to channel his aggression to help work in defensive grappling situations. Otherwise, he's in for another long night. Lima is just well-rounded and smart enough, with slightly more experience, to take the spotlight firmly off the Contender Series alumni. Pick: Lima Preliminary notes Somehow, Viviane Araujo vs. Tracy Cortez completely snuck up on me here. It's been 11 months since Cortez's main event loss to Rose Namajunas, and she enters this matchup with Araujo, who stylistically matches up very similarly. After that impressive Karine Silva performance, the odds for this fight confuse the hell out of me. Advertisement Viacheslav Borshchev vs. Terrance McKinney is your car crash of the night, so brace for impact. Jack Hermansson is finally back after slowing down the Joe Pyfer contender rise, and Niko Price looks to prove he still has something left in the tank. UFC 317 is lacking more star power than you'd hope for these annual events, but the violence potential is high for these prelims, and that couldn't be more needed after UFC Baku. (Let's never speak of it again.) Quick picks:
Yahoo
09-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Georgia Bulldog snubbed in NFL mock draft
NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein recently released his second mock draft following the 2025 NFL combine. He covered just the first round, and two Georgia Bulldogs were selected in the top 10. Strangely enough, one Georgia Bulldog was snubbed from the first round in his draft. Georgia's pro day is coming up soon, which is expected to be big for Georgia pass rusher Mykel Williams, who was unable to participate in the NFL combine. What Bulldogs does Zierlein have going in the first-round of the 2025 NFL draft? Walker's projected team varies wildly from draft to draft, but there are very few that don't have him in at least the top 10. Walker established himself as a Swiss-Army knife for the Georgia Bulldogs, lining up on the edges and as an inside linebacker. He won the Butkus award in 2024 and led the team in sacks. His quickness off the line and versatility has given him comparisons to Dallas Cowboys great Micah Parsons. The hybrid edge rusher should have plenty of draft stock despite missing Georgia's Pro Day. The Panthers are looking for quality players on the defensive side of the ball, and Williams can fit right in as the team's No. 1 edge rusher. Williams was projected to go No. 1 in some mock drafts before the season. While he had just five sacks, his potential is extremely high. According to his combine interview, he was playing through an injury the entire season. Williams has the tools to excel in the NFL. Curiously enough, Malaki Starks was left off of Lance Zierlein's mock draft. Starks has been considered a first round talent and one of the top defensive backs in the NFL draft. Starks had a strong showing at the combine and the productive three year career at Georgia. This article originally appeared on UGA Wire: One Georgia football star snubbed in recent 2025 NFL mock draft
CBS News
14-02-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
A look at Red Sox roster after Alex Bregman joins the mix
With Alex Bregman in the mix, the Boston Red Sox will field an extremely intriguing team that will likely contend for a playoff spot in 2025. For a franchise that hasn't experienced postseason baseball since 2021, it's kind of a big deal. The Bregman signing, along with adding Garrett Crochet and Walker Buehler to the rotation, has Boston fans feeling somewhat optimistic for the season ahead. Here's a look at the Red Sox roster ahead of the team's first full-squad workout in Fort Myers on Monday. Catcher: Connor Wong, Carlos Narvaez Wong will be the primary catcher again after a solid 2024 season where he slashed .280/.333/.425 with 13 homers, 24 doubles and 52 RBI. He started 99 games behind the plate for Boston last season, in addition to six games at second base and one appearance in left field. Narvaez will back him up after being acquired from the Yankees shortly after No. 4 prospect Kyle Teel was dealt to Chicago in the Crochet trade. The 26-year-old played just six games for New York last season, but is touted as a defensively gifted backstop. First Base: Triston Casas Casas was limited to just 63 games last season due to a rib injury and went through an offseason of trade rumors,. He'll look to bounce back with a strong 2025 season. The 25-year-old got the swing and the pop to be one of the most impactful bats on the team, with 42 homers over 222 games during in his young career. Second Base: Alex Bregman Bregman gives the Red Sox a much-needed righty bat for the lineup, and while he won a Gold Glove at third base last season, he'll man second base for Boston with Rafael Devers at third. The veteran should be more than capable of making the move across the infield, and he'll bring a leadership element to the locker room with a pair of World Series rings from his time in Houston. He's also been a beast at Fenway Park, batting .375 with a 1.240 OPS along with seven home runs, nine doubles, and 15 RBI over 21 games at the ole ballyard. Bregman's addition is a massive boost to the 2025 squad, and takes pressure off top prospect Kristian Campbell and Vaughn Grissom to win the job this spring. Shortstop: Trevor Story As always, the biggest concern with Story is his health. He's played just 163 games across his three seasons with the Red Sox, and was on the field for only 26 games in 2024. But when he does play, Story gives the Red Sox excellent defense at short and some pop in the lineup. If he does end up on the shelf, Boston will likely turn to Romy Gonzalez or Grissom -- or potentially call up Marcelo Mayer -- to take over at short. Third Base: Rafael Devers Cora and the Boston brass have been adamant all winter that Devers is their third basemen. He does leave a lot to be desired defensively, but Devers is one of the best bats in the Boston lineup, averaging 32 homers and 96 RBI over the last four seasons. He's made three All-Star teams over that span. Utility Infielder: Romy Gonzalez Gonzalez was a Swiss-Army knife for Cora last season. In the infield, he played everywhere but catcher. He also played all three outfield positions when the Sox were in a pinch. Grissom could also find himself in a utility role, though the team would likely want to get him as much playing time as possible in Triple-A. Outfield: Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu, Rob Refsnyder The Red Sox are stacked in the outfield, and this mix doesn't even include No. 1 prospect Roman Anthony. He could make the Opening Day roster with an impressive spring, but chances are he'll start the season in Worcester so he can play everyday. Duran has a breakout season in 2024 and was an AL All-Star. Rafaela needs to work on his discipline at the plate, but he's a Web Gem waiting to happen in centerfield. Wilyer Abreu is coming off a Gold Glove season for Boston in right field, and can swing a solid bad in the bottom third of the order. DH: Masataka Yoshida Yoshida is looking to bounce back after playing just 108 games last season and slashed .280/.349/.415 for the Red Sox. Those aren't your typical DH numbers, but Yoshida can get real hot at the plate. However, he's a liability in the field, and Boston may try to move him this spring now that Bregman is part of the mix. Starting Pitchers: Garrett Crochet, Walker Buehler, Tanner Houck, Brayan Bello, Kutter Crawford, Lucas Giolito Whoa, that's a six-man rotation -- and a pretty solid one at that. First let's chat about the newcomers in Crochet and Buehler. Crochet will lead the pack and could potentially contend for a Cy Young award this year. But he only has one season as a starter under his belt, and the White Sox only let him pitch 146 innings last year, so it will be important to manage the 25-year-old early on. That's where a six-man rotation will help. But Crochet has the arsenal and the makeup to be a bulldog at the front of the rotation, which is what the Red Sox have needed. In Buehler, Craig Breslow added a two-time All-Star and two-time World Series champ to the mix. The righty missed all of 2023 and only threw 90 innings between the regular season and playoffs last year after undergoing Tommy John, but he'll be a huge addition if he can return to form. Houck was the ace of the staff and an All-Star last season, and will face less pressure in 2025. The same goes for Bello, who was supposed to be the ace last year but took a big step back. He should improve this season with a lot of that weight off his shoulders. Giolito is coming back after missing all of last season because of Tommy John surgery, and is a wild card for Boston. If he's good to go, Crawford may find himself relegated to the bullpen. But with a few injury question marks -- not to mention 19 games in 20 days to start the season -- there's a good chance the Red Sox start the campaign with a six-man rotation. Relief Pitchers: Liam Hendriks, Aroldis Chapman, Justin Slaten, Josh Winckowski, Justin Wilson, Garrett Whitlock, Cooper Criswell The closer role is up for grabs, with Hendriks and Chapman candidates to fill the void left by Kenley Jansen's departure. Whoever doesn't become the closer will likely land in the set-up spot, left vacant when Chris Martin left in free agency. Justin Slaten, fresh off a breakout season in 2024, could also potentially close games for Boston. The experiment of Whitlock as a starter is over, and he can focus on being a dominant reliever again in 2025. Criswell will handle long-relief duties out of the Red Sox bullpen.
