Makhachev Vacates Lightweight Belt, Topuria vs. Oliveira Headlines UFC 317, Du Plessis vs. Chimaev Set for UFC 319

Islam Makhachev has officially vacated his lightweight title to move up and challenge new welterweight king Jack Della Maddalena, with their date still to be finalised. That move clears the way for a blockbuster UFC 317 headliner, where undefeated Ilia Topuria will face Charles Oliveira for the vacant 155-pound strap, while flyweight champ Alexandre Pantoja defends against Kai Kara-France in the co-main event. But that’s not all—middleweight gold is also on the line later this summer, as Dricus du Plessis puts his belt on the line against the surging Khamzat Chimaev in the UFC 319 main event, set for August 16 in Chicago.

Islam Makhachev Vacates Title, Sets Sights on 170 Gold

After months of speculation, Islam Makhachev is officially moving up to welterweight. The reigning lightweight champion has relinquished his title  with a clash against Jack Della Maddalena now on the horizon. The decision came just days after Della Maddalena earned a dominant win over Belal Muhammad at UFC 315. Makhachev had previously stated he wouldn’t challenge for the welterweight belt while his friend and training partner Muhammad was champion. But with that obstacle now out of the way, the Dagestani is chasing greatness once again. No date has been confirmed for the Islam Makhachev vs Jack Della Maddalena showdown, but Dana White confirmed it’s in the works and will headline a future pay-per-view.

UFC 317: Topuria vs. Oliveira for Vacant Lightweight Title, Pantoja vs. Kara-France Co-Main

With Makhachev stepping aside, UFC 317 on June 28 during International Fight Week in Las Vegas will crown a new lightweight king. Undefeated Spanish-Georgian sensation Ilia Topuria (16-0) meets Brazilian legend Charles Oliveira (35-10, 1 NC) in a high-stakes main event at the T-Mobile Arena.

Topuria, who vacated his featherweight title earlier this year, has been on a tear. He made history by becoming the first man to knock out both Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway at 145 pounds. Now, he looks to cement his legacy with gold in a second weight class. Following the announcement, Topuria couldn’t resist a jab at Makhachev, tweeting: “It’s unfortunate that Makhachev ran away.”Oliveira, meanwhile, is no stranger to vacant title fights. The former champion won gold under similar circumstances at UFC 262 and now gets another shot at the belt.

The co-main event also brings fireworks, as flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja (29-5) defends against Kai Kara-France (25-11, 1 NC). Pantoja already holds a victory over Kara-France from The Ultimate Fighter 24 and enters this bout having defended his belt three times. Kara-France, however, has surged back into contention with a brutal knockout of Steve Erceg.

Current UFC 317 Lineup:

• Ilia Topuria vs. Charles Oliveira – Vacant Lightweight Title
• Alexandre Pantoja (c) vs. Kai Kara-France – Flyweight Title
• Paulo Costa vs. Roman Kopylov
• Beneil Dariush vs. Renato Moicano
• Jhonata Diniz vs. Justin Tafa
• Brandon Royval vs. Manel Kape
• Jack Hermansson vs. Gregory Rodrigues
• Viviane Araujo vs. Tracy Cortez

UFC 319: Du Plessis vs. Chimaev Headlines Chicago Return

The UFC’s return to Chicago is a big one.

At UFC 319 on August 16, Dricus du Plessis will defend his middleweight championship against the undefeated and long-hyped Khamzat Chimaev in a fight that’s been building for years. This will mark the promotion’s first trip back to the Windy City since UFC 238 in 2019.

Du Plessis (22-2) has carved out a championship reign by surviving chaos and thriving in adversity. After winning the belt in a razor-close split decision against Sean Strickland at UFC 297, he backed it up with a submission win over Israel Adesanya and a dominant rematch victory over Strickland earlier this year at UFC 312.Chimaev (13-0), on the other hand, finally gets his title shot after years of dominance marred by inactivity. Known for his relentless pace and devastating finishes, the Chechen stormed back into the title picture by submitting Robert Whittaker at UFC 308 in the first round.

This is the showdown fans have been waiting for, and if Chimaev finally capitalises on his momentum, we could be witnessing the beginning of a new reign of destruction in the middleweight division.