UFC 317 sees a new king crowned when Ilia Topuria fights Charles Oliveira for the empty UFC Lightweight Championship.
After the Islam Makhachev had left the UFC light weight title, his planned title match with Ilia Topuria was demolished and a new main event was found.
Former champion Charles Oliveira was set up, with the #2 ranked slight challenge for the title against the undefeated Georgian.
The UFC Flyweight title is also on the line in the Co-Main event, while champion Alexandre Pantoja Kai Kara-France takes on what many predict as an exciting fight in Las Vegas.
In anticipation of UFC 317, Bloody Elbow experts have picked their staff for the two most important event areas, as well as the performance of the night and the fight of the night
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Ilia Topuria vs Charles Oliveira predictions
- Harvey Leonard: Ilia Topuria
- Jordan Ellis: Ilia Topuria
- Kyle Dimond: Ilia Topuria
- Jamie Theodosi: Ilia Topuria
The bloody elbow experts see only one winner in the UFC 317 Main Event, and that is with Topuria that becomes a two-weight champion.
Topuria has left its UFC -Fedweight championship to secure this fight and will be sure that they will be confronted with a man who has been eliminated or submitted eight times in his career.
The Georgian has already predicted exactly how he will defeat the Brazilian, and you would be hard to find someone who does not put the unbeaten Topuria in his attempt to become a two -weight champion in the UFC.
If he is in one way or another to force Topuria to tap, Oliveira will break the record for most entries in UFC Lightweight History.
However, that seems unlikely, and the predictions of the bloody elbow staff reflect that.
Alexandre Pantoja vs Kai Kara-France predictions
- Harvey Leonard: Alexandre Pantoja
- Jordan Ellis: Alexandre Pantoja
- Kyle Dimond: Alexandre Pantoja
- Jamie Theodosi: Alexandre Pantoja
The experts are again in accordance with whom the other world title fight will win on UFC 317.
Despite dominating the division with four title fighting victories in a row, Pantoja is one of the most underrated hunters in the UFC.
He has all the skills to beat the kiwi, especially given the recent record of Kara-France of two losses in his last three fights.
The recent TKO victory of Kara-France on Steve Erceg was impressive, but it is simply not enough to give him the lead on the title defender on UFC 317.
UFC 317 Fight of the Night For Spellings
- Harvey Leonard: Brandon Royval vs Joshua van
- Jordan Ellis: Brandon Royval vs Joshua van
- Kyle Dimond: Brandon Royval vs Joshua van van van van van van
- Jamie Theodosi: Brandon Royval vs Joshua van
For a third prediction in a row, the experts cannot be separated because they predict that the flight weight match on the main map will make the most impression.
They support the collision between the record -breaking Joshua van and Brandon Royval to make the most impression on UFC 317.
Van Nam the fight in the short term after Manel Kape was forced to withdraw because of a broken base, giving him the chance to assume the #1 fly weight in the division.
The last three fights of Royval went the distance, including a unanimous loss of decision to defend Pantoja on UFC 296. He is opposed to a top striker in every division, whose Ko -victory on Bruno Silva on UFC 316 places him in a good position for this battle.
This collision gives the chance to catapult itself in the upper echelons of the UFC Flyweight Division, but Royval could tailor it to what the fight of the night at UFC 317 could be.
UFC 317 -version of the night forecasts
- Harvey Leonard: Payton Talbott
- Jordan Ellis: Jacobe Smith
- Kyle Dimond: Felipe Lima
- Jamie Theodosi: Ilia Topuria
The experts are looking forward to the main card conflict between Payton Talbott and Felipe Lima, although they cannot decide which of the men run away with the performance of the night bonus on UFC 317.
Harvey supports Talbott to bounce back from his UFC 311 defeat against Raoni Barcelos – his first UFC League in four fights – to set up an impressive version to beat Lima.
Kyle, however, sees 'Jungle Boy' continuing his unbeaten streak since he came to the UFC in 2024 by storing Lima and adding a new victory to his record in a top fight on UFC 317.
In the meantime, Jordan supports Jacobe Smith to treat his fight with Niko Price with an impressive performance.
He assured the first major UFC Knock -out of 2025 when he finished Preston Parsons in January, with that version to make him the big favorite to make a Splash on the UFC 317 -Prelims.
Finally, Jamie cannot look beyond Topuria to re -finish his opponent with an impressive knockout to win the title in the main event.