Fight Coverage
Get Ready For Summer 2025 | UFC FIGHT PASS
Relive Some Of The Greatest Moments From The Stars Returning To The Octagon This Summer
Last week, UFC CEO Dana White announced a slew of thrilling matchups for this summer, including four title fights in the span of 49 days.
It all kicks off with International Fight Week’s premier event, UFC 317, featuring a championship doubleheader. In the main event, former featherweight champion Ilia Topuria looks to claim a new crown when he collides with Charles Oliveira for the vacant lightweight title. In the co-main event, flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja looks to build on his legacy by adding a fourth title defense to his record against No. 4 ranked contender Kai Kara-France.
In July, two legends meet as the UFC returns to New Orleans for UFC 318, where BMF champion Max Holloway faces Dustin Poirier in what will be the hometown favorite’s final fight in the Octagon.
Order UFC 316: Dvalishvili vs O'Malley 2
Then, at UFC 319 in Chicago, fans will finally get the matchup they’ve long been waiting for when No. 3 ranked middleweight contender Khamzat Chimaev gets his first shot at UFC gold against champion Dricus du Plessis.
Ahead of these epic matchups, revisit some of these athletes’ most memorable performances inside the Octagon:
Ilia Topuria vs Max Holloway (UFC 308)
As good as Ilia Topuria has always been since entering the UFC, his performance against Max Holloway truly signified just how special of a fighter he is. Heading into the fight, one of the biggest questions was how Topuria would deal with the volume and durability of someone like Holloway considering you can count on one hand how many times he’s been rattled by a punch in his entire career.
Buy Tickets For UFC 317: Topuria vs Oliveira Today!
Topuria answered that question in three rounds. The former featherweight champ, who challenges for UFC lightweight gold next month, was methodical in his striking throughout. In the third round, Topuria unleashed a right hand that sent Holloway retreating to the fence, where Topuria does his best work. He chased him down, landed a slick combination and followed it with a left hand that sent Holloway crashing to the mat. It was the first time Holloway had ever been knocked out in his entire pro career, and it cemented Topuria's place as the best at 145 pounds.
Charles Oliveira vs Michael Chandler (UFC 262)
After extending his win streak to eight with a dominant win over Tony Ferguson in 2020, Charles Oliveira earned a shot at vacant lightweight gold against Michael Chandler, who had just one UFC fight to his name ahead of UFC 262’s main event.
Get Tickets For UFC X, A Two-Day Fan Experience During International Fight Week
In typical fashion, Chandler came out like a bat out of hell to start the fight but got into some trouble early with Oliveira taking his back. Chandler eventually escaped and landed big shots to hurt Oliveira before the end of the round. But right at the start of the second, Oliveira landed a picture-perfect left hook to drop Chandler. Oliveira followed up with some shots against the fence to close the show and capture the title.
Dustin Poirier vs Michael Chandler (UFC 281)
Dustin Poirier is as tough as they come, and he proved it by surviving an early storm from Michael Chandler in the first round of their clash at UFC 281. With his back against the wall, literally, for much of the round, Poirier stayed composed, returned fire and landed the biggest shot of the frame: a counter right that dropped Chandler with 30 seconds to go.
UFC 318: Buy Tickets | VIP Experiences | View The Card
The second round was all Chandler, who leaned on his grappling after being stunned so late in the first. But it was his wrestling that was his detriment against a veteran in Poirier who knows how to capitalize on his opponents’ mistakes. An errant takedown attempt from Chandler led to Poirier on his back, and just moment later, Poirier sunk in a rear-naked choke to secure the comeback victory.
Max Holloway vs Justin Gaethje (UFC 300)
Just because Max Holloway lost to Ilia Topuria, let’s not forget what happened the last time he fought at 155 pounds. At UFC 300, Holloway stepped up to challenge Justin Gaethje for the BMF title in what turned out to be one of the most unforgettable fights in UFC history.
ROAD TO UFC RETURNS THURSDAY: Tournament Preview | How To Watch
After 24 and a half minutes of nonstop action, with Holloway leading the dance for most of it, he threw caution to the wind and decided to stand and bang with one of the lightweight division’s heaviest hitters for the final 10 seconds of the fight. Then, with just one second left, Holloway landed a right hand that shut Gaethje’s lights out in one of the wildest knockouts you’ll ever see.
Dricus du Plessis vs Sean Strickland (UFC 297)
Dricus du Plessis continues to prove doubters wrong each time he steps into the Octagon. At UFC 297, he quieted a lot of that noise when he dethroned Sean Strickland to capture middleweight gold.
READ: Patchy Mix To Make UFC Debut At UFC 316
The fight itself was as competitive as it gets, with Strickland landing more volume, but du Plessis landing the heavier shots while also securing six takedowns. At the end of 25 minutes, du Plessis found himself on the right side of a split decision with a gold belt strapped across his waist.
Khamzat Chimaev vs Robert Whittaker (UFC 308)
There’s not much to say about Khamzat Chimaev’s latest matchup with Robert Whittaker besides that it was a vintage performance from the undefeated middleweight, who blitzed through the former champion with ease in Abu Dhabi.
The Ultimate Fighter Season 33 Premieres May 27
It took just 15 seconds for Chimaev to take Whittaker’s back, where he controlled him for the next three minutes before locking in a rear-naked choke that forced an immediate tap. If you had any doubts about how Chimaev stacks up against top competition after his fights with Kamaru Usman and Gilbert Burns, this performance answered those questions and then some.
Alexandre Pantoja vs Kai Asakura (UFC 310)
After defeating the majority of flyweights top contenders, including Brandon Moreno, Brandon Royval, Manel Kape and Steve Erceg, 125-pound champ Alexandre Pantoja was thrown a curveball at UFC 310 when he was given UFC newcomer Kai Asakura as his latest challenger.
UFC UNFILTERED: Jared Gordon’s Big Win, Julianna Peña Talks Doubters, Matt vs. YouTuber?
The 35-year-old knocked it out of the park, submitting Asakura in the second round to defend his title for the third time and earn a Performance of the Night bonus. Pantoja now holds the second-most title defenses in the division’s history, trailing only Demetrious Johnson.
Kai Kara-France vs Steve Erceg (UFC 305)
Kai Kara-France has always been on the cusp of title contention, but he needed a statement win over a top contender to solidify his spot as the next challenger for the belt. He did just that in his most recent outing against Steve Erceg.
Gear Up for TUF 33: Team Cormier vs Team Sonnen At UFC Store
About four minutes into the first round, Kara-France landed a left hook that dropped the former title challenger. Erceg managed to get back to his feet, but Kara-France closed the distance and landed a straight right hand that sent him crashing back to the mat, closing the show in emphatic fashion.