UFC 317 LIVE – Unbeaten featherweight champion Ilia Topuria knocks out Charles Oliveira to take vacant lightweight title

Paddy Pimblett enters the Octagon.

Pimblett says: “You can’t knock me out, I’ll finish you little man” and receives a push from the champion in response.

Wow! Oliveira landed a strong right hand early. A reminder to Topuria he’s not in the featherweight division anymore. But after taking down the Brazilian star, and avoiding a leg lock, when the combatants got back to their feet it was the former flyweight champion who took command – and in an incredible manner. He landed a jab and then followed with a right hand which saw Oliveira’s eyes roll back as his body slammed into the canvas. There was a follow-up left hook and one shot on the floor, both spurious, before the referee stepped in. Just an incredible performance.

Chills down the spine. Always.

Can Topuria become a two-weight champion or will Oliveira win the lightweight belt for the second time?

The UFC public will be counting down the days until this one.

Kara-France lands a couple of shots early but can’t stop Pantoja’s take down and the Brazilian takes his back and after a period of struggle, locks his arm under the New Zealander’s chin after which it was a matter of time before he tapped to a rear-naked choke.

Van didn’t look so impressed watching at close quarters.

After the thrills of the last fight, it is not one the crowd is as engaged in. Pantoja likely did enough to take the round but was not altogether impressive. Kara-France landed some good body shots but the champion out-landed him and had control in the clinches.

Pantoja immediately takes control landing brutal right hands and then taking Kara-France down and getting the New Zealander’s back. From that point on it was domination, squeezing the fight out of his opponent while landing shots upstairs.

Alexandre Pantoja (29-5) makes his fourth defence of his title against Kiwi Kai Kara-France (25-11).

I know we shouldn’t, but it’s hard not to already think about Pantoja-Van. Many well-laid plans have come unstuck in combat sports before mind.

He revealed this in the post-fight interview with Joe Rogan. As if the performance wasn’t special enough. Next he wants the winner of the upcoming title fight.

Van wins 29-28 (twice) and 30-27. The fight saw a record number of significant strikes in the flyweight division.

Van looks to take the initiative walking down Royval at the start of the round. Each time Van lands a painful shot in close, Royval comes back with shots of his own. Royval lands combinations but takes a number of brutal shots from Van in each exchange. Royval’s chin is a thing of wonder staying on his feet and immediately responding each time he is caught. Van smartly adds in front kicks to the leg in the closing minute to stop Royval being able to play his feet and one kick briefly sees his opponent slip. Then, in the final ten seconds, a right hand puts Royval down and Van unleashes more shots but the Amnerican hangs on until the buzzer which can barely be heard above the crowd.

What a round! Royval looks to mix in kicks to the mid section in his artillery but Van’s exquisite timing and brutal accuracy again give him control with a left hand hurting Royval. The American does have his success approaching the middle of the round rocking Van and bloodying his mouth but he comes straight back with combinations in close which see Royval’s face redden. Royval does have more success with his straight shots, but Van mixes up shots to the body with his brutal hooks. Somehow despite taking painful hooks upstairs in close Royval keeps walking forwards and throwing as the round ends.

Royval throws more leather, but Van’s are far more accurate, effective and damaging when they land. A counter left hook in the briefly sees Royval touch down on the mat. Though the American lands a good right which sees Van stumble back to the Octagon he immediately gets back to his work blocking Royval’s shots and landing his own.

The Myanmar marvel Joshua Van (14-2) takes on the Raw Dog Brandon Royval, with the winner likely to get a flyweight shot.

He takes the contest 29-28 in a fight fairly easy to score.

Dariush takes Moicano down immediately but the Brazilian reverses on the ground before both return to their feet. Dariush lands a couple of painful liver kicks. The grueling second round seemed to take its toll on Moicano who could not repeat his success in the first with Dariush in control of the stand up.

Dariush landed early and had control of grappling taking down his opponent on two occasions. He holds Moicano on the mat for the last three minutes, the crowd don’t like it but we are level going into the third.

It began as a patient opener with Moicano landing a couple of eye-catching strikes and after Dariush got through with a few kicks, a big straight right hand saw Dariush go down to the canvas. Moicano landed a number of follow-up blows to the still wobbly Dariush before the buzzer.

Beneil Dariush (22-6-1) takes on Renato Moicano (20-6-1).

Talbott wins on all three cards 29-28.

Lima had a good opening two minutes landing two solid blows and a couple of take downs, but Talbott erased this with a fantastic end, as a spinning heel kick turned the round his way and dominated the closing stages.

Talbott outlands his opponent in the second, connecting with both hands.

A tight opener which the American Talbott maybe just edged, though Lima secured the sole take down.

A battle between world-class prospects as Payton Talbott (9-1) takes on Felipe Lima (14-1).

We are done with the prelims and at the top of the hour we will start the main card.

A third first round finish as, after Hermansson edged the fight up until that point, Robocop landed the left hook from hell to knock out his opponent before his body hit the canvas.

Norwegian Jack Hermansson takes on Gregory Rodrigues in the final prelims bout.

A high knee straight in the first seconds sent the Filipino fighter to the mat and after a couple of big elbows to the prone fighter the referee did the right thing and stopped the fight after 26 seconds.

Hyder Amil (11-0-0) takes on Jose Miguel Delgado (9-1).

Cortez wins the contest 30-27 on all three scorecards. She will move up to number eight in the world at the very least. She is now 6-1 in the Octagon.

It was back to the ground and another dominant round for Cortez and though she couldn’t quite lock in a submission hold, it was a dominant performance for her.

A different round with mostly stand up where Cortez had the better of things, before the closing minute where Araujo tried to lock in a hold but fell to the mat losing grip of her American opponent, who then unloaded on the Brazilian as the round came to an end.

A round of grappling with Cortez taking control after a good start from Araujo, but though she locked in a guillotine in the last 15 seconds the buzzer came in to save the Brazilian.

Top-ten fighter Tracy Cortez (11-2) takes on 8th-rated Viviane Araujo.

It took less than a minute. McKinney immediately executed a double-leg takedown then went for an anaconda choke, before locking in a guillotine choke hold and, after struggling for 30 seconds on the mat, Borshchev tapped.

Terrance McKinney (16-7) takes on Viacheslav Borshchev (8-5-1).

Until these two legends stare across at each other in the Octagon.

We’ll be following all the action from Las Vegas until Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira meet to contest the UFC lightweight title.