A slew of UFC announcements dropped on Tuesday, including the main event for UFC 317 and a championship becoming vacant.
UFC CEO Dana White appeared on Instagram Live, stating that UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev will vacate the championship and is moving up to welterweight, where he will challenge new champion Jack Della Maddalena on a future date.
The lightweight championship will be determined on June 28 at UFC 317 when Ilia Topuria makes his 155-pound debut against former champion Charles Oliveira. It was expected that if Della Maddalena defeated Belal Muhammad at UFC 315 this past weekend that this scenario would play out.
COMIN’ IN HOT 🔥
IFW 2025 is going to be FUN!#UFC317 | Tickets on sale Friday pic.twitter.com/yMuzDaHhep
— UFC (@ufc) May 13, 2025
The International Fight Week card in Las Vegas will also feature Alexandre Pantoja defending the UFC flyweight title against Kai Kara-France, a middleweight bout between Paulo Costa and Roman Kopylov, and a lightweight fight between Beneil Dariush and Renato Moicano.
White also announced the promotion’s return to Chicago on August 16 at the United Center for UFC 319.
UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis will defend his title against Khamzat Chimaev. Chimaev is 14-0 but has only fought four times over the past three years. He is coming off a submission win against Robert Whittaker at UFC 308 last October.
This marks the UFC’s first show in Chicago since UFC 238 in June 2018, which included CM Punk’s second and final MMA fight.
