Dana White drops bombshell fight announcements for Dricus du Plessis, Islam Makhachev, Ilia Topuria, and more

In an exciting announcement for MMA fans, UFC CEO Dana White revealed several highly anticipated fights during a recent social media live session.

The outcome of the recent UFC 315 event has cleared the way for future title fights in the lightweight and welterweight divisions. Jack Della Maddalena's win over Belal Muhammad to capture the 170-pound title will now allow lightweight champion Islam Makhachev to move up to the welterweight division to pursue a second title.

White confirmed that Makhachev will vacate the lightweight title and challenge Maddalena next. However, the date and venue for the fight have not yet been announced, primarily due to the lacerations and damage sustained by Maddalena in the fight.

Meanwhile, former UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria will face former 155-pound title holder Charles Oliveira for the vacant lightweight title in the UFC 317 main event.

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UFC 317 will conclude the International Fight Week 2025 and will take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on June 28.

Check out Dana White making the bout announcement below:

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White also announced the highly anticipated title fight that was initially rumoured to headline UFC 317. Middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis will attempt his third title defence against No.3-ranked Khamzat Chimaev in the UFC 319 main event. The event is scheduled to take place at the United Centre in Chicago, Illinois, on Aug. 16.

Check out Dana White making the bout announcement below:

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Other exciting fights announced by Dana White

Dana White revealed that middleweight contenders Paulo Costa and Roman Kopylov, as well as lightweight contenders Beneil Dariush and Renato Moicano, will also face each other at UFC 317. The full card is yet to be announced, and more bout announcements are expected in the coming days.

Meanwhile, former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker will return to competition against Reinier de Ridder in the UFC Abu Dhabi main event. Whittaker's last fight ended in a first-round submission defeat against Khamzat Chimaev in the UFC 308 co-main event. Meanwhile, de Ridder, the former ONE FC two-division champion, is riding a three-fight finish streak since making his UFC debut.

The event will take place on July 26 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Sharaputdin Magomedov will face Marc-André Barriault on the same card.

Check out Dana White making the fight announcements below:

About the author

Rajneesh Suhas Reddy is a journalist who covers MMA at Sportskeeda. His passion was ignited by the Fight Science shows broadcast on Nat Geo in the 2000s. Rajneesh is fascinated by the backstories of fighters, their journeys, and the compelling storylines leading up to events. Through his writing, Rajneesh connects with fellow MMA enthusiasts and converses about his favorite sport.

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Edited by Rajneesh Suhas Reddy