UFC 317: Ilia Topuria to drop UFC 317 bombshell on Spanish TV as speculation intensifies

Ilia Topuria is set to reveal some important details about his upcoming fight, scheduled to take place at UFC 317 on June 28, during an appearance on a Spanish TV program on May 8. The pay-per-view card that Topuria will compete on takes place during UFC International Fight Week, one of the promotion's biggest and most important weeks of its calendar year.

The Georgian-Spaniard unexpectedly vacated his featherweight title at the beginning of 2025, citing the large weight-cut he undertook to make the 145-pound limit as his main reason for moving to lightweight. Topuria has also been vocal about his pursuit of a mega-fight against lightweight champion Islam Makhachev.

'La Leyenda' is yet to reveal his opponent, but many fans feel as though it could be Makhachev given that the Dagestani recently entered a training camp for his next bout, as per reports.

Earlier on Wednesday (May 8), popular Spanish television program El Hormiguero posted the following on X:

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"Tonight we will welcome 16-time UFC winner @TopuriaIlia! He'll be sharing all the details about his upcoming fight in Las Vegas on June 28th!"

Check out El Hormiguero's post about Ilia Topuria below:

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The former featherweight champion recently confirmed that he will compete at UFC 317 during an interview with Spanish broadcaster Telemadrid, much to the delight of fans.

Islam Makhachev's ex-teammate opens up on fear of Ilia Topuria beating the lightweight king

Islam Makhachev has asserted supreme dominance over the UFC's lightweight division since winning the title against Charles Oliveira at UFC 280. Having looked largely unbeatable due to his well-rounded skillset and size, many fans believe the emergence of Ilia Topuria as a lightweight contender could cause Makhachev genuine problems.

Topuria is arguably as well-rounded as the 155-pound kingpin, having displayed elite boxing skills and grappling skills to boot.

A former teammate of Makhachev's, Josh Thomson, recently shared his concerns about Topuria as a potential opponent for the Dagestani fighter. Thomson's comments came during a recent episode of the WEIGHING IN podcast, where he said:

"On the feet, it does scare me a little... He can stand with [Topuria]. But he'll have to be able to stand with him in that kicking range. Topuria likes to find himself in the boxing range... Every time someone has gotten into that boxing range, [Makhachev] is able to grab them. But he grabs them with that Thai Plum, and that scares me... His chin's in the air, Topuria being shorter in stature, the punches come over the top right onto the chin."

Check out Islam Makhachev's ex-teammate discuss Ilia Topuria below (1:11:25):

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Liam is a MMA and Boxing writer at Sportskeeda. His journey into MMA journalism began with a high school diploma in 2017, but his passion for writing led him to diverse experiences, including internships in research and writing roles and accounting work.

Liam's fascination with MMA was sparked by Conor McGregor, with Dustin Poirier's bout against Dan Hooker in 2020 sealing his love for the sport. Poirier remains Liam's favorite fighter, whom he admires for his attitude, fighting style, and persona both inside and outside the cage. He is an advocate for the removal of the 12-6 elbow rule in MMA.

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Edited by Tejas Rathi