Topuria to face Oliveira at UFC 317 for lightweight belt

Ilia Topuria (left) and Charles Oliveira (right) are aiming to become two-time UFC champions

Ilia Topuria will face Charles Oliveira for the lightweight title at UFC 317 in Las Vegas on 28 June.

Spain's Topuria, 28, has the chance to become a two-division champion after vacating his featherweight belt earlier this year to move up a division.

"I'll be the champion of the lightweight division," Topuria said. "Charles, my apologies in advance, I'm just fighting for my dreams."

In the co-main event, Brazil's Alexandre Pantoja will defend his flyweight title against New Zealander Kai Kara-France.

The bout for the lightweight belt has been made after Russia's Islam Makhachev said he would be moving up to welterweight to challenge new champion Jack Della Maddalena, who beat Belal Muhammad at UFC 316 last week.

"It's unfortunate that Makhachev ran away," Topuria said, in reaction to Makhachev vacating his title.

Following Australian Della Maddalena's victory in Montreal, Makhachev said "time to become a double champion".

Topuria has won the first 16 fights of his career and has fought once before at lightweight in the UFC, stopping Englishman Jai Herbert in 2022.

His past four fights at featherweight included statement wins over UFC greats Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway last year.

Oliveira is a veteran and fan-favourite in the promotion who holds the record for the most finishes in UFC history, with 20.

The Brazilian, 35, is a former champion and fighting in a title fight for the first time since defeat by Makhachev in 2022.

Ramifications for Pimblett - analysis

The bout between Topuria and Oliveira is a mouth-watering prospect for MMA fans.

Topuria's stellar recent run has seen him become one of the most exciting fighters on the roster, while Oliveira's rate of 20 finishes in 34 UFC bouts is matched by nobody in the organisation.

One person in particular who will be keeping an eye on this fight is Britain's Paddy Pimblett.

After stopping Michael Chandler in a sensational performance last month, Pimblett named Topuria and Oliveira as two of five options he could fight next.

The 30-year-old also named American Dustin Poirier, who has since been slated to face Holloway at UFC 318 in July.

That raises the possibility of Pimblett fighting American Justin Gaethje or Armenia's Arman Tsarukyan next, with the pair being the only fighters name-dropped by the Briton who don't have a fight confirmed.