What’s next for the stars of UFC 317?

The UFC was in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Saturday for a solid UFC 317 card. The main event saw Ilia Topuria taking on Charles Oliveira for the vacant lightweight title. The co-main event saw Alexandre Pantoja defending his flyweight strap against Kai Kara-France.

Ultimately, it was Topuria who scored a first-round knockout win over Oliveira to become the lightweight champ. Pantoja dominated Kara-France, en route to a submission win to defend his flyweight title. Following UFC 317, here is what I think should be next for the stars of the event.

Ilia Topuria

Ilia Topuria moved up to lightweight at UFC 317 as he looked to become a two-weight champion. He entered the bout as a sizable betting favorite, and he showed why as his power still translated to 155lbs as he scored a stunning first-round knockout.

Following the win at UFC 317, Paddy Pimblett did come into the Octagon, but Arman Tsarukyan and Justin Gaethje could be logical next opponents. However, Topuria vs Pimblett would be one of the biggest fights in the UFC in years, so the promotion needs to book it.

Charles Oliveira

Charles Oliveira was looking to become a two-time UFC lightweight champion but was knocked out in the first round. The Brazilian did land some good shots and tried to get it to the ground, but Topuria was too well-rounded for him.

Oliveira should take some much-needed time off to recover. The Brazilian is still a top-ranked contender but will likely need a step-down in competition. A logical next fight is to face Mateusz Gamrot. Gamrot deserves a chance to fight a top-ranked opponent, and it’s a perfect Fight Night main event later this year or early 2026.

Alexandre Pantoja

(via Zuffa LLC)

Alexandre Pantoja dominated Kai Kara-France at UFC 317 to remain the flyweight champion as he’s clearly the second-best flyweight ever behind Demetrious Johnson. Pantoja was able to take Kara-France down and control him until he eventually got in the choke.

Pantoja’s next fight is clear as he will take on Joshua Van. Van defeated Brandon Royval at UFC 317 in one of the best fights this year. The Pantoja vs Van title fight could be on the year-end pay-per-view in December or in January, in what will be a highly anticipated fight.

Kai Kara-France

Kai Kara-France was a heavy underdog at UFC 317, and it showed as he struggled to keep the fight standing and was eventually submitted.

Kara-France will likely need to win multiple fights in a row to get another crack at UFC gold. A logical next fight for Kara-France is to take on the loser of Tatsuo Taira vs Amir Albazi. Kara-France lost a questionable decision to Albazi, so a rematch would make sense, while Taira would be a fresh matchup, and the loser would likely become a gatekeeper at 125lbs.