The UFC’s seventh Pay-Per-View event of 2025 is finally here. Two titles are on the line this Saturday and MMA fans around the country seem torn as to how these championship bouts will play out.

There are some great matchups booked and fans are likely in for an exciting night of action.

Here, I provide some in-depth UFC 317 predictions with breakdowns of the best bets available to make leading into fight night.

UFC 317: Topuria vs. Oliveira predictions and analysis

Saturday’s UFC event is without a doubt one of the most exciting held by the promotion thus far in 2025. It’s packed with great fights, yet none is bigger than the main event lightweight championship bout between Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira.

These two men were given the opportunity to compete for the belt after Islam Makhachev decided to vacate his title and move up to the 170-pound division.

Topuria and Oliveira are considered by many to be the most exciting fighters in all of mixed martial arts. Ilia has finished 14 of his 16 professional fights. Oliveira has stopped his opponents in 31 of his 35 professional fights.

If there is any fight that is likely to end before the final bell sounds, this is the one.

Topuria was a wrecking ball in the featherweight division, scoring win after win against some of the best fighters in the sport. He’s an elite grappler, yet truly shines on the feet with knockout victories over elite opponents like Alex Volkanovski and Max Holloway.

Oliveira is a great striker in his own right. His jiu-jitsu is what stands out, however, as he has earned 21 professional victories by submission throughout his career.

I expect to see Ilia Topuria scoring yet another knockout victory in this fight.

He has the best boxing skills in the UFC and marches forward against opponents hunting for a knockout. Oliveira has been finished by strikes in the past and Ilia has everything necessary to land a knockout shot in this matchup.

It will be extremely difficult for Oliveira to get Topuria to the mat, as well. Ilia is a world-class wrestler with a black belt in jiu-jitsu. Topuria will push the pace from the first moment and land one of his patented overhand rights to score a knockout in the second round.

Official prediction: Ilia Topuria wins via 2nd-round KO

Topuria vs. Oliveira moneyline analysis

The odds below are provided by Caesars Sportsbook

• Ilia Topuria: -420
• Charles Oliveira: +320

Generally speaking, when a fighter from a lower division moves up in weight, he becomes an underdog. That is particularly true when that fighter is taking on a former champion.

Ilia Topuria is somewhat of an anomaly and enters Saturday’s fight as the -420 favorite. He has already dispatched two pound-for-pound greats and has shown very few vulnerabilities throughout his entire career.

Charles Oliveira remains one of the top lightweight fighters in the world. He is extremely well-rounded and is perhaps the best finisher in all of MMA. Charles has lost twice since 2022, however, which could help to explain why he enters this fight as the +320 underdog.

The odds for Topuria in this fight reflect how highly regarded he is in the MMA community. With another victory this weekend, he may establish himself as the best fighter alive today.

UFC 317: Undercard predictions and best bets

• Alexandre Pantoja: -238 at DraftKings Sportsbook
• Payton Talbott via TKO: +390 at FanDuel Sportsbook
• Beneil Dariush via decision: +275 at bet365 Sportsbook

In the co-main event of UFC 317, Alexandre Pantoja will look to earn the fourth defense of his flyweight championship against a true veteran of the fight game, Kai Kara-France.

It’s hard to imagine Pantoja losing to anyone at 125 pounds right now. He is incredibly well-rounded, with powerful striking and elite jiu-jitsu skills.

It’s difficult to predict how exactly Pantoja will earn the win in this fight. I expect him to control the action throughout this fight, matching the striking skills of Kara-France while mixing in the occasional takedown. A finish is certainly possible, yet I would not be surprised to see him earn a clear decision win.

Not long ago, Payton Talbott was considered by many to be one of the best prospects in all of MMA. A clear defeat in his last fight led some to write him off as nothing more than hype.

I still feel that Talbott is one of the scariest strikers in the bantamweight division.

Felipe Lima is no walk in the park for Payton. The 27-year-old has a 14-1 record in MMA and has looked great in his UFC run. Talbott is simply a better striker and will land a hard shot before the end of the 2nd round to score the TKO victory.

Two old warriors will also look to earn one final title shot with a victory this weekend. Beneil Dariush and Renato Moicano are likely nearing the end of their careers and both need a victory to remain in title contention.

Beneil is the more complete fighter here. His wrestling, in particular, should allow him to control the action in this fight. I expect Dariush to shoot for takedowns throughout this fight and control Moicano on the mat to score a decision win.