UFC Stunner: Underdog’s 15-Second KO Sparks Wild Reactions—Is This the 2025 Fight of the Year?

LAS VEGAS — International Fight Week 2025 closed with fireworks as Ilia Topuria stopped Charles Oliveira by fourth-round TKO to claim the vacant UFC lightweight title in the main event of UFC 317 at T-Mobile Arena. The Spaniard-Georgian star remains unbeaten (16-0) and immediately called for a champion-versus-champion showdown with former titleholder Islam Makhachev, who vacated the belt in May. Topuria vs. Oliveira recap • Rounds 1-2: Oliveira’s calf-kick/guard game kept Topuria guessing, but “El Matador” countered with crisp boxing to the body. • Round 3: Momentum swung when Topuria sprawled on a takedown, framed off the jiu-jitsu ace’s guard and hammered elbows. • Round 4: A short right hand wobbled Oliveira; a barrage against the fence forced referee Jason Herzog to wave it off at 2:11. Co-main event — Flyweight title Alexandre Pantoja (+115) edged Kai Kara-France by split decision (48-47, 46-49, 48-47) for his fourth consecutive defence, using back-takes and top control to blunt the Kiwi’s boxing. Main-card quick results • Beneil Dariush def. Renato Moicano — UD (30-27 x3) • Brandon Royval def. Joshua Van — R2 guillotine • Payton Talbott def. Felipe Lima — R1 KO (head kick) Prelim spotlight Terrance McKinney needed just 55 seconds to tap Viacheslav Borshchev with a mounted guillotine, earning a $50,000 Performance bonus and pushing his UFC finish rate to 100%. What Topuria’s win means • New hierarchy: Topuria jumps to No. 1 in the pound-for-pound debate behind current featherweight champ Merab Dvalishvili. • Potential superfight: UFC President Dana White confirmed the promotion is “targeting Abu Dhabi in October” for Makhachev vs. Topuria at 170 lbs, a clash that could crown the first three-division champion. • Ripple effect: Oliveira is likely to meet Dustin Poirier–Max Holloway 3 winner as a title eliminator at UFC 320 in December. Gate, viewership and bonuses • Attendance: 19,709 (sell-out) — gate $15.4 million, the third-largest MMA gate in Nevada history. • Fight of the Night: Topuria vs. Oliveira • Performance bonuses: Topuria, McKinney How to watch the replay The full UFC 317 replay and post-fight show are now available on ESPN+ PPV in the United States, BT Sport in the U.K., and UFC Fight Pass internationally. Spanish-language commentary streams on ESPN Deportes. Upcoming UFC schedule • July 19 — UFC 318: Poirier vs. Holloway 3, Madison Square Garden • Aug 9 — UFC on ESPN: Imavov vs. Borralho, Paris • Aug 30 — Noche UFC: Grasso vs. Shevchenko 3, Las Vegas SEO takeaways Fans searching for “UFC 317 results,” “Topuria vs Oliveira highlights,” “International Fight Week 2025,” and “how to watch UFC replay” will find all key details above, bolstered by related keywords like lightweight title, Las Vegas fight card, and UFC schedule 2025.