UFC 317 takeaways: Joshua Van, Ilia Topuria represent exciting changes at lightweight and flyweight

UFC 317 established a new champion, new title contenders and provided fans with fight-of-the-year-worthy action Saturday.

In the main event, former featherweight champion Ilia Topuria claimed a new throne, beating former lightweight titleholder Charles Oliveira by first-round knockout for the 155-pound belt. After the win, Topuria was face-to-face with potential next challenger Paddy Pimblett.

And Alexandre Pantoja continued his dominant men’s flyweight title run with a submission win over Kai Kara-France in the co-main event. He was met by Joshua Van in the Octagon after the victory. Van had just pulled off an impressive flyweight win in the bout before, beating Brandon Royval in a fight of the year front-runner, to establish himself as the top contender at 125 pounds.

Brett Okamoto and Jeff Wagenheim offer their top takeaways from the biggest fights at UFC 317.

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Ilia Topuria is different

I wanted to be careful about doubting Oliveira. We’ve seen it too many times — Oliveira is the underdog but pulls off some magic in a lightweight title fight.

But the moment I saw Topuria come out of the tunnel on Saturday, I knew that was a man who wasn’t going to lose. I’ve had the privilege of watching the best fighters in UFC history up close — and speaking to them afterward — and I know what the best of the best looks and feels like. Topuria is different. He reminded me of Conor McGregor when he knocked out Dustin Poirier in their first fight at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas in 2014 with what felt like half of Ireland in the stands. McGregor’s self belief — coupled with the work he was doing in the gym — made him unbeatable that night. Topuria was the same at UFC 317.

The fight game is a world of hyperbole and superlatives, and sometimes it can get carried away. But I can say with full confidence, what we are witnessing with Topuria is special. He didn’t just knock out Oliveira on Saturday. He left Oliveira staring into space in the center of the Octagon with a shot he said he vividly pictured throwing beforehand. He hosted a celebration party for his victory in Las Vegas — on Friday … the day before the fight. Even the most confident, cockiest fighters of all time don’t dare things like that. Topuria is the most interesting thing going on in MMA right now. –Okamoto

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Alexandre Pantoja will get a new challenger, thankfully

Pantoja has a long way to go before his flyweight legacy can stand up to Demetrious Johnson, who set the UFC record with 11 consecutive title defenses. But Pantoja is second to none when it comes to current belt holders. His four title defenses are more than any other UFC champion.

Beyond that, Pantoja and his work-in-progress legacy got a gift on Saturday night, and it was not in his title fight against Kai Kara-France. The champion had defeated Kara-France before, and even though that was nine years ago and it was only an exhibition on “The Ultimate Fighter,” the drama leading up to the rematch was minimal.

It was no surprise that Pantoja handled business. Within 30 seconds of the fight starting, he had back control on the canvas and was fishing for a submission. Kara-France survived the round and kept the fight standing in Round 2. But in the third round, Pantoja once again seized back control early, and this time he secured the finish. Easy work.

Pantoja most benefited in the fight right before his, when Joshua Van beat Brandon Royval in the best fight of the night and possibly the year. The UFC declared that the winner would get the next shot at the flyweight champ, and Van winning allowed Pantoja to avoid having to fight another rematch. He’s beaten Royval twice already, and no one wants to see that matchup again.

But Van? The 23-year-old got a huge pop from the crowd after his victory, and when he was brought into the cage to face off with Pantoja. That’s a fight with significant appeal, which is what the champion needs in a division he is dominating, and so much the better if that challenger is an emerging star. Every champ needs a rival who can push him and raise his public profile, and Van looks like that guy. –Wagenheim

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The Joshua Van, Max Holloway comparison is obvious but good

Everything about Van says fan favorite. First is the activity. When Holloway joined the UFC in 2012, he fought four times in 11 months. Van is cut from the same cloth. Saturday was his fifth fight in the past nine months. He carries himself in a similar fashion to Holloway. There’s a calm confidence about him that’s not loud or boisterous, just dangerous. He’s very composed. The up-and-comer just picked up his eighth UFC win and beat the top flyweight contender on three weeks’ notice. Holloway had 11 wins by the time he turned 24.

There’s still a lot to sort out, of course, but it’s a good bet that Van will make plenty of “BMF” worthy actions and fight every flyweight of his era over the next decade. He will be in plenty of tough fights, as he was on Saturday, and fans will love him for it. There will be plenty of memorable moments, as he had with the late knockdown of Royval. He’ll vie for a UFC title, and whether he wins or not, he’ll leave his mark on the sport. — Okamoto