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UFC 317 reportedly receives major main card change

Mathew Riddle|
(Zuffa LLC)

One of UFC 317's controversial main card fights has reportedly been switched around.

The Vegas-based PPV features the vacant lightweight title fight between Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira, as well as flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja defending his belt against Kai Kara-France.

Despite being two weeks away, UFC 317 only has eleven announced fights, and one might have been changed around as per a recent report.

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Jhonata Dini
Brad Penner-Imagn Images

UFC report: Justin Tafa out of UFC 317 main card fight, Jhonata Diniz finds replacement

As reported by zaclikesmma via 4oz to Freedom on X, with the backing of trusted reporter Marcel Dorff, heavyweight knockout artist Justin Tafa is out of his fight against Jhonata Diniz on the UFC 317 main card.

Stepping in against Diniz will be Alvin Hines, a 7-0 finisher fighting out of Minnesota. Hines debuted in 2023 and has finished all but one opponent on his seven fight run, he was also undefeated at 3-0 in the amateur ranks.

Fans were already perplexed with Diniz and Tafa being on the main card over No. 1-ranked flyweight Brandon Royval. Perhaps with this update, the heavyweights will move down to the prelims.

With this fight, UFC 317 maintains 11 fights.

  • Ilia Topuria vs. Charles Oliveira; vacant light title
  • Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Kara-France; fly title
  • Paulo Costa vs. Roman Kopylov; middle
  • Jhonata Diniz vs. Alvin Hines; reported heavy
  • Beneil Dariush vs. Renato Moicano; light
  • Viviane Araujo vs. Tracy Cortez; fly
  • Jack Hermansson vs. Gregory Rodrigues; middle
  • Terrance McKinney vs. Viacheslav Borschchev
  • Hyder Amil vs. Jose Delgado; feather
  • Brandon Royval vs. Joshua Van; fly
  • Niko Price vs. Jacobe Smith; welter

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Mathew Riddle
MATHEW RIDDLE

Mathew is a UK-based combat sports journalist, graphic designer, and SEO expert with half a decade of digital marketing and a dedicated four-year track record in MMA journalism. He joined MMA Knockout when it was founded in 2023. Mathew's insights have been featured on Bloody Elbow, The Fight Fanatic, and Heavy on UFC. He runs Warrior Tribune and can be contacted by his Muckrack profile.

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