MMA Knockout

UFC 317 main event may need replacement fight after reported injury

Reports are surfacing Dricus du Plessis is injured, putting a wrench in the promotion's plans.

Zain Bando

(Zuffa LLC)

Sixty-nine days separate the UFC from its blockbuster pay-per-view known as UFC 317 to cap off another International Fight Week, and veteran MMA journalist Kevin Iole put unfortunate salt in the proverbial wound by reporting a potential change to its main event.

The supposed original main event was would see Dricus du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev for du Plessis's UFC middleweight championship, but the promotion may opt to go in a different direction after all.

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Dricus Du Plessis (blue gloves) celebrates defeating Sean Strickland (red glove) during UFC 297 at ScotiaBank Arena.
Dricus Du Plessis (blue gloves) celebrates defeating Sean Strickland (red glove) during UFC 297 at ScotiaBank Arena. / Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

Du Plessis Reportedly Out Of Planned Title Fight

"I’m hearing Dricus Du Plessis is injured, and though there has been no confirmation, if that’s accurate, a bout between Du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev couldn’t headline IFW," Iole wrote Friday.

Barring any further developments, it's rather easy to trust a two-decade veteran in the MMA industry, especially around a marquee fight as du Plessis vs. Chimaev, much less the UFC's annual Las Vegas summer festivities.

Khamzat Chimaev (red gloves) fights Kevin Holland (blue gloves) during UFC 279 at T-Mobile Arena.
Khamzat Chimaev (red gloves) fights Kevin Holland (blue gloves) during UFC 279 at T-Mobile Arena. / Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

Iole went through the rest of the divisions, and given the direction of the champions and the upcoming pay-per-views next month and in early June, it leaves little direction other than to look at one of two options: heavyweight or lightweight.

Responding to the reports, Chimaev slammed Du Plessis in a message on Twitter.

"This guy biggest bulls***," He wrote."

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Could Islam Makhachev Make a Quick Turnaround?

Following a successful UFC lightweight title defense in January, a possible June return could fare well for Makhachev. Against which opponent, however, is an entirely different discussion.

Islam Makhachev (red gloves) reacts after defeating Renato Moicano (not pictured) in a lightweight title fight during UFC 311
Islam Makhachev (red gloves) reacts after defeating Renato Moicano (not pictured) in a lightweight title fight during UFC 311 at Intuit Dome. / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The dream scenario would be if former UFC Featherweight Champion Ilia Topuria can get a deal done with UFC brass. If not, the promotion may be looking elsewhere with potential shockwave-type intrigue, one that fans and media may not be expecting.

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Zain Bando
ZAIN BANDO

Zain Bando is a writer for MMA Knockout, part of the Sports Illustrated/Minute Media umbrella. He has covered combat sports since 2019 for notable outlets BJPenn.com and FanSided MMA. He also co-hosts a podcast called "The MMA Outsiders," part of the Empty The Bench Podcast Network, which airs Tuesday nights at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT. A Chicago suburban native, Bando has been enthralled with MMA since 2006 and has been fortunate to attend some of the most high-profile events in the sport's history, both as a fan and media member, including UFC 264, Bellator 297 and Kayla Harrison's PFL MMA debut. He is excited to take the next step in his combat sports writing journey and looks forward to continuing his following of the fight game for years to come. Bando can be reached via email at zainbando99@gmail.com or by social media @zainbando99

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