Yesterday it was UFC 317 and today it’s UFC 316. Dana White and Co. cannot seem to catch a break with fights falling through. Wait, you haven’t heard? It’s not just Dricus Du Plessis that’s in doubt about a fight in June. Another fight has reportedly fallen through from the June schedule. That’s what we’ll tackle in today’s episode of EssentiallySports’ MMA News Roundup.
And after we look into the latest matchmaking troubles, we’ll move on to Charles Oliveira’s quipping about the much-anticipated fight between Ilia Topuria and Islam Makhachev. And finally, we’ll take a look at the beef between Movsar Evloev and Alexander Volkanovski. So without any further ado, let’s dive right in.
Dana White’s UFC 316 loses heavyweight clash
Serghei Spivac and Shamil Gaziev were previously set to fight on May 17, 2025, at UFC Fight Night 256. However, the fight fell through and was rescheduled for UFC 316. But misfortune struck Dana White’s UFC 316 as the fight between the heavyweights fell apart once again. The reason for the fallout has not been disclosed. Nevertheless, we’d still get to see some heavyweight action at UFC 316.
Well, according to sources, Gaziev pulled out of the bout for undisclosed reasons. And instead of the fighter from Bahrain, Waldo Acosta would now face ‘Polar Bear’ at the event. But what about the lightweight division? Although it isn’t slated for UFC 316, Topuria vs. Makhachev has truly attracted quite a bit of attention. Let’s see what Charles Oliveira had to say about it.
Charles Oliveira weighs in on Ilia Topuria vs. Islam Makhachev
During a conversation with Alvaro Colmenero, ‘Do Bronx’ provided his views about the matchup between Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria. He said, “I think it would be a great fight because Makhachev has been evolving on the standing side and has a very solid Jiu-Jitsu. But Ilia Topuria has been saying that he has all the weapons to beat him.”
Needless to say, both sides had a strong stance against each other. While Topuria had strong knockout power, Makhachev had impeccable wrestling. Oliveira continued, “So, it would definitely be a very tough fight. But the lightweight category is a very complicated category. There are fighters with very powerful punches. They have very good Jiu-Jitsu. So, it would be a great fight.”
Meanwhile, things are getting noisier in the featherweight division after Topuria’s official exit and Volkanovski’s second coronation. After becoming the 2-time featherweight champion, Alexander Volkanovski recently received some heat from prospective challenger Movsar Evloev.
Movsar Evloev reveals his plans against Alexander Volkanovski
During his appearance on the Overdogs Podcast, Evloev said, “I will break him… I can promise that I’m not going to take down anyone if they give me a title shot. If they try to take me down, OK, I’ll accept this, but I’m not going to go first. I will just go straight striking.” Of course, with his aim set at the featherweight gold, Evloev might pose a great threat to ‘The Great’.
But why the insistence on the standing exchanges? Is it because he knows the UFC is not being kind to ‘boring’ fighters? Undefeated flyweight Mohammad Mokaev lost out on a contract renewal because of his wrestling-heavy style (among other things). Magomed Ankalaev had to prove his stand-up game before getting a shot against Alex Pereira.
With the rising fan complaints about boring fights, and ESPN reportedly being unhappy with the PPV numbers, the promotion needs their champions to get people into the arenas, and then later, out of their seats. Evloev has not had a lot of success on either of those fronts. But he is a solid fighter, undefeated, and undeniably deserving of a title shot. But will this strategy work against Volkanovski?
What are your thoughts on the fight cancellation at UFC 316? Who do you think would win if Topuria and Makhachev clashed for the lightweight championship title? Do you think Volkanovski can defend himself against the likes of Evloev? Let us know what you think in the comments down below.
The post MMA News Roundup – Big Fight Cancellation for Dana White’s UFC Event; Charles Oliveira Predicts Makhachev vs Topuria; Movsar Evloev Trashes Alexander Volkanovski appeared first on EssentiallySports.