What Happened at UFC’s Summer Pay-Per-Views?

UFC had initially planned to put on four pay-per-views (PPVs) over the summer of 2025, but when construction delays on a Guadalajara stadium forced the promotion to make its planned Noche UFC PPV a Fight Night event instead, it held just three.

No matter—the three events were full of action. Looking back on the summer, here’s the lowdown on what happened at UFC’s trio of PPVs.

UFC 317

Having established his dominance at featherweight, Ilia Topuria moved up a division to fight at lightweight for the first time. Any concerns that the additional pounds would hinder the former featherweight champion were quickly dismissed, as he finished Charles Oliveira by first-round knockout.

While an underdog, Oliveira was certainly no slouch, having previously been lightweight champion himself. The ease of the win combined with Topuria’s remarkable self-confidence—he held a victory party the day before the fight—suggests he is something special.

In the co-main event, flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja made his fifth successful title defense with an easy third-round submission victory over Kai Kara-France. However, the bigger news of the night wasn’t Pantoja’s victory, but whom he looks poised to face next.

In the third matchup on the main card, Joshua Van defeated Brandon Royval by unanimous decision in what was a Fight of the Year contender. The action-packed contest saw both combatants attempting to exert their will, with Van’s precision and power ultimately prevailing over Royval’s volume striking.

Prior to UFC 317, it was announced that the winner of Van-Royval would face Pantoja. After the champion defended his belt against Kara-France, Van faced off with Pantoja in the ring. Van is a fan-favorite challenger who has fought five times in nine months. For a champion who has cleared out the division, facing a rising star like Van may be just what Pantoja needs to grow his legacy.

UFC 318

On July 19, UFC came to New Orleans’ Smoothie King Center for an event that served as a retirement party for one of the sport’s most beloved fighters.

While UFC 318 consisted of a five-bout main card and a host of preliminary bouts, practically everyone in attendance was there to see Dustin Poirier. Competing in front of a home state crowd, the Lafayette, Louisiana, native squared off with longtime rival Max Holloway in what Poirier had announced prior to the event would be his final fight.

Poirier had previously beaten Holloway twice, and although he couldn’t replicate those performances well enough to secure a win in the third matchup of the trilogy, the fact he fell short ultimately didn’t matter. The 36-year-old fought admirably, giving as well as he took and recovering from multiple knockdowns to drop Holloway in the second round. It was an exciting, back-and-forth contest for a fighter known for consistently turning in brave, compelling performances.

After the scores were announced, Holloway showed respect for his opponent, ceding the microphone to Poirier so that the home state fighter could say goodbye in front of the friendly crowd. It was a fitting end for a competitor who had given everything to the sport.

Elsewhere on the card, UFC 318 got off to a fast start, with each of the first six preliminary bouts ending before going to the cards. In the first fight of the night, fellow Lafayette native Carli Judice caught Nicolle Caliari of Brazil with a knee that ended their flyweight contest in the third round.

UFC 319

Khamzat Chimaev made his UFC debut in 2020, and it wasn’t long after that many observers pointed to him as likely being the next middleweight champion. A prolonged bout with COVID, along with visa issues, prevented the United Arab Emirates fighter from rising to the top of the decision as quickly as many expected. But what his ascension may have lacked in swiftness, it more than made up for in authority.

In his first title shot, Chimaev utterly dominated middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis. Over five lopsided rounds, the challenger used his world-class grappling skills to keep Du Plessis on the ground for more than 80 percent of the contest.

In fact, Du Plessis was taken down by Chimaev within the first 30 seconds of each round. The new champion also landed a stunning 529 strikes, shattering the record of 447 previously held by Holloway. If Chimaev can keep this up against the rest of the division, UFC fans may be looking at an all-time great.

In the co-main event, Lerone Murphy scored a first-round knockout of the much-hyped Aaron Pico. The 28-year-old Pico looked poised to get a title shot if he had won, but after scoring the upset, Murphy may now get that opportunity. Elsewhere on the card, “Fighting Nerd” member Carlos Prates rebounded from an April defeat against Ian Machado Garry by knocking out Geoff Neal in the first round.