https://www.mmanews.com/news/ufc/paulo-costa-return-targeted-ufc-317/
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Should current plans come to fruition, UFC middleweight contender Paulo Costa will bring to an end a one-year layoff at this yearâs edition of International Fight Week.
Costa (14-4) went 0-2 last year after returning to action for the first time since a 2022 win over Luke Rockhold. After playing his part in a memorable three-round battle with Robert Whittaker, âBorrachinhaâ figured in the opposite versus Sean Strickland.
While he also lost via the scorecards to the American former champ, their five-round affair at UFC 302 last June was widely criticized and branded lackluster.
In the aftermath, Costa vowed to return to the all-out aggression that he formerly displayed inside the Octagon. And a recent report suggests heâll have the chance to do so on June 28.
According to Benny P â an Australian insider who has frequently broken news regarding the likes of Jack Della Maddalena and Robert Whittaker â a clash between Costa and the #15-ranked Roman Kopylov (14-3) is in the works for UFC 317.
Kopylov opened his account for 2025 by stopping Chris Curtis with a last-second head kick at the Apex in January. Having previously outpointed Cesar Almeida, the Russian has now won two straight since Anthony Hernandez handed him his only loss across the past seven fights.
There are currently no confirmed fights for UFC 317 on June 28. But with it set to mark the conclusion of International Fight Week this year, a stacked lineup is expected to take shape.
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âI remember talking to Khabib, and Khabib said itâs not fair for Ilia to skip the line and go after the title shot with Islam because thatâs all Islamâs been doing,â Cejudo told MMA Junkie. âHe gave (Alex) Volkanovski a couple (of title shots) where heâs gone up. So I donât even think itâs going to be Islamâs choice. I think Khabib is going to step in and be like, âHe needs to fight the No. 1 contender.â Heâs going to say no, so for that reason, I am guessing itâs going to be Justin Gaethje vs. Islam Makhachev, International Fight Week.â
The promotion recently announced UFC 317 for International Fight Week at the end of June but as of this writing, has not yet secured a headlining contest. In addition to Makhachev vs. Topuria, fight fans are hoping for the Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall heavyweight title unification bout, another fight currently being held up behind the scenes.
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Banger. I see Kopylov winning unless Costa grapples.
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Brandon Royval and Manel Kape are finally going to face off.
On Thursday, MMA Fighting confirmed that Royval and Kape will square off in a highly-anticipated flyweight bout at UFC 317, on June 28 in Las Vegas. Laerte Viana was first to report the news.
In March, Royval and Kape were expected to headline UFC Vegas 103, however, Royval withdrew from the matchup do to lingering issues from multiple concussions. Instead, Kape faced short-notice replacement Asu Almabayev, stopping him via TKO in the third round. Now, with Royval healthy again, the two will settle their business in the T-Mobile Arena.
The matchup looks to be a pivotal one for the flyweight division and could determine the next challenger for 125-pound champion Alexandre Pantoja. Currently the No. 1-ranked flyweight, Royval has won two fights since losing a decision to champion Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 296, while Kape has won six of his past eight bouts since he also lost a decision to Pantoja.
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Gaethje is terrible and everyone knows it. The worst grappler in the ufc. Islam can probably submit him in under 3 minutes. I donât believe anyone would rather see that fight than Topuria. Gaethje got smoked by Max and squeaked by Fiziev who had a weeks notice. That absolutely does not warrant a title shot.
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I really miss Costa pre-Izzy fight. Before the Izzy fight Costa was an aggressive wrecking machine who would just come forward and run through anyone who stepped in his path. Now he fights timid, cautious, and is a shell of the fighter he was a few years ago. Itâs a shame because he was one of my favorite fighters to watch. Now he gets walked down and loses every fight. If he fights like the old Costa he could smash Kopylov.
Kopylov is a beast and one of the best strikers in the UFC. Iâm picking Kopylov even though I always root for Costa. This has potential to be a very fun fight. Hopefully we get the old Costa.
Kopylov should have lost the Chris Curtis fight too btw. I thought that was a straight bullshit decision.
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I love how the writer for that articleâs name is Matthew Riddle. Had to check and make sure it wasnât the fighter.
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Welcome Matt, better than Door Matt
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I think they should just remake the Arman fight. Yeah the dude fucked up last minute, but he doesnât have a history of it and shit happens.
I donât think Topuria deserves an immediate title shot based off 1 title defense. He had some real nice wins, but didnât quite clear out his division.
I heard today Topuria is fighting Oliveira, not sure if accurate or not
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That a pretty fun fight. If he finishes Charles violently, then he has a pretty good claim to next title fight.
I hope itâs not Gaethje as well. Thatâs terrible matchmaking. Islam is a better version of Khabib, and Khabib ran right through him. Plus like you said, he really hasnât earned it.
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