UFC 314 just wrapped up, and now the focus shifts to UFC 315, which will take place on May 10 in Montreal. However, while many fans are looking forward to UFC 315 and 316, it’s UFC 317 that’s really catching attention. Why? It’s happening during International Fight Week, the biggest event in MMA.
The excitement for UFC 317 is real. UFC star Colby Covington has already shared his predictions for the monumental week. While he doesn’t predict every fight, his picks for the main and co-main events seem very likely to happen.
Colby Covington’s Bold Predictions for UFC 317 Main Event and Co-Main Event
Colby Covington has sparked excitement among MMA fans by sharing his predictions for the upcoming International Fight Week. During a livestream, Covington suggested that the highly anticipated event could feature some massive matchups.
He believes that Islam Makhachev might face Ilia Topuria for the lightweight title, which would be a sick fight. He also thinks Dricus du Plessis could battle Khamzat Chimaev for the middleweight championship, making it a perfect fit for the co-main event.
Colby Covington just LEAKED two big fights in the summer for the UFC on N3ON’s stream… 👀
Ilia Topuria vs Islam Makhachev
Dricus Du Plessis vs Khamzat Chimaev pic.twitter.com/Cb4j47zVAC— N3on Lies (@n3onlie) April 14, 2025
Covington started by building hype, answering questions about the event’s timing and location. Although he admitted that the main event is still two months away and the UFC has yet to release official details, he shared his thoughts.
“I think [Islam] Makhachev and [Ilia] Topuria. It’s going to be a sick fight,” the 37-year-old said. “I think the 85 [185-pound weight class] title fight between Dricus du Plessis versus Khamzat Chimaev [in the co-main event]. They always stack it for the International Fight Week.”
Colby Covington Also Predicts the Winner of the Main Event
Colby Covington thinks Ilia Topuria has a good chance to beat Islam Makhachev because of how Makhachev struggled against Alexander Volkanovski in their first fight. Before that, everyone was saying that Makhachev was invincible. Yes, he was strong in that fight, but it was very close, and Covington remembers that.
In an episode of the Red Hawk Recap, he mentioned that many people thought Volkanovski should have won their fight. Though Islam won, the result clearly showed that the lightweight champion is not invincible.
Plus, the way recent fighters have been fighting is worth paying attention to. Covington suggests that Makhachev should look at his fight with Volkanovski as a blueprint for how Ilia Topuria could approach a potential fight at UFC 317.
Given Topuria’s skills, Covington strongly believes he might be able to exploit Makhachev’s weaknesses. Basically, he’s building the narrative that Makhachev is beatable, and Topuria could be the fighter to pull off the upset.
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