The UFC’s annual International Fight Week pay-per-view event continues to take hits.
UFC 317 will include the coronation of a new lightweight champion as former featherweight titleholder Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira clash in the main event. Islam Makhachev will vacate the UFC lightweight championship for a move to welterweight, and is expected to compete against Jack Della Maddalena later this year.
UFC 317’s main event booking wasn’t announced until last month, as Makhachev pondered his next move while watching Belal Muhammad‘s loss to Maddalena at UFC 315. After Maddalena defeated Muhammad by unanimous decision, Makhachev got the clarity he needed as he announced a move to the welterweight division.
Despite the fanfare of UFC 317 on June 28th, the card lost its second fight in a week, as reported on Tuesday.
UFC 317 takes another big hit just days before International Fight Week PPV
A middleweight matchup between Paulo Costa and Roman Kopylov, two of the division’s most dangerous strikers, was booked to fuel the UFC 317 card. But according to reports, Costa vs. Kopylov has been removed from the upcoming pay-per-view due to undisclosed reasons.
MMA journalist Robert Tellez was the first to report the news of the Costa vs. Kopylov cancellation.
MMA Fighting‘s Damon Martin later reported that Costa vs. Kopylov will be rescheduled for UFC 318 in New Orleans on July 19th. The card is headlined by Dustin Poirier‘s retirement fight against BMF titleholder Max Holloway.
It’s unlikely that the UFC will look to book a days’ notice bout to help give UFC 317 a boost, after a heavyweight matchup between Justin Tafa and Jhonata Diniz was pulled due to a Tafa injury. It’s uncertain if the matchmakers will find a replacement opponent to face Diniz.
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Paulo Costa vs. Roman Kopylov rescheduled for UFC 318 in New Orleans
On the flip side, Costa vs. Kopylov adds to a stacked card at UFC 318 next month in New Orleans. It’s expected to be the final fight of Poirier’s career as he looks to earn the BMF title before hanging up the gloves.
Poirier and Holloway have battled twice earlier in their careers with Poirier getting the victory in both fights. The two stars most recently fought for the interim lightweight title at UFC 236.
UFC 318 is the promotion’s long-awaited return to New Orleans after a multiple-year hiatus. The last UFC card in New Orleans was hosted in 2015, featuring a main event between Tim Boetsch and Dan Henderson.
Costa hasn’t fought since a split decision loss to Sean Strickland at UFC 302. He’s lost three of his last four fights overall.