Overview

• Ilia Topuria knocked out Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 on June 28 to capture the vacant lightweight title in his divisional debut
• UFC President Dana White is keeping Paddy Pimblett, Arman Tsarukyan and Justin Gaethje in contention to preserve negotiation leverage over the next title challenger
• Topuria officially inaugurated WOW FC in Spain in late July, positioning the promotion as a springboard for European MMA talent
• Spanish prospect Darwin Rodríguez declined a call to Dana White’s Contender Series in favor of a WOW FC title fight, signaling a shift in fighter pathways
• WOW FC bantamweight champion Hecher Sosa is set to face unbeaten Mackson Lee on September 16 in Week 6 of Dana White’s Contender Series