Dana White is no stranger to last-minute replacements, especially on a highly stacked card. The upcoming UFC 317 event, headlined by Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira’s stellar clash for the vacant lightweight belt, has also fallen victim to the same fate. Several crowd-pleasing fights and fan-favorite fighters have found their names on the cancellation list. Some bouts have been scrapped entirely, while others have fortunately secured last-minute replacements.

While the main and co-main events remain intact, a highly anticipated matchup between Paulo Costa and Roman Kopylov was scrapped. The Brazilian pulled out due to illness, and the entire fight has now been shifted to UFC 318. Other star names like Manel Kape also withdrew, this time due to a foot injury. Forcing the UFC to bring in Joshua Van as a late replacement against Brandon Royval. Meanwhile, heavyweight Justin Tafa ruled himself out for undisclosed reasons, adding to the lineup shake-up. But that’s not all. 

To make matters worse, the opening card also took a major blow shortly after. Sedrique Dumas, eager for a quick turnaround after his loss to Michal Oleksiejczuk at UFC 314, was set to face undefeated UFC debutant Jackson McVey at UFC 317. But things quickly spiraled out of control for ‘The Reaper’ when he found himself in a whirlwind of legal trouble back in April. The charges were serious, ranging from felony battery to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, resisting arrest, and more.

With all that going on, Dumas ultimately withdrew from the bout, though it’s still unclear whether the decision was tied directly to his legal issues or something else. Either way, the UFC acted fast and replaced him with another undefeated prospect, 7-0 Chilean fighter Christopher Ewert. Now, the matchup stays interesting as it becomes a battle between two undefeated debutant UFC fighters. 

The UFC 317 card has indeed seen some massive changes, and some big fights getting canceled or replaced have shaken up the event. However, there are still some scraps that can generate attention and might steal the audience’s focus at International Fight Week. So, let’s see which sleeper fights might get the audience on their feet.

Top 3 underrated banger fights at UFC 317

Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira will steal the spotlight and grab major audience attention as the UFC 317 headliner. Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Kara-France also promises guaranteed fireworks. Renato Moicano and Beneil Dariush are two more well-recognized warriors set to throw down. But there are a few other fights on the card that might just overshadow the rest. The prelims and the main card have some definite bangers expected to bring serious violence inside the cage.

Let’s start with the main card first. Jack Hermansson vs. Gregory Rodrigues has the potential to become the Fight of the Night. ‘The Joker’ dismantled a very dangerous prospect in Joe Pyfer during his last outing and proved that experience can triumph over raw power. ‘Robocop,’ on the other hand, brings one of the most captivating fighting styles, constant forward pressure, and big bombs. This is a seriously underrated fight that fans should keep an eye on.

Also, Terrance McKinney vs. Viacheslav Borshchev is one of those fights that could easily exceed expectations. McKinney might be on a bit of a win-loss pendulum, so he’ll be looking to start a streak here. His opponent, ‘Slava Claus,’ is also coming off a defeat. That means both guys have a lot on the line, and another loss from here could be pretty catastrophic for either of them.

Other than that, how can we forget the ladies? Tracy Cortez vs. Viviane Araujo is another fight that should be massive for the fans, as both are well-known fan favorites in the UFC’s women’s division. A win here would also set them up for the next big challenge, possibly moving them one step closer to a title shot. With that being said, which fights do you think will surprise everyone? Comment below!