UFC 317 Loses Main Card Fight That Was Almost Guaranteed to End in a Knockout
In a late development, the pay-per-view portion of UFC 317 has lost a highly anticipated main card fight. According to a report by Bloody Elbow, the heavyweight showdown between Justin Tafa and Jhonata Diniz, which was scheduled to open the main card, has been scrapped.
The UFC 317 event is set to take place on June 28 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, as part of the 2025 edition of UFC International Fight Week. The card is headlined by a vacant lightweight title fight between Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira. The Tafa vs Diniz fight, which boasted a combined 14 knockouts across 15 wins, was expected to get the PPV portion of the event underway.
However, it appears that Justin Tafa has withdrawn from the bout, reportedly due to unspecified reasons. The news of Tafa’s pullout was first reported by 4oz to Freedom podcast’s zaclikesmma, and later corroborated by respected MMA journalist Marcel Dorff.
Tafa, a Kiwi fighter, was looking to bounce back from a brutal loss last time out against Tallison Teixeira at UFC 312 in February, where he was knocked out in just 35 seconds. The withdrawal means that Tafa will have to wait longer for his chance to get back in the win column.
Fortunately for Jhonata Diniz, the promotion has already secured a replacement opponent in Alvin Hines. The Brazilian fighter, who suffered his first career defeat last time out against Marcin Tybura, is now expected to face the undefeated Hines, who boasts a 7-0 record with six victories coming inside the distance.
According to Bloody Elbow, Hines most recently competed under the LFA banner, where he stopped Billy Ray Valdez with a head kick in round three. The report also notes that a knockout in Diniz’s return still appears likely, although the promotion may now opt to put a different matchup as the opening act of the UFC 317 main card.
As reported by Bloody Elbow, "Goozie" Hines comes in with an undefeated record of 7-0, making him a formidable opponent for Diniz. The news of Hines’ inclusion in the card was announced by the 4oz to Freedom podcast, who tweeted that "Replacing Tafa is a friend of the show, Alvin Hines."
The UFC 317 event promises to be an exciting one, with a stacked card featuring some of the biggest names in the sport. As Bloody Elbow reports, the event will take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, and will be headlined by a vacant lightweight title fight between Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira.
The loss of the Tafa vs Diniz fight is a late blow to the event, but it appears that the promotion has managed to secure a suitable replacement in Alvin Hines. As Bloody Elbow notes, the event is set to take place on June 28, and fans can expect an exciting night of MMA action.
Sources:
Bloody Elbow – UFC 317 loses main card fight that was almost guaranteed to end in a knockout
4oz to Freedom podcast – Justin Tafa out of UFC 317 fight against Jhonata Diniz
