5 Sleeper Fights To Watch at UFC 317

Published by Paul Browne on June 28, 2025

UFC 317 Prelims Preview: Five Must-See Matchups

We’ve already taken a deep dive into the main card matchups at UFC 317. Now, let’s turn our attention to the best of the preliminary action happening tonight at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Jack Hermansson vs. Gregory Rodrigues (Middleweight)

Swedish veteran Jack Hermansson (24-8 MMA, 11-6 UFC) returns to the Octagon for the first time in 16 months as he takes on the always-dangerous Gregory Rodrigues (16-6 MMA, 7-3 UFC) in the featured bout of the preliminary card.

“The Joker” last fought in February 2024, earning a decision win over Jo Pyfer, but has struggled to find consistency in recent years. Hermansson hasn’t strung together back-to-back wins since a four-fight streak in 2018–19. Still, with victories over Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, Kelvin Gastelum, and Edmen Shahbazyan, he remains a dangerous threat at 185 pounds.

Rodrigues, meanwhile, looks to bounce back after a TKO loss to Jared Cannonier in his first UFC main event in February. “Robocop” brings serious power to the cage and is especially dangerous early in fights, though endurance has occasionally been an issue.

Hyder Amil vs. Jose Delgado (Featherweight)

Two dynamic finishers put their undefeated UFC records on the line tonight as San Francisco’s Hyder Amil (11-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) faces Arizona’s Jose Delgado (9-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC).

Amil, who joined the UFC after an appearance on Dana White’s Contender Series, has since picked up stoppage wins over Fernie Garcia and Jeong Yeong Lee. He went to the scorecards for the first time in his UFC career this past March, earning a hard-fought split decision over William Gomis.

Delgado impressed in his UFC debut in February, scoring a first-round knockout of Connor Matthews. With 16 combined stoppage wins between them, expect fireworks when these two prospects step into the Octagon.

Viviane Araujo vs. Tracy Cortez (Women’s Flyweight)

Following her first loss in seven years—against Rose Namajunas—Tracy Cortez (11-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) returns to action tonight, facing fellow top-10 flyweight Viviane Araujo (13-6 MMA, 7-5 UFC).

Before her loss to Namajunas, Cortez was riding an 11-fight win streak, including five victories in the UFC. Araujo, meanwhile, has won two of her last three. Neither fighter has earned a stoppage win since 2019, making this a likely battle of attrition.

Terrance McKinney vs. Viacheslav Borshchev (Lightweight)

On the other hand, Terrance McKinney (16-7 MMA, 6-4 UFC) is known for his early finishes. All 16 of his professional wins have come inside the distance—15 of them in the first round. His UFC average fight time of 2:34 is the shortest in lightweight history. McKinney’s 7-second knockout of Matt Frevola at UFC 263 remains the fastest finish in the division’s history.

Niko Price vs. Jacobe Smith (Welterweight)

Former Oklahoma State wrestling standout Jacobe Smith (10-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) has made a name for himself with explosive finishes. Before signing with the UFC, “Cobe” racked up six first-round stoppages, then blasted through Preston Parsons in just 73 seconds in his UFC debut this past January.

Tonight, Smith gets a step up in competition as he faces longtime UFC veteran Niko Price (16-8 MMA, 8-8 UFC), who hasn’t fought since dropping a decision to Themba Gorimbo last October.