Former UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira sent Ilia Topuria a stern warning ahead of UFC 317.
Charles Oliveira and Ilia Topuria are weeks away from clashing for the vacant UFC lightweight championship at UFC 317. Amidst UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev‘s planned move to 170 lbs, Oliveira and Topuria will square off for the chance to reign in a new era in the division.
Topuria made the full-time move to lightweight after vacating the featherweight belt earlier this year, won by Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 314. He hasn’t fought since knocking out BMF titleholder Max Holloway at UFC 308 in October.
Months before the Topuria vs. Oliveira vacant title fight was announced, tensions reached a boiling point between the two upcoming rivals.
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Charles Oliveira makes bold prediction for UFC 317 showdown with Ilia Topuria
Topuria, no stranger to pre-fight banter with his colleagues, accused Oliveira of ducking a potential booking for months before the UFC 317 main event was solidified. Oliveira responded by dismissing the narrative that Topuria is a ‘big fight’ as he sought a rematch with Makhachev before the lightweight champ’s leave.
Oliveira and Topuria are two of the UFC’s biggest stars, and their International Fight Week clash is one of the biggest fights of the year. Just weeks out from their fight, Oliveira predicted a short night at the office when he meets Topuria in the Octagon.
In a recent interview with Full Violence, Oliveira made a bold prediction ahead of his showdown with Topuria at UFC 317.
“It’s a great fight, he’s a great fighter. But I don’t need to prove anything to anyone about who I am,” Oliveira said.
“This fight came as a huge opportunity. I will knock out this guy. That’s for real.”
Topuria has never been knocked out in his career, as he enters UFC 317 with an unblemished record through 16 career fights. But Oliveira has plenty of reason to feel supremely confident in his odds of stopping Topuria, after recent dominant wins over Michael Chandler and Beneil Dariush.
Ilia Topuria plans to ghost Islam Makhachev of a title shot after UFC 317
If Makhachev returns to the lightweight division, Topuria doesn’t plan on granting him an immediate title shot upon his comeback. Makhachev is expected to face UFC welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena later this year, but hasn’t ruled out a future return to lightweight once a ‘new contender’ arises.
But if Oliveira is victorious at UFC 317, Makhachev could potentially be the desired callout target in his post-fight interview. Oliveira lost to Makhachev for the then-vacant lightweight belt at UFC 280.
Topuria’s ongoing feud with Makhachev has turned dark in recent weeks. After Topuria called Makhachev a ‘coward’ for vacating the lightweight championship, Makhachev shared a ruthless response, labeling Topuria a ‘nobody’ in a fiery exchange.
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