Ilia Topuria has been itching to get his name in the UFC history books. After making a dominant entry into the featherweight division, Topuria is looking to repeat the same in lightweight. Going up against Charles Oliveira, ‘El Matador’ will face an experienced campaigner. While a lot of experts have given the nod to Oliveira, Topuria looks immensely confident about his win. And not only that, the Spaniard is also fancying a round-one knockout.
In a recent statement, Topuria spoke about the stylistic differences between both of them. But having said that, the former featherweight champion also mentioned how Oliveira’s style is perfect for him. The Spaniard stated that Oliveira had no significant movement. And without fast reflexes, it is easy for Topuria to land the defining punch. Thus, according to Topuria, the Brazilian’s way of fighting will allow him to secure a knockout in round one!
“Charles is a great fighter. I’d say he’s a legendary fighter, one of the few still active in the UFC. But the truth is that his style fits perfectly with mine, to put him to sleep in the first round because he has no mobility, he doesn’t move,” said Topuria.
Ilia Topuria says Charles Oliveira's style is 'perfect' for him to get a first round finish 😳👀
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) June 12, 2025
"Charles is a great fighter. I'd say he's a legendary fighter, one of the few still active in the UFC. But the truth is that his style fits perfectly with mine, to put him to sleep… pic.twitter.com/JmBPueur9W
Now, that is quite a bold statement to make from Topuria. Despite his track record, the lightweight division will be uncharted territory for ‘El Matador.’ And with the experience of Oliveira coming in, things might not be that easy for Topuria. But as far as the experts are concerned, they are backing the Spaniard. And Demetrious Johnson seems to be one of them.
Demetrious Johnson Predicts Ilia Topuria KO At UFC 317
Ilia Topuria’s punching power seems to have mesmerized everybody. With a lot at stake, Topuria has the opportunity to become a two-division champion. Now, as the fight is coming up, more and more predictions are pouring in favor of Topuria. Speaking to Tim Welch recently, Demetrious Johnson Topuria is likely going to hurt Oliveira.
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“I’m gonna go with Ilia Topuria. I’m betting that Ilia is gonna hurt him, and when he hurts him, he’s gonna follow him to the ground and try to finish him like Islam did. At the end of the day, I’m going with Ilia Topuria, and I know someone’s getting knocked out. If nobody gets finished, I’ll be shocked,” Johnson said.
Demetrious Johnson picks Ilia Topuria to beat Charles Oliveira and says he’ll be shocked if nobody gets finished in that fight 👀⚡
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) May 31, 2025
"I'm gonna go with Ilia Topuria. I'm betting that Ilia is gonna hurt him, and when he hurts him, he's gonna follow him to the ground and try to… pic.twitter.com/lCEU3hZ4G8
Thus, with Ilia Topuria looking to have an upper hand here, it remains to be seen how the fight will pan out as UFC 317 gets underway.
