Ilia Topuria looks to be in his own confident self ahead of the big match. After putting over Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway in featherweight, the test now intensifies. Coming up to the lightweight division, Topuria will now be facing the bigger fighters. But that is not concerning ‘El Matador’ a bit. In fact, oozing confidence in his striking, Topuria has put Charles Oliveir on notice.
With the fight for the vacant lightweight belt coming up, speculations have surfaced as to who would win. While some are favoring Oliveira’s experience to have the last laugh, Topuria begs to differ. Reflecting on the same, Topuria stated that his punches pack a lot of power. And thus, if he can get Oliveira’s chin, there’s no coming back for the former champion.
“If I hurt [Charles], he’s not gonna have the chance to come back. My power is completely different than the other guys.,” said Topuria.
Ilia Topuria is asked about other lightweight fighters who hurt Charles Oliveira but weren't able to finish him:
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) June 20, 2025
"If I hurt [Charles], he's not gonna have the chance to come back. My power is completely different than the other guys." 😳 pic.twitter.com/IXAN8omOBn
Surely, Olivera has been hit in the past. However, oftentimes, he has been able to cope up and come back. Meanwhile, with Topuria playing his mind games, ‘Du Bronx’ reflected on who the ‘real champion’ is.
Charles Oliveira Warns Ilia Topuria After Disrespectful Exchange
Ilia Topuria has been taking verbal shots at Oliveira for long. And that is something that is not sitting well with ‘Du Bronx.’ Hinting at a vicious knockout, Topuria even asked Oliveira to ‘bring a pillow.’ Thus, lashing out at the former featherweight champion, Oliveira stated that everybody knows who the real champion is.
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“He has definitely not treated me with the same respect. I don’t know why. He’s been saying a lot, but the fact of the matter is we’re going to find out on June 28. Everyone knows who the real champion is,” said Oliveira.
Charles Oliveira says his #UFC317 victory over Ilia Topuria is "already written" 🏆 pic.twitter.com/PFCbCPV6Dx
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) June 20, 2025
Thus, with a lot of tension going on between the two, it remains to be seen how the fight pans out as the octagon door closes in UFC 317.
