Ilia Topuria is widely expected to become the UFC`s next champion across two weight divisions.
Earlier this week, UFC CEO Dana White announced significant developments regarding the lightweight division. Islam Makhachev is vacating his lightweight title to challenge Jack Della Maddalena for the welterweight championship later this year. Concurrently, Ilia Topuria will step in to face former titleholder Charles Oliveira for the now-vacant belt. This crucial matchup is set to headline UFC 317 in Las Vegas on June 28.
Initial betting lines from FanDuel position Topuria as a substantial favorite, opening at -400 odds to claim the UFC lightweight crown. The odds for Charles Oliveira stand at +285 as the underdog.
These odds suggest Topuria has an implied win probability of approximately 80 percent. For bettors, a $100 wager on Topuria would yield a total return of $125, while a $100 bet placed on Oliveira would result in a $385 payout if he wins.
Topuria recently vacated his featherweight championship in February. This came after his successful and sole title defense in October at UFC 308, where he delivered a knockout victory over Max Holloway in the main event. Prior to that, “El Matador” secured the featherweight strap with a devastating knockout of Alexander Volkanovski eight months earlier at UFC 298. Topuria aims to capture a second divisional title remarkably early in his UFC tenure, in just his ninth octagon appearance.
Charles Oliveira enters this fight with the opportunity to become a two-time lightweight champion. “Du Bronx” initially seized the title by stopping Michael Chandler at UFC 262 in May 2021 and followed up with a defense by defeating Dustin Poirier via stoppage at UFC 269 in December 2021. He was subsequently stripped of the title after missing weight for a planned defense against Justin Gaethje. Although he went on to defeat Gaethje, he was ineligible to reclaim the belt immediately. He later fought Islam Makhachev for the vacant title at UFC 280 but was defeated.
Since his title loss to Makhachev, Oliveira has accumulated a 2-1 record inside the octagon. His recent victories include a second win over Michael Chandler and a stoppage triumph against Beneil Dariush. His only recent defeat was a decision loss to Arman Tsarukyan.
