Ilia Topuria achieved his long-held ambition of becoming a two-division champion by securing a brutal first-round knockout victory over Charles Oliveira in the headlining bout of UFC 317.
It was another spectacular performance from Topuria. He landed a powerful right hook that appeared to immediately incapacitate Oliveira while he was still standing. Topuria then followed up with a left hand before “do Bronx” fell to the canvas. The referee stopped the fight just moments later, with the official time recorded as 2:27 of the opening round.
The victory officially crowned Topuria as the new UFC Lightweight Champion. This marks his third consecutive knockout win against elite opponents widely regarded as future Hall of Famers, adding Oliveira to his list of finishes after defeating Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway in prior bouts.
Speaking after his win, Topuria declared, “I already said it. I represent the new generation of mixed martial arts. This is the next level of the game. This is what I represent. I did exactly what we had planned. Boom, his lights were out.”
Immediately following his triumph, Topuria wasted no time in calling out potential future challengers, specifically naming Paddy Pimblett and Arman Tsarukyan. While many observers believe Tsarukyan is the more deserving contender, Topuria`s intense personal rivalry with Pimblett took center stage that night when he invited the Liverpool native into the Octagon.
Topuria loudly proclaimed, “We have some f*cking p*ssies in this arena. There is a blonde bitch. There is a guy that when [it comes time] to deliver, his back hurts. Whoever is ready for me, I`m here.”
He continued, “Listen, I don`t think [Paddy is] going to accept it. But if he thinks that he`s ready. Come on you blonde bitch. Bring that bitch here.”
Moments later, Pimblett climbed over the security barrier and entered the cage. He initially offered a compliment to Topuria on his knockout, but the exchange quickly escalated into verbal sparring.
Pimblett retorted, “That was a heavy knockout. You will not knock me out. You know you can`t knock me out. You know I don`t get knocked out. I finish you little man.”
Topuria fired back immediately as the two fighters went nose-to-nose, with security personnel stepping in to prevent the situation from becoming physical.
“You`re getting knocked out,” Topuria stated just before shoving Pimblett.
Pimblett simply smiled and pointed back at Topuria as their heated argument persisted, seemingly setting the stage for what could be one of the biggest and most anticipated matchups the UFC has to offer.
Before this dramatic post-fight confrontation, Topuria`s primary focus was winning the championship, which he accomplished in devastating fashion against Oliveira.
The fight itself started with no feeling-out period; Oliveira landed a significant left hand, and Topuria immediately responded as heavy strikes were exchanged early. An accidental clash of heads opened a nasty cut above Oliveira’s eye as he attempted to take Topuria down.
While Oliveira bravely tried to secure any potential submission, Topuria successfully defended and continuously returned to his feet, inviting his opponent to stand and strike. In their very next exchange, Topuria unleashed the fight-ending combination that sensationally put Oliveira down and out on the canvas.
Following the conclusion of the fight, Oliveira eventually regained his composure and rose to his feet, showing good sportsmanship by embracing Topuria and exchanging a few respectful words.
The era of Ilia Topuria in the lightweight division has now commenced, with numerous potential challengers awaiting him. However, perhaps no upcoming fight looms larger or carries more intrigue than the potential clash to settle the intense bad blood with Paddy Pimblett.
