Aljamain Sterling acknowledges Ilia Topuria`s formidable power and suggests Charles Oliveira ought to be equally aware of it.
Early in his career, Oliveira faced criticism for appearing vulnerable under pressure. However, he transformed into a world champion known for absorbing significant damage only to retaliate with overwhelming force, resulting in many spectacular finishes and bonuses for “do Bronx.”
Oliveira is scheduled to compete for the vacant lightweight title against Ilia Topuria on June 28th at UFC 317. The belt became available after Islam Makhachev moved up to welterweight (Topuria also vacated his featherweight title to seek a second division championship). Sterling expresses doubt whether Oliveira`s aggressive, come-forward approach would be wise against Topuria in this crucial fight.
Speaking on *The Weekly Scraps* podcast, Sterling remarked, “It`s interesting because Oliveira seems to get knocked down in almost every fight, certainly over his last eight appearances.” He contrasted this with Topuria`s proven striking power, noting that while Topuria was dropped once by Jai Herbert in his lightweight debut, he recovered. Topuria himself claims his power is significantly enhanced at 155 lbs compared to featherweight (145 lbs). Sterling questions how effective this heightened power will be at lightweight, stating that if Topuria connects with Oliveira as effectively as he has with others, it could be “a bad night” for Oliveira and position Topuria to become a two-division champion.
“However,” Sterling continued, addressing the ground game, “nobody has truly pressured Ilia with grappling yet. I wonder if `do Bronx` will attempt this strategy to potentially tire him out and reduce the effectiveness of his strikes. That remains a significant unknown factor.”
Oliveira is widely regarded as one of MMA`s most dangerous grapplers, holding the UFC record with 16 submission victories. The 35-year-old will also likely hold a size advantage over Topuria, adding an intriguing dynamic to any close-quarters exchanges.
While primarily a striker, Topuria has demonstrated capable wrestling, both offensively and defensively. He famously knocked out Alexander Volkanovski to claim the featherweight belt, becoming the first fighter to defeat Volkanovski at 145 lbs, and is also the first to have knocked out Max Holloway.
Observing Topuria`s pattern of defeating established legends, Sterling muses on how high he might ascend in the sport`s historical rankings.
Sterling remarked, “It`s difficult to dismiss `do Bronx`; I still believe he possesses that unique quality. However, I felt similarly about Max Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski – not necessarily predicting they would defeat Ilia, but acknowledging their status. Yet, Ilia faced them and delivered those performances, leaving you wondering, `Who *can* stop this guy?`”
While Oliveira has a recent record of 2 wins and 2 losses in his last four outings, this follows an impressive streak of 11 consecutive victories in MMA`s most competitive division. In contrast, Topuria maintains a perfect professional record across 16 fights.
Sterling anticipates that the outcome of their potential clash will hinge on which fighter successfully imposes their primary strength – striking or grappling – and believes this strategic battle could persist throughout the entire scheduled five rounds, or until the fight concludes.
Sterling stated his leanings: “I`m favoring Ilia; I think that`s the sensible prediction.” He added, “Naturally, Oliveira *could* win, perhaps by engaging in grappling early on. He might even surprise us by demonstrating that Ilia can be fatigued, lessening the impact of his strikes. But then, what condition will Oliveira be in during the later rounds?”
He continued, questioning Oliveira`s potential challenges: “Can he maintain his defense effectively, particularly if he doesn`t secure an early finish? And how does he manage to land a takedown? He needs to close the distance to grapple, and doing that against a shorter opponent by getting `underneath him` is a difficult task.”
