Ilia Topuria realized his goal of becoming a two-division champion at UFC 317, securing a devastating first-round knockout victory over Charles Oliveira in the main event. This dominant performance saw Topuria land a powerful right hook that dropped Oliveira, followed by a left hand for good measure before “do Bronx” hit the canvas. The fight was halted shortly after.
With this impressive win, Topuria is now the reigning UFC lightweight champion. This marks his third consecutive knockout victory against a future Hall of Famer, having also finished Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway in prior bouts.
Following his triumph, Topuria wasted no time directing his attention towards potential next opponents, specifically naming Paddy Pimblett and Arman Tsarukyan. While Tsarukyan is arguably the more deserving contender based on ranking and performance, the long-standing personal feud between Topuria and Pimblett quickly became the focal point of the post-fight proceedings. Topuria aggressively challenged “the blonde bitch,” referring to Pimblett, and others he deemed unprepared.
“We have some f*cking p*ssies in this arena,” Topuria declared. “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. 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.”
Shortly thereafter, Pimblett climbed over the barricade and entered the cage. He initially complimented Topuria on the knockout but quickly initiated a verbal exchange, claiming Topuria couldn`t knock him out and asserting that he would be the one to finish Topuria.
“That was a heavy knockout,” Pimblett responded. “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 quickly fired back, predicting that Pimblett would get knocked out. The two fighters came nose-to-nose, with Topuria ultimately shoving Pimblett before security personnel intervened to prevent the situation from escalating further. Despite being separated, the heated confrontation continued, strongly suggesting that a highly anticipated matchup between the two is on the horizon.
Before the post-fight tension, Topuria`s focus was solely on capturing the lightweight title, which he did in stunning fashion against Oliveira. The fight began with both competitors immediately exchanging heavy strikes. A head clash resulted in a nasty cut above Oliveira`s eye as he attempted a takedown. Oliveira valiantly attempted submission attempts, but Topuria consistently defended and returned to his feet, inviting Oliveira to stand and trade. In the decisive exchange, Topuria landed the fight-ending combination that resulted in the spectacular knockout.
Following the fight, Oliveira eventually recovered and got back on his feet, showing great sportsmanship by embracing Topuria and sharing a few words.
The lightweight division has now officially entered the Ilia Topuria era. While a lineup of potential challengers awaits, settling the intense rivalry with Paddy Pimblett appears to be the biggest and most likely next step for the newly crowned champion.
