In just under a month, Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira are set to clash in a significant fight for the vacant lightweight title during International Fight Week.
Following the unexpected vacation of the lightweight belt by Islam Makhachev, UFC President Dana White announced that Ilia Topuria would face Charles Oliveira for the championship in the main event of UFC 317.
Ahead of this highly anticipated bout, Topuria has made a major adjustment to his training, parting ways with his long-standing coaches, the Climent brothers.
Adding further intrigue, boxing icon Roy Jones Jr. has offered to join Topuria`s corner and serve as his boxing coach.
Topuria Poses Question to Fans Regarding Oliveira Fight
Known as `El Matador`, Topuria is widely regarded as one of the premier boxers in the UFC, having secured impressive knockout victories over former champions Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway.
Topuria has consistently shown immense self-belief, often predicting his finishes before his fights.
He recently shared a video on social media showcasing his boxing skills on the pads with his trainer, leading many fans to anticipate another knockout performance.
However, `Do Bronx` Oliveira is one of the most accomplished grapplers in UFC history and is generally believed to possess a significant advantage on the ground against Topuria.
On Tuesday, Topuria posted another video demonstrating his grappling techniques and directly asked his followers to weigh in on the potential outcome against the Brazilian.
“What do you prefer, submitting him or knocking him out?” Topuria queried his fanbase.
Sean O’Malley Shares His Prediction for the UFC 317 Main Event
Before UFC 317 takes place, fans are looking forward to UFC 316, featuring a headline rematch between Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili.
O’Malley and Topuria have engaged in online exchanges in the past, at one point suggesting a potential future clash inside the octagon.
Ahead of his own upcoming fight, Sean O’Malley offered his perspective on the Topuria vs. Oliveira matchup, acknowledging the difficulty in predicting the winner.
“That’s one where your heart is telling you Charles and your brain is telling you Ilia, that one’s a coin flip, can’t count Charles out, Ilia’s on an absolute tear. Charles does get hit and Ilia cracks that fight I’m very excited for,” O’Malley commented.
Gareth Pendleton