Ilia Topuria Conquers UFC Lightweight Title with Stunning KO
LAS VEGAS – Ilia Topuria kept his promise. The fighter predicted he would knock out Charles Oliveira in the first round of their fight for the vacant lightweight title at UFC 317, and he did, leaving everyone astonished. Topuria (17-0) became the tenth two-division champion in UFC history on Saturday, defeating Oliveira with a right hand at 2 minutes and 27 seconds of the first round. Topuria’s precise strike hit Oliveira’s chin, followed by a left hook. Although the hook was the finishing blow, Oliveira was already on the canvas, unconscious from the initial impact.Immediately after Topuria’s historic victory, UFC wasted no time in involving Paddy Pimblett in the conversation. Pimblett, a ranked lightweight from Liverpool, was present at the T-Mobile Arena. Topuria and Pimblett have history, dating back to 2021, when Pimblett commented on the 2008 Russo-Georgian War. Topuria, from Spain, is of Georgian descent and was offended. “If you think you’re ready, come, blonde bitch,” Topuria said in his post-fight interview in the Octagon on Saturday night. UFC even allowed Pimblett to enter the Octagon and face Topuria. Earlier this week, Topuria revealed that he wanted to fight Pimblett in his first lightweight title defense, preferably in Las Vegas. Even the promotional hype wasn’t enough to overshadow Topuria’s spectacular performance. The fighter resisted several attempts by Oliveira to hold on and take him down. When Oliveira managed a takedown, Topuria reversed the position and ended up on top of the submission specialist. This victory marks three consecutive knockout wins for Topuria, all against big names. He knocked out Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway at featherweight in 2024, before opting to vacate the 145-pound title earlier this year to move up to lightweight. Topuria has also set his sights on former lightweight champion Islam Makhachev.“I already said it,” declared Topuria, who even celebrated a dinner on Friday, anticipating his victory. “I represent the new era of mixed martial arts. This is the next level of the game”.
Ilia Topuria
