In this corner, the former undisputed featherweight champion Ilia Topuria. We don’t underestimate Ilia Topuria. He’ll be headlining UFC 317 against the always dangerous Charles Oliveira for the vacant lightweight title. That matchup would be the most anticipated boxing event in recent memory, scheduled to headline PPV on June 29, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. And now Islam Makhachev has provided even more clarity with his announcement that he will vacate the lightweight belt. He is making the jump up to welterweight.
Topuria owns a picture-perfect record of 16-0 in the UFC. He vacated his 145-pound featherweight title earlier this year. He was originally going to fight Makhachev for the lightweight championship. Soon after he was sad to see Makhachev vacate the division. Topuria has changed his tone lately and views this next matchup as a chance to once again win a second championship belt.
Today, ESPN has Topuria ranked as the number two best pound-for-pound UFC fighter in the world. He is apparently determined to cement his legacy as such. He stated, “On June 29, another dream will come true.” His confidence is born from an impressive pedigree as he gets set to take on Oliveira, a former champion in his own right.
Topuria is aware of all that Oliveira brings to the table but is hyper-focused on the task at hand. He remarked, “I’ll be the champion of the lightweight division. Charles [Oliveira], my apologies in advance… I’m just fighting for my dreams. It’s unfortunate that Makhachev ran away.”
The stakes are high for both fighters as they step into the octagon at UFC 317. Topuria looks to make it two belts in his collection, Oliveira coming back looking to regain his place at the top of the mountain. That’s because each fighter has to figure out the other’s strengths on the fly. Fans are looking forward to what is expected to be an electrifying rematch!
