The upcoming bout between Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira is generating significant buzz as one of the most anticipated fights in the UFC this year.
Set to headline UFC 317 this Saturday, this fight will determine a new UFC Lightweight Champion, a title that hasn`t changed hands since 2022. The previous champion, Islam Makhachev, vacated the belt after four successful defenses, choosing to move to the welterweight division against the new champion, Jack Della Maddalena.
Undefeated Ilia Topuria enters the fight following impressive back-to-back knockout victories over Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway. He has publicly stated his intention to finish Oliveira, known as the UFC`s most successful submission specialist, by any means necessary.
Topuria is widely regarded as the favorite to defeat Oliveira. Notable figures picking the Spaniard to win include former champion Aljamain Sterling and Beneil Dariush, who previously fought Oliveira.
Adding his voice to the predictions, a former BMF champion recently shared his pick for the UFC 317 main event.
Jorge Masvidal Supports Ilia Topuria to Defeat Charles Oliveira at UFC 317
Jorge Masvidal has consistently expressed belief in Topuria`s potential to become a champion.
The fighter who first held the BMF title mentioned knowing Topuria for five or six years and always feeling he was destined to become a world champion.
Now, Topuria has a unique opportunity to capture a championship in a second weight class.
“Ilia is truly exceptional, one in ten thousand,” Masvidal stated in an interview with Red Corner MMA.
He added, “I`ve trained with countless fighters, brother. This guy is special.”
“I believe he will become a world champion at lightweight (155 lbs),” Masvidal commented regarding Topuria.
“He will defeat Charles, man. He`s going to find a strategy to overcome him.”
“Charles is the physically larger fighter. He possesses strong kicks, knees, and elbows, excellent jiu-jitsu skills, and solid wrestling. Charles is skilled in all areas.”
“However, Ilia is simply different, brother,” Masvidal concluded.
Ilia Topuria Believes He Will Outweigh Charles Oliveira on Fight Night
Oliveira holds a three-inch height advantage over the 5`7″ Topuria. This size difference led top-10 contender Mateusz Gamrot to predict the former lightweight champion would reclaim his belt.
Topuria dismisses concerns about his size for the lightweight division, asserting that he will actually be heavier than Oliveira when they step into the octagon.
Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show earlier this week (Monday), Topuria stated his expected fight night weight would range from 174 to 179 lbs.
For comparison, in his previous fights at featherweight, Topuria typically weighed between 167 and 172 lbs.
