Charles Oliveira, having faced both Justin Gaethje and Ilia Topuria, is leaning towards Topuria in their upcoming UFC White House main event. Oliveira, who submitted Gaethje and was knocked out by Topuria, believes Topuria’s technical striking gives him an edge over Gaethje’s more aggressive, brawling style.
In an exclusive interview, Oliveira stated, “Everyone keeps asking me about it. They’re two guys who hit hard, two guys who commit themselves, two great fighters. But in my view, Topuria has a much better chance of winning. He’s a much more technical fighter than Gaethje. Gaethje is a brawler, he’s there for a tear-up. Topuria is a guy who hunts the knockout, he chases the knockout. So I believe he wins.”
This highly anticipated bout will see Topuria defend his lightweight title against interim champion Gaethje. The fight is scheduled as the main event for a historic UFC card at the White House on June 14, 2026, as part of the America 250 celebration. This is a title unification clash, with Topuria holding the undisputed lightweight championship and Gaethje bringing the interim belt he secured against Paddy Pimblett.
Oliveira’s perspective carries significant weight due to his recent experiences with both fighters. He defeated Gaethje via first-round rear-naked choke at UFC 274 on May 7, 2022. Just three years later, at UFC 317, Oliveira lost the vacant lightweight title to Topuria via first-round knockout, making Topuria a two-division UFC champion.
Despite acknowledging the danger posed by both fighters, Oliveira is backing the Spanish-Georgian fighter. He suggests that if the fight turns into a slugfest, Topuria’s cleaner and more technical striking makes him the more likely victor to retain the championship belt.
