Ilia Topuria of Spain delivered a stunning first-round knockout victory over Charles Oliveira to claim the UFC lightweight title at UFC 317. In the co-main event of the night, Alexandre Pantoja successfully defended his flyweight championship by securing a third-round submission win against Kai Kara-France.
Topuria landed a precise right hand that set up a devastating left hook. This combination dropped Oliveira, ending the bout at the 2 minute, 27 second mark of the opening round. The victory fulfilled Topuria`s prediction of a first-round knockout and sent the capacity crowd of 19,800 into a frenzy.
UFC president Dana White commented on the performance, saying, “I think tonight was his big night. We have a star on our hands.”
Following his title win, Topuria called out fellow lightweight Paddy Pimblett, who was present in the audience. Pimblett was summoned to the ring, leading to a heated confrontation where Topuria shoved the eighth-ranked contender, reigniting a rivalry that spans several years.
Addressing Pimblett before he entered the octagon, Topuria challenged, “Let`s fight! If you`re ready, I`m here.”
Topuria, a former featherweight champion, had announced in February his move up to the 155-pound division specifically to challenge for the belt. The title had been vacated following former champion Islam Makhachev`s decision to move up to the welterweight division.
Standing between Topuria and the lightweight strap was the experienced 35-year-old Brazilian, Charles Oliveira, a former champion himself. Oliveira briefly utilized his grappling skills, but Topuria effectively defended and disengaged to return the fight to striking range.
Despite having a dominant 16-0 record at featherweight and being born in Germany to Georgian parents, Topuria appeared physically smaller than Oliveira in the cage. However, this did not hinder his performance. Oliveira, who was notably stripped of the lightweight belt in May 2022 due to missing weight before a defense against Justin Gaethje, had a short moment of success on the ground before Topuria brought the fight back to the feet, where the end was near.
The 28-year-old Topuria first rocked Oliveira with a right hook, then followed up with a powerful left hook that sent the Brazilian crashing to the canvas, unconscious. His eyes were glazed as his back hit the mat, confirming the first-round knockout win Topuria had confidently predicted.
In his post-fight interview, Topuria declared, “I already said it – I represent the new generation of mixed martial arts, this is the next level of the game. This is the next thing, and this is what I represent. I did exactly what we had planned, a lot of jabs, right hand, left hook, and boom – his lights were out.”
In the night`s second main event, Brazil`s Alexandre Pantoja put on a dominant performance against New Zealander Kai Kara-France. Pantoja eventually took Kara-France`s back and secured a rear naked choke submission at 1 minute and 55 seconds of the third round to successfully retain his flyweight title.
