Charles Oliveira might face a difficult challenge when he meets Ilia Topuria at UFC 317.
Recently, UFC Lightweight Champion Islam Makhachev vacated his title to challenge Jack Della Maddalena for the welterweight championship.
Consequently, former champions Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira are set to compete for the newly vacant title. This bout has been announced as the main event for UFC 317 on June 28th in Las Vegas.
Topuria aims to maintain his undefeated record at 17-0 following his move up from the featherweight division, while Oliveira seeks to regain the championship he lost in 2022.
This upcoming lightweight title clash is highly anticipated, featuring a classic striker vs. grappler dynamic: Topuria is renowned for his devastating knockout power, and Oliveira for his exceptional submission skills.
Aljamain Sterling Comments on Charles Oliveira`s Striking Defense
While Oliveira is arguably the UFC`s premier submission specialist, his durability when absorbing strikes has occasionally been a point of concern.
Known as `Do Bronx,` Oliveira has been knocked down in four of his last seven bouts and has four career TKO losses. Most recently, he was visibly hurt by Michael Chandler`s strikes at UFC 309 in November.
Aljamain Sterling, a decorated former bantamweight champion, believes Topuria has a strong chance of testing Oliveira`s chin at UFC 317.
Sterling commented on his podcast, “Oliveira gets dropped every fight.”
“Just about every fight… With that said, we know Ilia Topuria can crack. We`ve seen him get dropped before by Jai Herbert [at 155 lbs], but he came back [to KO him]. That was the first time he fought at 155.”
“[Topuria] says he feels better at 155. His power is way different at 155. We know he could already crack at [145 lbs]. [How] is that power gonna translate into at 155?”
“If he could touch Charles the way he hits everybody else, I think it`s a bad night [for Oliveira]… Ilia is a two-division champion.”
Sterling Leans Towards Ilia Topuria: “Who`s Stopping This Guy?”
Beyond Topuria`s striking power, Sterling also raised questions about how Oliveira`s grappling might fare against the Spaniard.
Sterling noted that no opponent has truly tested Topuria`s ground game since Bryce Mitchell in 2022, which was actually Topuria`s most recent submission victory.
However, Mitchell`s grappling prowess doesn`t compare to Charles Oliveira`s, who holds the record for the most submission wins in UFC history with 16.
Picking a winner is tough, Sterling admitted, but he ultimately favors Topuria.
“This is a hard one,” Sterling said when picking a winner… “I like Ilia in this one.”
He reflected on previous predictions against Topuria: “It’s hard to count out Do Bronx. Do Bronx is, I still think, `he’s him`. But then I said that about Max [Holloway]. I said that about Volk. I’m not saying that those guys were gonna win against Ilia, but you say that those guys are still `them`, and then Ilia goes out and does that to them… You’re like, f—. Who’s stopping this guy?”
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Although now primarily known for his striking, Topuria began his career with seven consecutive submission victories and possesses a background in Greco-Roman wrestling.
