Topuria wins UFC lightweight title with stunning knockout of Oliveira

Topuria delivers connected his committedness to triumph via archetypal circular knockout aft moving up successful value to combat Oliveira.

Spain’s Ilia Topuria scored a stunning first-round knockout victory implicit Charles Oliveira to assertion the UFC lightweight rubric astatine UFC 317, with Alexandre Pantoja securing a third-round submission triumph implicit Kai Kara-France to clasp the flyweight rubric successful the co-main event.

Former featherweight champ Topuria announced successful February that helium was going to measurement up to the 155-pound part to combat for the loop vacated by erstwhile champ Islam Makhachev’s determination up to the welterweight division.

Standing betwixt him and the rubric connected Saturday evening was 35-year-old Brazilian erstwhile lightweight champ Oliveira, who concisely brought his immense acquisition to carnivore earlier being defeated.

After a dominant tally astatine featherweight that saw him determination to 16-0 arsenic a professional, Topuria, who was calved successful Germany to Georgian parents, looked tiny successful the cage compared to Oliveira, but helium defended good against the Brazilian’s grappling earlier showcasing his striking power.

Oliveira, who was stripped of the lightweight loop successful May 2022 erstwhile helium missed value for a defence against Justin Gaethje, looked bully during a little speech connected the mat, but Topuria disengaged to bring the combat backmost to the feet, and soon afterwards Oliveira’s evening ended.

The 28-year-old stunned Oliveira with a crunching close manus and followed it up with a near hook that sent Oliveira crashing to the mat, his eyes glazed arsenic his backmost deed the canvas arsenic Topuria fulfilled his pre-fight prediction of a first-round knockout win.

Topuria celebrates the triumph arsenic Oliveira congratulates him [Stephen R Sylvanie-Imagn Images via Reuters]

“I already said it – I correspond the caller procreation of the premix of martial arts, this is the adjacent level of the game. This is the adjacent thing, and this is what I represent,” Topuria said successful a post-fight interview.

“I did precisely what we had planned, batch of jabs, close hand, near hook, and roar – his lights were out.”

In the co-main event, Brazil’s Pantoja dominated New Zealander Kara-France earlier taking his backmost and locking successful a rear bare choke 1:55 into the 3rd circular to support his flyweight crown.

Elsewhere connected the main card, Joshua Van bushed Brandon Royval via unanimous determination astatine flyweight, portion Beneil Dariush bushed Renato Moicano via unanimous determination successful their lightweight bout, and Payton Talbott defeated Felipe Lima via unanimous determination astatine bantamweight.

Source:

Al Jazeera and quality agencies