Ilia Topuria has ascended to the pinnacle of the mixed martial arts world, a position he seems poised to hold for the foreseeable future.
In the main event of UFC 317 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Topuria secured the vacant lightweight championship with a single, explosive punch, knocking out Charles Oliveira. Leading up to the bout, Topuria had expressed supreme confidence, predicting he would add Oliveira to his already impressive list of knockout victims, a promise he emphatically delivered upon.
This victory means Topuria`s last three fights have all ended via knockout against elite opponents: Oliveira, Max Holloway, and Alexander Volkanovski. This incredible sequence could be argued as one of the best three-fight runs in MMA history. Known as “El Matador,” Topuria maintains an unblemished professional record of 17-0, including a perfect 9-0 streak within the UFC.
Having previously vacated the UFC featherweight title to pursue the lightweight belt, Topuria now joins an exclusive list of UFC greats who have held titles in two different weight classes. This esteemed group includes legends such as Georges St-Pierre, Jon Jones, Amanda Nunes, Randy Couture, and Conor McGregor.
