LAS VEGASIlia Topuria made a significant statement on Saturday night at UFC 317 by viciously knocking out Charles Oliveira in the first round to claim the vacant lightweight title, continuing his rise up the pound-for-pound ladder.
At the 2:27 mark of the first round, Topuria delivered a stunning left hook that downed Oliveira, fulfilling his forecast of a first-round knockout and throwing the announced 19,800 spectators into a frenzy. He had built up the hook with a quick right hand.
Topuria, a -400 favorite at BetMGM sportsbook, said, “I always say I represent the new generation of mixed martial arts.”
After a great featherweight campaign the previous year, Topuria (17-0), who now has 10 first-round finishes under his belt, advanced to the 155-pound weight class. He won that championship by knocking out Alexander Volkanovski in the second round, and he successfully defended it by defeating Max Holloway in the third round of a fight in October in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Topuria joins nine other people who have won UFC titles in two weight classes. Topuria was placed fourth on the UFC’s pound-for-pound rankings. He is the first fighter to win two UFC titles without losing.
Dana White, the president and CEO of the UFC, stated, “I believe tonight was his big night.” We are dealing with a star.
Oliveira (35-11), who holds the record for most UFC victories, wanted to make history by becoming the first fighter to win the lightweight title twice.
After a violent argument in which Topuria shoved the eighth-ranked fighter, sparking a rivalry from years ago, fellow lightweight Paddy Pimblett was called into the ring from the spectators.
Come on, let’s fight! Before Pimblett entered the arena, Topuria told him, “I’m here if you’re ready.”
Given their history of animosity, White wasn’t pleased that Pimblett was entering the ring.
After Pimblett threw a bottle of hand sanitizer at Topuria’s head in 2022, the two got into a heated argument and have been at odds ever since.
Pimblett told Topuria, “I’ll give you that; that was a heavy knockout.” But I will never be knocked out by you.
Topuria replied, “I’m going to submit you.”
In the co-main event, flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja (30-5) defeated Kai Kara-France (25-12) in 1:55 of the third round by using a rear-naked chokehold to successfully defend his title.
Nine years after their quarterfinal matchup on the reality show The Ultimate Fighter, which Pantoja also won by unanimous decision, the warriors faced again.
Two years ago, Pantoja defeated Brandon Moreno by decision to win the championship, and he has since successfully defended it four times. He concluded the fight as a -250 favorite and increased his winning run to eight fights.
Following his victory, No. 12 Joshua Van entered the ring and put on a show of his own, joining the 35-year-old Brazilian.
No. 1 contender Brandon Royval (17-8-0) lost to Van (15-2-0) in a slugfest that saw both fighters display amazing boxing prowess. Van, who finished as a -120 favorite, down Royval with an overhand right before ending the fight with a brutal ground and pound to win by unanimous decision.
The 419 total significant strikes were the most in a featherweight match in a three-round battle, and the third most in a UFC fight.
Shortly after Pantoja’s victory, Van stood nose-to-nose with her before leaving the octagon.
Additional matches from the primary card:
No. 9 Beneil Dariush (23-6-1) defeated No. 11 Renato Moicano (20-7-1) by unanimous decision in a lightweight fight after surviving a first-round knockdown.
Payton Talbott (10-1-0) defeated Felipe Lima (14-2-0) by majority decision in a bantamweight bout thanks to a much better ground game.
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