LAS VEGAS: Spain’s Ilia Topuria scored a stunning first-round knockout victory over Charles Oliveira to claim the UFC lightweight title at UFC 317.
Former featherweight champ Topuria announced in February that he was going to step up to the 155-pound division to fight for the belt vacated by former champ Islam Makhachev’s move up to the welterweight division.
Standing between him and the title was 35-year-old Brazilian former lightweight champ Oliveira, who briefly brought his vast experience to bear before being defeated.
After a dominant run at featherweight that saw him move to 16-0 as a professional, Topuria, who was born in Germany to Georgian parents, looked small in the cage compared to Oliveira, but he defended well against the Brazilian’s grappling before showcasing his striking power.
Oliveira, who was stripped of the lightweight belt in May 2022 when he missed weight for a defence against Justin Gaethje, looked good during a brief exchange on the mat, but Topuria disengaged to bring the fight back to the feet, and shortly afterwards Oliveira’s evening ended.
The 28-year-old stunned Oliveira with a right hook and followed it up with a crunching left that sent Oliveira crashing to the mat, his eyes glazed as his back hit the canvas as Topuria fulfilled his pre-fight prediction of a first-round knockout win.
“I already said it — I represent the new generation of the mix of martial arts, this is the next level of the game. This is the next thing, and this is what I represent,” Topuria said in a post-fight interview.
“I did exactly what we had planned, lot of jabs, right hand, left hook, and boom — his lights were out,” he added.
In the co-main event, Brazil’s Alexandre Pantoja dominated New Zealander Kara-France before taking his back and locking in a rear naked choke 1:55 into the third round.
