Charles Oliveira, having shared the Octagon with both combatants, believes Ilia Topuria holds a significant advantage over Justin Gaethje in their upcoming UFC White House main event. Oliveira, who submitted Gaethje at UFC 274 and was later knocked out by Topuria in their 2025 lightweight title fight, shared his insights in an exclusive interview with LowKick MMA, with assistance from CasinoHawks.
Oliveira stated, “Everyone keeps asking me about it. They’re two guys who hit hard, two guys who commit themselves, two great fighters. But in my view, Topuria has a much better chance of winning. He’s a much more technical fighter than Gaethje. Gaethje is a brawler, he’s there for a tear-up. Topuria is a guy who hunts the knockout, he chases the knockout. So I believe he wins.”
This highly anticipated bout is set to headline the UFC’s historic event at the White House on June 14th in Washington, D.C., as part of the America 250 celebration. The fight will unify the lightweight championship, with Topuria currently holding the undisputed title and Gaethje the interim belt he claimed against Paddy Pimblett.
Oliveira’s perspective is particularly noteworthy given his recent, direct experiences with both fighters. He defeated Gaethje via first-round rear-naked choke on May 7, 2022, in a bout that saw both fighters score knockdowns. Subsequently, in 2025, Oliveira faced Topuria for the vacant lightweight title at UFC 317, where Topuria secured a first-round knockout, ultimately becoming a two-division UFC champion.
According to “Do Bronx,” while both fighters possess significant danger, he anticipates that Topuria’s superior technique and precision striking will be the deciding factor if the fight becomes a slugfest. Oliveira is firmly backing the Spanish-Georgian fighter to emerge victorious and retain his championship.