The upcoming lightweight title bout between Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 could ultimately be decided by their grappling skills.
Undefeated featherweight champion Ilia Topuria is moving up in weight to challenge former lightweight king Charles Oliveira for the vacant belt this Saturday. This highly anticipated matchup pits Topuria`s renowned knockout power against Oliveira, the fighter with the most submissions in UFC history.
Despite Topuria`s striking reputation, Oliveira has expressed confidence, suggesting he believes his own hitting power is superior to the longtime featherweight`s.
As fight night approaches, a top-10 lightweight who previously shared the octagon with Oliveira has offered his prediction, backing Topuria to win.
Beneil Dariush Predicts Slight Edge for Ilia Topuria Over Charles Oliveira at UFC 317
Beneil Dariush, who was once on the cusp of a lightweight title shot himself, faced Charles Oliveira at UFC 289 in 2023, suffering a first-round TKO loss.
Having experienced Oliveira`s power firsthand, Dariush nonetheless leans towards Topuria in this matchup. He attributes his slight favoritism to Topuria`s boxing proficiency and background in Greco-Roman wrestling, indicating a belief that the fight may end up on the ground.
Speaking to Inside Fighting’s Mike Owens, Dariush stated, “I lean towards Ilia, but it ain’t by much.”
He acknowledged Oliveira`s threat: “I think Charles has a really good chance with his power, with his fakes. If he uses his full arsenal, he’s a very difficult big guy to deal with.”
However, Dariush added, “I would probably say Ilia is probably the better wrestler… So, I think that’s where this fight could be decided—who the better grappler is.”
Out of his 23 victories in the UFC, 16 of Oliveira`s wins have come by submission. Despite this impressive record, Topuria has confidently stated he can finish the fight wherever he chooses, even expressing willingness to grapple with the legendary submission artist.
Charles Oliveira Has Been Submitted Four Times in His UFC Career
While Charles Oliveira holds the record for the most submissions in UFC history, this does not mean the former champion is immune to being caught in submissions himself.
In a 2022 title fight, Oliveira tapped out to an arm-triangle choke against Islam Makhachev. This marked his fourth submission defeat inside the Octagon.
Oliveira`s first professional loss via submission occurred early in his UFC career in 2010 when Jim Miller secured a kneebar.
Later, in 2016, `Do Bronx` experienced back-to-back submission losses, first to former champion Anthony Pettis and then to Ricardo Lamas, both via guillotine choke.
Considering Ilia Topuria`s own grappling credentials, having won his initial seven professional fights by submission, the exchanges on the ground between Oliveira and Topuria at UFC 317 will be a critical factor in determining the winner.
Jack Thornley