Charles Oliveira makes bold prediction for UFC 317 fight with Ilia Topuria
Speaking to Full Violence, the Brazilian MMA legend made a bold prediction for the fight, proclaiming that he will knock Topuria out, and not the other way around.
Charles Oliveira on Ilia Topuria: “I will knock out this guy.” 🥶 Full lunch sit-down dropping soon. pic.twitter.com/ObRsSIa92A
— Full Violence ™ (@Full_Violence) May 21, 2025
“It’s a great fight, he’s a great fighter, but I don’t need to prove anything to anyone about who I am,” Oliveira said. “This fight came at a huge opportunity. I will knock out this guy. That’s for real.”
While Oliveira is best known for his grappling, he has evolved into a technical and powerful striker on the feet. In addition to his many submissions, he holds 10 wins by knockout or TKO. That includes stoppages of Beneil Dariush, Michael Chandler and Jared Gordon. So, while it may be unlikely, Oliveira does have the ability to knock Topuria out.
One way or the other, Oliveira will go down in history as one of the greatest lightweights ever.
He first claimed UFC gold in 2021, when he knocked out Chandler in a fight for the vacant belt. He then defended the belt with a submission of Dustin Poirier, but was unfortunately stripped of his title when he missed weight for his subsequent fight with Justin Gaethje. After submitting Gaethje, he was booked to meet Islam Makhachev for the vacant belt. This time, he made weight, but lost the fight by decision.
Topuria is the former UFC featherweight champ. He is undefeated, and recently knocked out Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway before vacating his belt and moving up to lightweight.
