UFC 317 was a tough night in the office for Charles Oliveira when he looked to reclaim the lightweight title.
Oliveira was stopped in the first round by Ilia Topuria when the undefeated star became a double UFC champion after he started from featherweight.
'Do Bronx' was a considerable underdog on the way to 28 June with fans who expect the power of his opponent to cause him a number of important problems, as was reflected in Drake's enormous bet on Oliveira prior to Fight Night.
While the new champion has already switched to his next fight with Topuria opposite Paddy Pimblett in the Octagon, it is back to the drawing table for Oliveira.
The former title holder thought about his loss and thanked his fans in his first statement after the fight on social media.
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Charles Oliveira reflects on his loss of Ilia Topuria in his first explanation after the fight
After beating Michael Chandler last November, Charles Oliveira was given the opportunity to become a double UFC light weight on 28 June.
'Do Bronx' produced an incredibly memorable rule as a lightweight champion before he was defeated by Islam Makhachev in a collision for the empty belt, which Oliveira lost on the scales for UFC 274.
Although he was successfully bouncing back from his two recent defeats to Makhachev and Arman Tsarukyan, his defeat on UFC 317 could mark the end of the Brazilian title ambitions.
Oliveira is so popular that he will always be in the mix, but it is difficult to see him still a shot, given the potential title fights that can be on the horizon.
Together with a short message on X where he just apologized, Oliveira thought about his loss via Instagram and thanked his supporters after the 11th defeat of his professional career.
“It wasn't how we wanted it to be, but for the best I want to thank everyone for the affection and beautiful energy. God bless you all.”
'Never supposed to be Charles' … Top lightweight competition calls Ilia Topuria
In a post on X, Arman Tsarukyan Ilia called Topuria and stated that Charles Oliveira should never have been his UFC 317 opponent.
Tsarukyan defeated Oliveira at UFC 300 but did not fought for the lightweight title after he had withdrawn from his UFC 311 collision with Islam Makhakev because of an injury.
“It was never supposed to be Charles. I can finish Ilia, that simple. And he knows it too. That's why he avoids the real #1 competition.”
It was never supposed to be Charles. I can finish Ilia, that simple. And he knows too. That is why he avoids the real #1 competition.
– Arman Tsarukyan UFC (@aranufc) 29 June 2025
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The #1-contender weighed successfully as the backup hunter last Friday, but Dana White stated that this does not mean that he will be the next title finer, although it is a step in the right direction for him.