The title challenge of Ilia Topuria against Charles Oliveira could not have gone better.
Once the UFC-Fedweight champion, the undefeated Topuria is now a two-division champion after recording the empty lightweight title on UFC 317.
Topuria predicted that he would eliminate Charles Oliveira in the opening round and that is what he did, to complete the former champion with bumps in a few minutes.
Topuria was a considerable gambling favorite to beat Oliveira, with hunters such as Aljamain Sterling, Beneil Dariush and Jorge Masvidal to choose 'El Matador' to get the job done.
Styles make battles, and a former UFC champion thinks that Topuria received a customized matchup on his return to the lightweight division.
Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC
TJ Dillashaw says that Charles Oliveira is 'perfect matchup' for Ilia Topuria: 'He gets cut in every fight'
Former champions Sterling and Adesanya had said that Oliveira is being hit too much to their taste.
Prior to his Ko loss at UFC 317, Oliveira was wounded four times or 'rocked' in his last seven fights.
Oliveira, the most productive submission artist in the UFC, believed that he owned more KO power than Topuria, but soon found that that was not the case in the bag.
Former UFC Bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw was stunned by the willingness of Oliveira to stand and act with a boxer who is as competent as Topuria.
“This was a hand-selected fight for Ilia,” said Dillashaw on the Jaxxon podcast.
“This is a perfect matchup for him.
“Charles is cut. He gets cut into every fight. He is willing to close the distance, although he is a bigger guy. Like, why he no longer remains? I know he will get him here and there, but Topuria wants you to be in contact with him,” Dillashaw continued.
“He wants you to get into that danger zone because his boxing is so much better. Even if he is hit, he will hit you a lot harder. He will release your lights, and that of course saw that.
“I wish Oliveira would have kept his distance better. Put it against the cage. Use your weight. Get bigger than he is. He is clearly a bigger guy, but he does too much of the middle terrain. Must be outside or completely inside. Nothing in between,” said Dillashaw.
Arman Tsarukyan could have fought for title before Charles Oliveira
There is no doubt that Topuria vs. Oliveira is one of the largest UFC fights of the year. However, the matchup did not come without controversy.
The #2-ranged Oliveira received the title shot about Arman Tsarukyan, the #1 competition that defeated him last year.
Tsarukyan survived four submission attempts and barely defeated Oliveira by a split decision on UFC 300.
Tsarukyan has been 9-1 since losing his UFC debut at Islam Makhachev. Tsarukyan was offered to Rematchen Makhachev at UFC 302, immediately after his victory over Oliveira, but Tsarukyan refused.
The #1 competition would be Makhachev in the main event of UFC 311 earlier this year Rematchen, but a back injury forced Tsarukyan to withdraw and lost his title chances as a result.
Just like Justin Gaethje, who has won 3 of his last 4 fights, Tsarukyan was also passed on for the next title fight by Oliveira.
Tsarukyan made championship weight on 155 pounds as an official backup hunter for the UFC 317 Co-Main event. Time will learn whether the lightweight will get a title shot without fighting again.