Ilia Topuria delivers first-round KO of Charles Oliveira to win lightweight title
LAS VEGAS — Ilia Topuria continued his ascension up the pound-for-pound ladder with a major statement via a vicious first-round knockout of Charles Oliveira to win the vacant lightweight championship Saturday night at UFC 317.Topuria used a sharp right hand to set up a devastating left hook that dropped Oliveira to end the bout at the 2:27 mark of the opening round, fulfilling his prediction of a first-round KO while sending the announced crowd of 19,800 into a frenzy.“I always say I represent the new generation of mixed martial arts,” said Topuria, who closed a -400 favorite at BetMGM sportsbook.Topuria (17-0), who now has 10 first-round finishes to his credit, moved up to the 155-pound weight class following a successful campaign in the featherweight division last year.He claimed that belt with a second-round knockout of Alexander Volkanovski and defended his title by finishing Max Holloway in the third round of an October bout in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.Topuria, who came in ranked fourth on UFC’s pound-for-pound list, joined nine others who have held a UFC belt in two weight classes.
He is the first undefeated fighter to become champion in two UFC divisions.“I think tonight was his big night,” UFC CEO and president Dana White said.“We have a star on our hands.”Oliveira (35-11), who has the most finishes in UFC history, was hoping to become the first fighter to win the lightweight belt on separate occasions.
Fellow lightweight Paddy Pimblett was in the audience and summoned to the ring, where a heated exchange led to Topuria shoving the eighth-ranked contender and igniting a rivalry from years ago.“Let’s (expletive) fight! If you’re ready, I’m here,” Topuria said to Pimblett before he entered the ring.White wasn’t happy with Pimblett getting in the ring, knowing the history of bad blood between the two.The two have been at odds for some time, after they came to blows when Pimblett threw a bottle of hand sanitizer at Topuria’...