Las Vegas — Ilia Topuria said it, and he did it. The former featherweight champ claimed lightweight gold at UFC 317, knocking out Charles Oliveira inside of a round to do so. And it feels even better than expected, he said following the fight.
“It feels much better. Because I already did it, and it’s in the past,” Topuria (17-0) told media outlets including Cageside Press following the fight. “I don’t know, it feels much better.”
Topuria has been on an admittedly “amazing” run both in his entire career, and his last three fights. Those three fights might just be the toughest three in the history of the lower weight classes. And Topuria has knocked out all three opponents. “It’s amazing. It’s difficult to explain with simple words. Like, beat guys like Volk [Alexander Volkanovski], Max Holloway, Charles Oliveira. Not many people in the world can say that.”
Topuria believes, however, that he won the belt prior to Saturday’s UFC 317 main event. That’s why he has the confidence he does. As he explained it, come Saturday night at the T-Mobile Arena, “I just came to collect my belt. I already won it in the training sessions. I know how hard I work, I know what I’m able to do in the sparring sessions, in the training sessions. I know how good I am. I know that no one can match my level of skills inside the octagon. When I say this, maybe I sound a little bit cocky, that you guys think I’m crazy. But I just proved it, that I’m the best fighter in the world.”
Now, the question becomes what’s next. Topuria stated that should the UFC call, he can be ready by the end of the year. Against who is the question. Arman Tsarukyan and Justin Gaethje are out there, but it was Paddy Pimblett facing off with Topuria at the end of the night. A face-off that Dana White did not approve of, mind you.
Still, that’s the opponent Topuria is looking for. The pair were involved in an altercation during the UFC London Fight Week in March of 2022, and have been rivals ever since.
“Yes. Yes. That’s the fight that I want,” said Pimblett, who noted that he had a bit of an issue fighting Charles Oliveira. “Because with Charles, I had a little bit of a difficult situation because I really like the guy. He’s a really great human being. You can’t hate him. You always see him surrounded by his family, friends, teammates, he’s an amazing human being. But at the end I was like, this is competition, I have to do my job, and that’s it.”
Pimblett, however, will be a different story. “With Paddy, I’m really going to enjoy kicking his ass.”
Ilia Topuria later told Cageside Press that he would love to take the fight to Spain. “I would love to take you to Spain for that fight, in the Stadium.” Citing the great food and everything else, “you’re going to love it,” Topuria added. “I want to take you guys to Spain.”
The only problem is, UFC CEO and President Dana White previously said Spain “isn’t even an option right now anyway.” So maybe not then.
Watch the full UFC 317 post-fight press conference with Ilia Topuria above.
