“Stop Hurting My Heroes” – Fight World Stunned as Ilia Topuria Puts Charles Oliveira to Sleep at UFC 317

Ilia Topuria shocks the MMA community by knocking out top lightweight Charles Oliveira in the very first round at UFC 317.

“Stop Hurting My Heroes” – Fight World Stunned as Ilia Topuria Puts Charles Oliveira to Sleep at UFC 317

UFC veteran Charles Oliveira gets knocked out by ‘El Matador' Ilia Topuria in the first round at UFC 317 (via Instagram)

Ilia Topuria always delivers what he promises, confidently backing his words with unmatched performances that nobody can stop inside the octagon. After vacating his featherweight belt, the Georgian-Spanish fighter moved up and now captured the lightweight title by defeating Charles Oliveira at UFC 317.

Entering as the betting favorite, Topuria proved why he’s considered the most dominant and trustworthy fighter on today’s roster. As Topuria made his walkout, he displayed that familiar calmness and confidence which always seems to trigger his doubters quickly.

Right from the beginning, both fighters engaged aggressively, exchanging heavy swings and showing no hesitation in bringing the fight’s intensity early on. Famous for his BJJ, ‘Do Bronx’ attempted a takedown and nearly secured an ankle submission, but failed to finish.

Topuria quickly escaped the dangerous position and confidently forced Oliveira to stand up, where the real battle would soon ignite. Immediately after returning to the feet, Topuria unleashed a deadly combination that completely shut the lights off for the Brazilian. ‘El Matador’ followed up with two more powerful strikes on the ground before the referee quickly rushed in to stop the fight.

Ahead of the fight, Topuria confidently predicted he would finish Oliveira in the first round, though many people seriously doubted his claim. This wasn’t the first time Topuria predicted a knockout and then delivered exactly what he had promised inside the octagon effortlessly. In his last two fights, he finished both Max Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski in a similar fashion, an incredible finishing streak indeed.

Fight fans react to Ilia Topuria’s incredible knockout against Charles Oliveira

Going into the fight, Charles Oliveira was confident about reclaiming the lightweight title, but Ilia Topuria ultimately proved to be too much. Despite suffering defeat, the veteran showed great sportsmanship and respect as both fighters warmly embraced each other inside the octagon afterwards.

Following the emotional moment, Topuria immediately shifted his focus towards the top lightweight contenders. eagerly eyeing his first title defense opportunity. At the octagon side stood Paddy Pimblett, Justin Gaethje, and Arman Tsarukyan. Anyone of them could fight for the title next.

Ilia Topuria, after knocking out Charles Oliveira
Ilia Topuria, after knocking out Charles Oliveira (via X)

All the desperately hungry fighters are awaiting a shot at Topuria’s 155-pound title. Among the contenders, the Scouser even got the opportunity to face off with ‘El Matador’ right there inside the octagon. Nevertheless, here are some of the biggest fan and fighter reactions following Topuria’s absolutely dominating victory over Oliveira at UFC 317.

As expected, fans were both hyped and shocked by Topuria’s unmatched knockout power, which now makes him seem completely unstoppable. Many fans couldn’t believe his incredible winning streak, where he has knocked out three of the most beloved fighters on the roster.

Others compared his second title win to Conor McGregor’s legendary double champion achievement, sparking huge discussions across the entire MMA community. Without a doubt, Topuria has officially cemented his legacy as one of the most dangerous and pound-for-pound best punchers.

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