Charles Oliveira Spotted Honing Lethal Weapon Leaves Fans Divided Ahead of UFC 317 Ilia Topuria Clash

UFC head honcho Dana White has stunned the MMA world with the announcement of UFC 317’s main event for International Fight Week. Anticipation increased, as Ilia Topuria vs. Charles Oliveira was confirmed for the vacant lightweight title in the headlining slot. Both fighters had already kicked off their training camps well before the bout was made official, and now their final preparations are on the roof. Topuria recently parted ways with longtime gym Climent Club, casting a shadow over his training. Meanwhile, Oliveira, sharpening his weapons, caught the fans’ attention.

MMA is a sport where learning from mistakes and evolving is part of the game. But at the same time, many fighters have an Achilles’ heel that follows them throughout their career. The phrase “styles make fights” rings true in most of the UFC cards, where even fan favorites fall short due to stylistic mismatches. A similar concern surrounds former 145 lbs kingpin Ilia Topuria, who was dropped by a brutal head kick in his 2022 lightweight bout against Jai Herbert in the first round at UFC Fight Night London, that he ultimately survived and KO’ed Herbert in round 2.

Charles Oliveira was spotted doing the same head kick drills in a video shared by TNT Sports on their Instagram account. ‘Du Bronx’ is a veteran of the fight game. So he knows that practicing head kicks could prove to be a solid weapon. Especially against a shorter opponent like Topuria, who had this problem against a 6’1″ Herbert . The Brazilian is 5’10” tall with a 74.0″ reach, which is considerably longer than the Georgian-Spaniard’s 5’7″ height and 69.0″ reach, and that’s a solid physical advantage. 

Although Topuria has shown significant growth since the head kick scare against Jai Herbert, he’s proven he can handle that threat, especially against elite strikers like Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 and Max Holloway at UFC 308. In both cases, the head kick setups were present, with Holloway even targeting him with a lead teep to the thigh. Yet, Topuria managed to evade those strikes and land the finishing blow on both occasions. That kind of composure and timing makes ‘El Matador’ a constant threat over five rounds, especially when you add his Greco-Roman wrestling into the mix.

However, since the training video started making the rounds online, fans took immediate notice. As always, the fan bases quickly clashed, debating whether ‘Do Bronx’s training could make a difference or if it would all be in vain. So, let’s take a look at what the netizens of the MMA world have to say.

Fans react to Charles Oliveira’s head kick practice to KO Ilia Topuria

One user didn’t waste any time pointing out the Jai Herbert knockdown, writing, “Drilling that Herbert head kick… if he can recreate that in the fight with enough power, it could be Topuria lights out.” And that scenario isn’t far-fetched, considering Oliveira has used head kicks as a primary weapon in several of his past fights. Another ‘Do Bronx’ fan already envisioned the moment and commented, “Yeah, Charles, head kick him!” That was followed by a more blunt response: “I hope he puts Ilia out cold,” clearly coming from someone who isn’t too fond of Topuria.

Well, it wasn’t just Charles ‘Do Bronx’ fans flooding the comments section. Ilia Topuria supporters jumped in soon after, making the exchanges even more interesting. One user pointed out, “Diego Lopes was training in the same way before fighting Volka, and he looked promising, but ” — a clear jab suggesting that similar training didn’t help Lopes against Alexander Volkanovski. It’s a fair point, although Lopes displayed a noticeably different approach at UFC 314, leaning more into a boxing-heavy style rather than relying on kicks. 

Another user commented, “Charles we know you’re a better striker than Ilia fs the thing is you have to work on moving that head coz that boy touches your chin I’m sorry but it’s over.” Oliveira has certainly shown levels in his striking, but it’s safe to say the stand-up game will be one of the most intriguing aspects of this fight. The age factor also stirred some debate, with one user pointing out, “Charles is good, strong, but Ilia is younger. That’s the only factor involved going into this fight that will have Ilia winning this. Charles is on father-time age now!” Well, both fighters have children, so it’s technically father time for both, I guess!

As we wait for the ultimate lightweight showdown between Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira in the UFC 317 main event, it’s no overstatement to call this one of the biggest fights of 2025. The fan engagement alone has added a whole new layer of excitement to the buildup. So, with that being said, who do you think wears the crown on June 28th? Topuria or Oliveira? Please let us know your thoughts. 

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