Ilia Topuria Struck Down With Bad News as Charles Oliveira Receives Huge Backing Before UFC 317

The month of June is exciting for UFC fans as they have two PPV events to watch out for. Besides the bantamweight title rematch this weekend at UFC 316, fans are really looking forward to UFC 317 when Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira will battle it out for the vacant lightweight title. Since the announcement, many people have been sharing their predictions for this matchup, with a lightweight prospect being the latest among the bunch. But Topuria may not like to hear what he has to say.

Ilia Topuria has been finishing fighters left, right, and center—he’s got 14 finishes out of his 16 wins. After knocking out featherweight greats Max Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski, ‘El Matador’ seems pretty confident about his chances against Charles Oliveira, who holds the record for the most finishes in the UFC. “I feel sorry for Charles… Whatever is least painful, that’s what I’ll do,” Topuria stated a few weeks ago. However, UFC prospect Mateusz Gamrot envisions a different scenario in the upcoming vacant lightweight title bout at UFC 317.

There is no doubt about the power that Ilia Topuria possesses. The first fighter to knock out Max Holloway has many people, including Mateusz Gamrot, lauding him for his power. But then, the biggest issue that the fight community has pointed out is the size difference between Topuria and Charles Oliveira. Gamrot envisions Oliveira coming out on top. Why? It’s because he thinks the Brazilian star’s size advantage will play a crucial role in their fight, and could help ‘Do Bronx’ seal the win on June 28.

“Oliveira vs Topuria [is an] interesting matchup. Both guys has chance to win this fight. Like, Topuria [has] heavy hands. He can knock him out,” Mateusz Gamrot stated in a recent presser after his UFC Vegas 107 win. “But Oliveira is so big. He’s really good everywhere, and I think so he [will] get the win.”

June 9, 2023, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada: CHARLES OLIVEIRA of Brazil poses on the scale during the UFC 289 official weigh-in at the Westin Bayshore hotel on June 09, 2023 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Vancouver Canada – ZUMAc132 20230609_zap_c132_034 Copyright: xAndrewxChinx

Well, those were certainly not the words that Ilia Topuria would like to hear, but he still has some support. In fact, Armenian star Arman Tsarukyan favored him to beat Charles Oliveira, keeping one particular factor in mind. Let’s see what he had to say.

Arman Tsarukyan weighs in on Ilia Topuria vs Charles Oliveira

Arman Tsarukyan, after missing his chance to fight for the lightweight title, is sadly on the sidelines waiting for his next fight. While he waits for his next one, the Armenian star shared his take on the UFC 317 main event, claiming that there is more of a chance that Ilia Topuria beats Charles Oliveira. Why? Well, having fought ‘Do Bronxs’ at UFC 300, Tsarukyan feels as if the Brazilian star may not have the necessary grappling prowess to tackle ‘El Matador’.

“It will be a tough fight, but I still think that Topuria will be able to finish Oliveira,” Arman Tsarukyan recently stated. “Topuria will simply box, he will not try to take him down, as he has much better boxing skills than Oliveira. And Oliveira, it seems to me, lacks enough wrestling skills to take Topuria down.” Do you agree with his assessment?

Well, we will get the answers to all the predictions this month when Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira lock horns at UFC 317. The Georgian-Spanish star may be smaller in stature, but he’s much younger than ‘Do Bronxs’ and is more explosive with his offense. What are your thoughts on the lightweight title fight? Let us know in the comments down below.

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