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Brett OkamotoJun 29, 2025, 01:14 AM ET
- Brett Okamoto has reported connected mixed martial arts and boxing astatine ESPN since 2010. He has covered each of the biggest events successful combat sports during that time, including in-depth interviews and features with names specified arsenic Dana White, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz, Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao and Georges St-Pierre. He was besides a shaper connected the 30 for 30 film: "Chuck and Tito," which looked backmost astatine the careers and rivalry of Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz. He lives successful Las Vegas, and is an avid, below-average golfer successful his spare time.
LAS VEGAS -- Ilia Topuria said helium was going to sound retired Charles Oliveira successful the opening circular of their vacant lightweight rubric combat astatine UFC 317, but it was inactive a daze to ticker it unfold.
Topuria (17-0) became the 10th two-weight champion successful UFC past connected Saturday, arsenic helium knocked retired Oliveira with a close manus astatine 2:27 of the archetypal round. Topuria connected with a abbreviated close manus to Oliveira's chin, followed by a near hook. The near hook was conscionable icing connected the cake, however, arsenic Oliveria deed the deck, eyes unfastened but unconscious from the archetypal shot.
"I already said it," said Topuria, who adjacent held a celebratory meal connected Friday, successful anticipation of his victory. "I correspond the caller epoch of mixed martial arts. This is the adjacent level of the game."
Immediately aft Topuria's history-making win, the UFC wasted nary clip bringing Paddy Pimblett into the conversation. Pimblett, a ranked lightweight from Liverpool, was successful attendance astatine T-Mobile Arena. Pimblett and Topuria person past with each different going backmost to 2021, erstwhile Pimblett commented connected the Russo-Georgian War of 2008. Topuria, of Spain, is of Georgian descent and took offense.
"If helium thinks he's ready, travel connected you blonde b----," Topuria said successful his postfight Octagon interrogation Saturday night.
The UFC adjacent allowed Pimblett to participate the Octagon and quadrate disconnected with Topuria. Earlier this week, Topuria told ESPN helium wanted to combat Pimblett successful his archetypal lightweight rubric defense, preferably successful Las Vegas.
Even the promotional aftermath wasn't capable to overshadow Topuria's spectacular performance. He fought disconnected aggregate attempts by Oliveira to clinch and instrumentality him down. When Oliveira did win successful getting a trip, Topuria reversed presumption successful a scramble and ended up connected apical of the submission specialist.
The triumph marks 3 consecutive knockout victories for Topuria, each coming against all-time greats. He knocked retired Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway astatine featherweight successful 2024, earlier opting to vacate the 145-pound rubric earlier this twelvemonth to determination up to lightweight.
Topuria has besides targeted erstwhile lightweight champ Islam Makhachev. Makhachev vacated the loop past period and is expected to situation Jack Della Maddalena for the welterweight loop earlier the extremity of the year.
