Ilia Topuria expressed a wish that his upcoming fight against Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 weren`t necessary.
Originally, `El Matador` was scheduled to challenge Islam Makhachev for the lightweight championship on June 28.
However, Islam Makhachev, a protégé of Khabib Nurmagomedov, vacated his lightweight (155lb) title and moved up to welterweight to face the new division champion, Jack Della Maddalena, who recently defeated Belal Muhammad at UFC 315.
Consequently, Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira will now compete for the vacant lightweight championship next month.
Topuria Vows to Be Gentle in Oliveira Fight at UFC 317
Topuria openly admires Oliveira, both as an athlete and a person. The 28-year-old admitted he feels regretful about the potential harm he might inflict upon Oliveira at UFC 317.
“First of all, I’d like to thank Charles for accepting the challenge,” Topuria said on Thursday.
“Something Islam didn’t do, and he has to pay the price for Islam.
“Honestly, I feel really sorry for Charles, but at the end of the day, it’s my job.”
While Topuria had previously predicted submitting Makhachev, he declined to make a specific prediction for the Oliveira fight. Nevertheless, the former featherweight champion confidently stated he would finish `Do Bronx` in a manner causing the least suffering.
“I don’t know,” Topuria added when asked to predict his UFC 317 win method.
“With Oliveira, the truth is, whatever is least painful for him, that’s what I’ll do because I like him a lot.”
Jean Silva Extends Offer to Aid Charles Oliveira`s UFC 317 Preparation
Featherweight contender Jean Silva believes he can assist Oliveira in preparing for the upcoming bout.
The UFC fighter offered to mimic Ilia Topuria`s style during sparring sessions leading up to UFC 317.
“I’m available,” Silva said during an interview with AG Fight.
“I’m the same size as Topuria. If Charles wants to use me as his sparring partner, to do his training, I’m here.
“I know how to imitate Topuria perfectly. I even know his facial expressions.”
