Ilia Topuria, the current UFC lightweight champion and former featherweight kingpin, has made a heartfelt admission ahead of his upcoming fight at UFC Freedom 250. He is set to face Justin Gaethje in the main event.
During a fight week interview with Daniel Cormier, Topuria revealed his feelings about his previous opponent, Charles Oliveira. He confessed that he never desired to fight Oliveira, expressing that his original plan was to vacate the featherweight title and move up to challenge then-lightweight champion Islam Makhachev.
However, this superfight scenario did not materialize. Makhachev’s own pursuit of two-division glory after a teammate’s loss led him to vacate the lightweight belt. The vacant title then became available, leading to Topuria’s decisive knockout victory over “Do Bronxs” at UFC 317.
Topuria had predicted a first-round knockout and delivered on his promise against Oliveira. He even offered an apology to the Brazilian fighter beforehand, viewing Oliveira as a role model whom he never wanted to compete against, and wished that Oliveira had avoided the fight.
Explaining his sentiments to Cormier, Topuria stated: “Originally, I was supposed to face Islam for the lightweight title, and when he decided to move, I got the call from the UFC, and they told me it’s gonna be Charles. So I was like, listen, I didn’t want him to fight me because I knew what would happen in a fight between me and him. I’m so sorry.”
Topuria also spoke highly of Charles Oliveira’s resilience and competitive spirit. He was particularly impressed by Oliveira’s performance against Max Holloway and his subsequent dominant victory over him to claim the BMF title, highlighting Oliveira’s “lion’s heart” and unwavering confidence.
In response to Topuria’s remarks, Charles Oliveira expressed his gratitude, stating: “Thank you @Topuriailia. After every defeat I had, I try to improve mindset and technically. And not losing my focus – learning lessons from fights where my opponent performed better. Good luck in #UFCWhiteHouse. God bless folks, and ‘ve a nice weekend.”
