Ilia Topuria has proven himself to be an exceptional fighter, not just due to his powerful hands but also his intelligent game plan and impressive fight IQ. At UFC 317, he knocked out Charles Oliveira to become the new lightweight world champion.
Topuria’s preparation for the fight was extensive, as he spent months studying Oliveira’s techniques and realized that ‘Do Bronxs’ struggles with fighting backwards. In an interview, Topuria explained his strategy: “He doesn’t move. He only goes forward. He doesn’t even know how to fight going backward.” This insight allowed him to prepare a winning game plan, which ultimately led to the knockout victory.
Now that Topuria has achieved his goal of becoming lightweight world champion, attention is focused on potential future opponents. One fighter who stands out as lacking a chance against Topuria is Paddy Pimblett, according to former UFC star Michael Bisping.
Source: https://bloodyelbow.com/2025/06/30/ilia-topuria-says-he-spotted-a-huge-weakness-in-charles-oliveiras-game-before-knocking-him-out-at-ufc-317