Ilia Topuria Destroys Oliveira to Become UFC’s First Undefeated Two-Division Champion

Ilia Topuria’s star has catapulted after UFC 317. On the biggest stage of International Fight Week, the undefeated Georgian-Spanish phenom delivered a blistering first-round knockout over Charles Oliveira to capture the vacant UFC lightweight title and etch his name in history as the promotion’s first undefeated two-division champion.

From the opening bell, Topuria came out measured but dangerous, evading Oliveira’s flurries and stuffing a desperate takedown attempt. A short clash of heads opened a cut over Oliveira’s eye, but that wouldn’t be his biggest problem. Just moments later, Topuria unleashed a clinical right hand followed by a thunderous left hook that sent the Brazilian crashing to the canvas. The end came just 2:27 into Round 1, as Topuria stood over his fallen opponent ,a prophecy fulfilled.

“I said it would happen in the first,” Topuria declared in the aftermath. “This is the new era. I am the future of MMA.”

Now 17-0 with 10 first-round finishes, Topuria has ascended the sport’s hierarchy by running through three legends in a row : Alexander Volkanovski, Max Holloway, and now Oliveira, all by knockout. In doing so, he became just the tenth fighter in UFC history to hold titles in two different divisions and the first to do so without a single blemish on his record.

But the celebration didn’t last long. Sitting cageside was longtime rival Paddy Pimblett, who soon found himself face to face with the new champion. The two nearly came to blows as security swarmed the Octagon, reigniting a feud that dates back to a heated altercation in 2022. Topuria, never shy, taunted Pimblett as a “blonde bitch,” daring him to accept a fight. Pimblett fired back, claiming Topuria would “never knock me out.”

While UFC president Dana White wasn’t thrilled about the in-cage confrontation, he did acknowledge what the moment represented: “We have a star on our hands.”

Elsewhere on the card, flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja submitted Kai Kara-France in their long-awaited rematch, while rising star Joshua Van scored a statement win over Brandon Royval in a slugfest for the ages. But the night belonged to Topuria.

With his star power exploding and challengers lining up, Ilia Topuria is set to become the face of the UFC.

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