Ilia Topuria has been crowned the new king of the UFC`s lightweight division after securing a dominant victory via first-round stoppage against Charles Oliveira.
Mere moments after achieving the win at UFC 317 and becoming only the tenth fighter in UFC history to hold titles in two weight classes, he immediately sought out British fighter Paddy Pimblett.
The former featherweight champion moved up a weight class early on Sunday morning to challenge for the vacant 155lbs championship belt in the highly anticipated main event of UFC 317.
Standing between him and entry into this elite group of dual-division champions was the formidable former titleholder and fan favorite, Oliveira.
Throughout the build-up leading up to the bout, the 28-year-old Topuria had confidently predicted he would seize the lightweight title with a devastating first-round knockout finish.
And he fulfilled his bold prediction, delivering another highlight-reel knockout that sent the T-Mobile Arena crowd into a frenzy.
Topuria`s quick finish of Oliveira seems to have cleared the path for a potential grudge match against his long-time rival, Paddy Pimblett.
The British submission specialist Pimblett has harbored a rivalry with Topuria since 2022.
`The Baddy` himself entered the title picture in April by delivering a strong performance resulting in a stoppage victory over popular fighter Michael Chandler.
The tension boiled over when the two fighters confronted each other inside the octagon after Topuria specifically called out the Brit, who was seated cageside.
As they faced off, Pimblett addressed Topuria, saying: “Well done, lad. That was a heavy knockout, respect… but you will never knock me out.”
Topuria retorted with aggressive language: “I’m going to take your head… I’m going to put my balls on your forehead!”
A visibly heated Pimblett responded: “I never get knocked out, I’ll finish you little man.”
Just seconds before physically shoving `The Baddy`, Topuria told him aggressively: “Get your bum arse out of here."
Security promptly intervened and escorted Pimblett from the cage, who appeared to be enjoying the intense moment.
From the very beginning of the fight, Topuria displayed excellent form, skillfully defending a takedown attempt from submission expert Oliveira within the opening 30 seconds.
Interestingly, it was Topuria who later initiated the grappling exchange, executing a well-timed hip toss that landed him in side control.
Oliveira came perilously close to adding another submission to his impressive record by attempting a heel hook.
However, Topuria remained composed under pressure and successfully escaped the dangerous submission attempt.
Eventually, both competitors returned to their feet, with Oliveira reluctantly standing up after referee Marc Goddard issued an instruction.
And only moments after regaining their footing, Oliveira was rendered unconscious by a short, precise right hand followed by a devastating left hook.
A final, clinical right hammerfist brought the fight to a definitive close, marking the official coronation of a new champion in the UFC lightweight division.
In his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, an energized Topuria confidently stated: “I already said it. I represent the new generation of mixed martial arts. This is the next level of the game. This is what I represent. I did exactly what we had planned. Boom, his lights were out.”
