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Ilia Topuria sends chilling message to Charles Oliveira before UFC 317 title fight

The undefeated star will try to become a two-division UFC champion this summer.

Drew Beaupre

Per Haljestam-Imagn Images

Ilia Topuria has nothing but gold on his mind now that a showdown with Charles Oliveira has officially been confirmed for UFC 317.

The former UFC featherweight champion surprised fans earlier this year when he elected to vacate his 145 lbs. belt in order to move up to lightweight, a division ruled by Islam Makhachev since 2022.

Makhachev decided to follow Topuria’s example and vacate his title in the aftermath of UFC 315 to move up and fight for the welterweight belt, and now “La Leyenda” will try to become a two-division champion on June 28 when he meets former lightweight titleholder Oliveira.

READ MORE: Dana White reveals highly-anticipated middleweight title fight for UFC 319

Ilia Topuria celebrates his championship victory against Alexander Volkanovski during UFC 298 at Honda Center.
Ilia Topuria celebrates his championship victory against Alexander Volkanovski during UFC 298 at Honda Center. / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Topuria Sends "Apologies" To Oliveira

Following Dana White’s announcement regarding Makhachev and UFC 317's lightweight title fight, Topuria took to social media to send a message to Oliveira and also take a shot at now-former lightweight king Makhachev.

“On June 28, another dream will come true. I’ll be the champion of the lightweight division. Charles, my apologies in advance… I’m just fighting for my dreams. It’s unfortunate that Makhachev ran away. 17-0”

READ MORE: UFC 316 reportedly loses major main card fight

Makhachev Matchup Tabled For The Near Future

A matchup between Topuria and Makhachev was arguably the biggest fight that the UFC could put together in 2025, with some fans citing it as being more interesting (and likely to happen) than a heavyweight title unification bout between Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall.

Islam Makhachev (red gloves) reacts after defeating Renato Moicano (not pictured) in a lightweight title fight during UFC 311
Islam Makhachev (red gloves) reacts after defeating Renato Moicano (not pictured) in a lightweight title fight during UFC 311 at Intuit Dome. / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Topuria is coming off two knockout-wins over all-time featherweight greats Max Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski and boasts an undefeated record in MMA, while Makhachev is unbeaten dating back to 2016 and successfully defended his lightweight belt four times before vacating the title.

READ MORE: UFC re-signs 15-year veteran to promotion

The former featherweight king will still have the chance to add another massive name to his résumé at UFC 317, as Oliveira previously held the lightweight title himself and is looking to reclaim the belt following a unanimous decision win over Michael Chandler at UFC 309.

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Drew Beaupre
DREW BEAUPRE

Drew is an MMA writer that regularly watches regional events in addition to major promotions such as the UFC, PFL, Bellator, and ONE Championship. He joined MMA Knockout when it was founded in 2023.

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