Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Topuria vs. Oliveira, and the Lightweight Throne – Volkanovski Weighs In on UFC 317 Showdown

Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

The lightweight division has found new life with a blockbuster title clash set for UFC 317, as Ilia Topuria squares off against former champion Charles Oliveira for the vacant crown. The belt was left up for grabs following Islam Makhachev’s bold move to chase welterweight gold, vacating his spot atop the 155-pound division.

That decision cleared the path for two dynamic and proven finishers, with Topuria, the undefeated Spanish-Georgian phenom, and Oliveira, the division’s all-time leader in finishes. The two will battle it out to see who will ultimately be crowed the champion.

Topuria’s rise has been nothing short of meteoric. After dethroning Alexander Volkanovski via KO to claim the featherweight title, and following that up by knocking out Max Holloway, he vacated the 145-pound strap to fully commit to lightweight. Whereas, Oliveira, arguably the most dangerous submission artist in UFC history, aims to reclaim the belt and cement his legacy.

ONLY ONE CAN WEAR THE CROWN 👑@TopuriaIlia vs @CharlesDoBronxs

[ #UFC317 | TOMORROW on @ESPNPlus PPV | 10pmET ] pic.twitter.com/Nq9EzMLFZp
— UFC (@ufc) June 28, 2025

Volkanovski Picks His Former Opponent to Win

Featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, who faced Topuria firsthand, has a clear opinion and is confidently choosing a side. He’s backing Ilia Topuria to walk away with the win. Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, Volk emphasized how Oliveira’s aggression could play into Topuria’s counterstriking hands. “If he comes aggressive like that, there’s going to be opportunities for Ilia… Ilia can bang,” Volk said, praising the young star’s precision and power in exchanges.

Volk broke down the stylistic matchup, suggesting that Oliveira’s linear pressure and forward momentum might lead him into trouble against someone like Topuria, who excels at capitalizing on openings. He also raised questions about whether Oliveira might mix in takedowns to offset Topuria’s powerful striking, but since he’s faced the Georgian, he leaned on his own experience to support his prediction; Topuria by knockout.

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Beyond the title picture, Volkanovski also discussed Islam Makhachev’s exit from the division, about how he had long anticipated, and also teased a possible return to lightweight himself in the future. For now, he’s closely watching, featherweight contenders like Movsar Evloev, Yair Rodriguez, and even Aaron Pico as potential future opponents at 145 pounds.

Alexander Volkanovksi

Charles Oliveira

Ilia Topuria

UFC

UFC 317

Eric Divakaran

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