Ilia Topuria knocks out Charles Oliveira to win UFC lightweight title
At UFC 317 in Las Vegas on 28 June 2025, undefeated Ilia Topuria stopped Charles Oliveira in round one to become a two-division champion.
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On 28 June 2025, at UFC 317 in Las Vegas, Ilia Topuria knocked out Brazil's Charles Oliveira in the first round to claim the vacant UFC lightweight title. The belt was open after Islam Makhachev, the previous champion, left the division.
Topuria, a Georgian-Spanish fighter born in Germany and raised in Spain, entered the bout unbeaten. He had earlier won the featherweight title by beating Alexander Volkanovski in 2024 and defended it against Max Holloway, before giving up that belt to move up in weight. Oliveira was a former lightweight champion and the UFC's all-time leader in finishes, which made the quick result notable.
The win made Topuria a champion in two UFC weight divisions and cemented his status as one of the sport's biggest stars, especially in Spain and Georgia. It also set him up as the headline name at 155 pounds, and later raised expectations for his next major fights, including the one that his recent comments look back on.
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