Charles Oliveira suffered a first-round knockout loss to Ilia Topuria at UFC 317, marking his first knockout defeat in nearly eight years, but remains a top contender in the lightweight rankings.
Charles Oliveira definitely didn’t get the result he wanted. At UFC 317, with the vacant lightweight title on the line, he suffered a shocking first-round knockout. Ilia Topuria blasted him with a devastating right hook followed by a left hand, sending the Brazilian crashing violently to the canvas.
It was Oliveira’s first knockout loss in nearly eight years. The last time he was finished like this was by Paul Felder in 2017. After the event, Oliveira took to social media to address his loss to Topuria.
“It wasn’t how we wanted it, but I’m fine,” Oliveira shared on Instagram. “I just want to thank everyone for the affection and the wonderful energy. God bless you all.”
Though the fight didn’t last three minutes, Oliveira came out aggressively, testing Topuria right away. He managed to take the fight to the ground briefly, attempting a submission. But Topuria was too slick to get caught.
Once back on their feet, Topuria’s striking power overwhelmed the Brazilian. A lead jab kept paying dividends, but once Topuria figured out Oliveira’s timing and range, he was ready to unleash the finishing strikes.
In another blistering exchange, Topuria uncorked a hellacious right hook that twisted Oliveira’s head. Oliveira went unconscious almost immediately. Before he hit the floor, Topuria added a left hand for good measure.
Referee Marc Goddard rushed to stop the fight, ending it at 2:27 in the opening round. While not the result Oliveira wanted, he remains a top contender in the lightweight rankings. A major fight likely awaits him once he’s healthy and ready to compete again.