"People don’t realize” - Ranked UFC lightweight analyzes Ilia Topuria's striking and breaks down potential Charles Oliveira matchup
Ilia Topuria has left many fans and pundits surprised by his recent statement about moving to lightweight to face Charles Oliveira in 2025. It's unclear whether the Spaniard will follow through with his claim, but lightweight contender Beneil Dariush believes 'do Bronx' is a tough matchup for Topuria.
'El Matador' recently defended his featherweight title against Max Holloway at UFC 308. With Holloway having famously never been dropped in his MMA career entering the bout, Topuria promised to be the first man to knock 'Blessed' out, which he did in sensational fashion.
The 27-year-old is now regarded as arguably the best boxer in the UFC, having knocked out Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski in back-to-back fights. But Dariush noted that the featherweight champion has another weapon in his striking arsenal that is even more deadly.
The No.9 ranked lightweight contender was recently interviewed by Submission Radio, where he was asked about Topuria's interest in facing Oliveira. Dariush said:
"I don't think [Oliveira] is an easy matchup. Everybody thinks Topuria's biggest strength is his boxing, and I agree, he has great boxing. But I also think people don't realize that both Volkanovski and Max were actually doing better in the striking until the leg kicks. People don't realize how well Topuria is able to implement the full MMA rules... He kicked Volkanovski so hard he did a 360 [spin]. After those kicks, [Volkanovski] wasn't the same guy."
Catch Beneil Dariush's comments on Ilia Topuria below (16:00):
Ilia Topuria shares his retirement timeline in unexpected statement
Ilia Topuria is currently the best 145-pound fighter in the UFC, and at just 27 years of age, it would appear that the Spaniard has the world at his feet. But the featherweight champion recently shared the ideal timeline for his retirement, which may come far sooner than many fans expect.
Given the consequences of combat sports, which include brain damage and long-term and sometimes permanent physical injury, 'El Matador' recently revealed that he would like to call time on his career when he's 30 years old.
His comments came during a recent interview with Spanish news channel, El Partidazio de COPE. His statement was reposted to X by @ChampRDS, which read:
"I'm 27. I hope to be out by 30... Right now, in my division I no longer have the motivation to defend my belt anymore. Now I want to move up a category and we'll see how everything goes."
Check out Ilia Topuria's comments below: