NEW YORK – Charles Oliveira praised Ilia Topuria, however says a light-weight transfer received’t be simple.
UFC featherweight champion Topuria (16-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC), who’s coming off back-to-back knockouts of Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway, is assured he can turn into the primary to submit UFC light-weight champ Islam Makhachev.
A former light-weight champion, Oliveira (34-10 MMA, 22-10 UFC) acknowledges Topuria’s skillset, however reminds him of the shark tank in his division.
“Ilia is a tricky fighter – somebody who talks the discuss and walks the stroll,” Oliveira mentioned by means of an interpreter throughout Wednesday’s UFC 309 media day. “He’s doing issues. I can see why he would need to problem folks. He could be, clearly, a tricky combat.
“I believe that what occurs is a variety of fighters, each time they get the belt, they’ve that belt wrapped round their waist, they begin considering up and down within the divisions. However I believe you need to be very cautious once you’re coming as much as light-weight as a result of that is robust. This can be a very robust division. However at any charge, I believe that he’s a really robust and really harmful man.”
Oliveira runs issues again with Michael Chandler (23-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC 309 (pay-per-view, ESPNews/Hulu/FX, ESPN+) co-main occasion at Madison Sq. Backyard in New York. Oliveira received their first assembly by knockout to assert the vacant light-weight title at UFC 262 in Might 2021.
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