Dodgers' Kike Hernandez reacts to Ilia Topuria's scintillating knockout of Charles Oliveira at UFC 317

Kike Hernandez picked Ilia Topuria to defeat Charles Oliveira at UFC 317, and his prediction came true at Saturday night's PPV event. Topuria said he would knock out or submit Oliveira in the first round of their fight, and while many thought the bold claims were fight promotion, Topuria wasn't joking.

"El Matador" knocked "Do Bronx" out cold with a two-punch combination. Referee Marc Goddard stopped the fight after two hammer fists by Topuria to the unconscious Oliveira on the ground.

Shortly after Topuria's victory, Kike Hernandez re-shared UFC's Instagram post highlighting El Matador's victory. He captioned it with a red rose emoji, a symbol associated with the new undisputed lightweight champion. Hernandez had used the same emoji to reveal his pick for the fight a day before.

Screenshot of Kike Hernandez's Instagram story [Image Source: Instagram/kikehndez]

Hernandez also shared Bleacher Report's Instagram post spotlighting Topuria's last three knockout victories against Alexander Volkanovski, Max Holloway, and Oliveira. Incidentally, Topuria also accurately predicted he would knock out Volkanovski (at UFC 298) and Holloway (at UFC 308).

Hernandez also shared Topuria's Instagram video post showing the knockout sequence at the UFC 317 main event, followed by El Matador sharing a respectful moment with Alexandre Pantoja backstage.

Screenshot of Kike Hernandez's Instagram stories [Image Source: Instagram/kikehndez]

Pantoja had fought in the co-main event, submitting challenger Kai-Kara France in the third round. Shortly after, he welcomed a new challenger, Joshua Van, who had defeated Brando Royval, the former title challenger, to secure the number one contender spot.

Kike Hernandez will have to wait a little longer for his preferred Ilia Topuria fight

Many, including Kike Hernandez, hoped Ilia Topuria vs. Islam Makachev would happen at UFC 317. Unfortunately, the result of the UFC 315 title fight prevented it.

Jack Della Maddalena defeated Belal Muhammad at UFC 315, becoming the new undisputed Welterweight champion. Preluding the fight, UFC CEO Dana White had confirmed that Della Maddalena's victory would set him up for a battle with then-lightweight champion Makhachev.

After Maddalena's victory, Makhachev vacated the title and moved up. Had Muhammad won, the Dagestani fighter would've stayed lightweight and fought Topuria at UFC 317.

Shortly after UFC 315, Hernandez shared an Instagram story that seemingly highlighted his favored fight not happening. However, Topuria and Makhachev expressed interest in fighting each other after becoming two-division champions.

Unfortunately for Hernandez, Topuria's immediate focus is now on Paddy "The Baddy" Pimblett. They faced off inside the octagon, setting the stage for an anticipated matchup. This would mean the potential Topuria vs. Makhachev fight can only happen late next year.

Hernandez will surely be rooting for Topuria against Pimblett. The Liverpudlian fighter is also a baseball fan but favors the San Diego Padres, the Dodgers' heated rivals in the NL West. The recent Dodgers vs Padres series saw a benches-clearing brawl, resulting in the suspension of Dave Roberts, Mike Shildt, and Robert Suarez.

About the author

Safeer M S is a baseball journalist at Sportskeeda, having delved into the sport professionally since 2024. His journey into baseball was sparked by Shohei Ohtani’s remarkable MLB performances, which ignited his passion for the game. Safeer’s enthusiasm for fantasy baseball further fueled his engagement with the sport.

Safeer supports baseball stars like Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, and Aaron Judge, with Shohei Ohtani's dual-threat dominance being his most memorable baseball moment. He admires Willie Mays for his athleticism and historic achievements in pinch-hitting and stealing bases.

In addition to his baseball expertise, Safeer is deeply passionate about combat sports, which he has been reporting on since 2022. His journey into combat sports began with Karate lessons in school, followed by boxing training. Films like Rocky 4, Never Back Down, and Warrior inspired his love for MMA, and witnessing Demetrious Johnson's victory over Kyoji Horiguchi solidified his commitment to the sport.

When not immersed in sports, Safeer enjoys playing football, working out, and watching anime or thriller movies.

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Edited by John Maxwell