Could Ilia Topuria finish Charles Oliveira at UFC 317? Analyzing how 'El Matador' could beat 'do Bronx'

UFC 317 plays host to Ilia Topuria vs. Charles Oliveira. It will be the event's headline bout, with the soon-to-be vacant lightweight title contested between them. While the Spaniard initially eyed Islam Makhachev as his ideal opponent, the Dagestani star's exodus to welterweight changed his plans.

Now, 'El Matador' must face a much different style of fighter in Oliveira, who brings powerful, rangy Muay Thai to supplement his lethal submission skills on the mat. The question, then, is whether Topuria can beat Oliveira, so can he?

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Ilia Topuria vs. Charles Oliveira: A styles clash

Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira are vastly different fighters who rely on pressure. The Spaniard operates almost exclusively as a boxer, only ever using his underrated wrestling and grappling games when the situation calls for it, like when he was tired and needed to neutralize a still game Josh Emmett at UFC on ABC 5.

In other cases, his grappling is opportunistic, like his arm-triangle choke win over Bryce Mitchell at UFC 282. Meanwhile, 'do Bronx' is more intentional with his grappling, attempting takedowns and threatening with submissions on a more regular basis, but he is not a strong wrestler.

While he was able to outwrestle Michael Chandler at UFC 309, 'Iron' has been subpar in the UFC and on the decline. So, although Oliveira is lethal on the mat, his ability to drag his foes into his world is limited. The fight, therefore, will likely be contested on the feet.

In terms of striking, Oliveira is more diverse and more vulnerable. He's a glass cannon with dynamite in his hands, punishing kicks and knees to the body, and a questionable chin made worse by his inability to tuck it or move his head. Meanwhile, Topuria is a nuclear power-puncher who stalks his prey.

Check out Ilia Topuria knocking out Max Holloway:

He backs them up by cutting off their angles of escape, making reads, and unloading with devastating combinations once he has enough information on his foe. The question isn't if Topuria will catch Oliveira, it's when. Oliveira gets rocked or hurt in most of his fights.

He survives by flopping onto his back, aware that most of his opponents are too fearful of his ground game to follow up with ground-and-pound. This won't be the case with the Spaniard, who fears no one on the mat. Ryan Hall can attest to that. So can he beat Oliveira? Yes.

Whether he will is uncertain.