"Cornerstone" to Charles Oliveira's strategy for Ilia Topuria predicted by veteran MMA analyst: "Pretty critical"

With UFC 317 taking place this Saturday, Charles Oliveira has yet another chance at becoming the lightweight champion. Ahead of the bout, his chances against Ilia Topuria were touched upon by renowned MMA analyst and journalist Luke Thomas, who featured on a recent Submission Radio podcast interview.

While many expect Topuria to emerge victorious come fight night and capture the vacant lightweight belt, Thomas outlined a potential strategy for 'do Bronx' to use against 'El Matador.' He believes that a wrestling and grappling-heavy approach would benefit him tremendously. Thomas said:

"You can't just do one thing. You have to have strategies in multiple ways, but I think one key, I'd say cornerstone, of the strategy I would have would be back-takes, back exposure. Getting back exposure, and in particular, shooting a takedown just to get to the hips. They're probably gonna try and stuff it, but finding a way to get a bodylock, bodylock trip, any way in which to manipulate his weight so that he has to use his hands to defend, right?"

He even referenced a brief moment of success Bryce Mitchell enjoyed against the ex-featherweight champion in their UFC 282 clash.

"He has to wrestle him to his hands in some kind of way and then initiate the back-take. I think body triangle, steal a round. I genuinely mean that. We saw Bryce Mitchell end up on top in a scenario and then Topuria was like, 'I'm not gonna risk it here.' How many times can you do that? Taking the back for Oliveira? I'd say, tops, probably two times, but I think that has to be part of the strategy. I think threatening the back in that way and being able to take it and hold it, pretty critical."

Check out Luke Thomas' strategy for Charles Oliveira below (9:25):

Oliveira, though, is confident in his ability to knock Topuria out, and is unlikely to rely on a strategy that relies on stealing rounds with cautious grappling.

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Charles Oliveira has never beaten an undisputed UFC champion

Despite being the most successful submission specialist in UFC history and a former lightweight champion, Charles Oliveira has never beaten an undisputed champion. He has, though, beaten interim champions including Justin Gaethje, Tony Ferguson, and Dustin Poirier.

Check out Charles Oliveira getting dropped by Islam Makhachev below:

However, every undisputed champion, future or otherwise, he has faced, which includes Max Holloway, Frankie Edgar, Anthony Pettis, and Islam Makhachev, has defeated him in decisive fashion.