Could Ilia Topuria's skillset overwhelm Charles Oliveira at UFC 317? Kenny Florian answers

Kenny Florian recently weighed in on former featherweight champion Ilia Topuria's upcoming fight and praised the Georgian-Spaniard's "inside range."

'El Matador' is scheduled to lock horns with Charles Oliveira for the vacant lightweight belt at UFC 317 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on June 28. Florian picks Topuria to beat 'Do Bronx' in their much-anticipated clash.

Speaking to MMA Today, the UFC commentator said this:

"I'm leaning the way of Ilia Topuria. I'm doing that because right now, I don't see a whole lot of guys in mixed martial arts that have mastered that inside range. I have often compared his skills, in some ways, to Canelo [Alvarez]. It's one thing to do that, but then it's another thing to be able to stop the takedowns and Ilia also has that wrestling background, which aids him in that regard. Because of that, Oliveira tends to struggle in that range. "

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Mateusz Gamrot picks Charles Oliveira to win against Ilia Topuria

The former featherweight champion Ilia Topuria enters the contest as a huge betting favorite. However, Mateusz Gamrot believes otherwise and picks Charles Oliveira to beat the Georgian-Spaniard.

'Gamer' believes in the former lightweight champion's abilities to reclaim the throne and claims Oliveira's size will pose problems for his opponent. Speaking to Ariel Helwani, he said this:

"If Ilia hits Charles Oliveira, he can knock him down for sure, but I think Oliveira is so big for him and a well-rounded fighter and, I think, Oliveira will win this fight. It depends how his performance will be in the fight because sometimes he looks bad, but sometimes he looks fantastic."

He continued:

"So, I think in the ground, he will be much better form [than] Ilia. Oliveira is [a] big guy, Ilia is [a] small guy. So, if Oliveira catches him on the ground, I think there's going to be a big problem."

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About the author

Sunil holds a Bachelor of Science degree in visual communication. He started his professional career in 2023 and has previously worked with FirstSportz and Levitate Studios, among other organizations.

Sunil was drawn to MMA by Conor McGregor, especially the Irishman’s crossover boxing bout with Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2017. His favorite fighter is Jorge Masvidal for his wild and unorthodox approach.

Surprisingly, ‘The Notorious’ and ‘Gamebred’ do not find a place in his Mt. Rushmore, which includes Chuck Liddell, Anderson Silva, Alex Pereira, Daniel Cormier, and Khabib Nurmagomedov. He feels ONE Championship’s Rodtang Jitmuangnon has the ability to succeed in the UFC due to his power.

Sunil is of the opinion that the UFC is not doing enough to prevent eye pokes and does not mind soccer kicks in MMA.

In his free time, he likes to watch anime and films in general. He’s also a boxing historian, having gotten into the sport watching videos of fighters like Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran.

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Edited by Sunil Krishnan