Michael Chiesa issues definitive prediction for Ilia Topuria vs. Charles Oliveira at UFC 317: "He really shined as a grappler"

UFC welterweight Michael Chiesa recently shared his perspective on the upcoming lightweight title fight. Ilia Topuria 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.

'Maverick' picked the former featherweight champion to secure the victory. Speaking to MMA journalist James Lynch, Chiesa said:

"It's really hard to pick against Ilia Topuria. I'm a big Charles Oliveira fan. The way Topuria is able to touch the body is something that I think is gonna play a big role in this fight. Charles likes to stand very tall, he kinda leaves that body open for a little bit. We've seen him go down from body shots in the past. Ilia Topuria's base, the way he came up on the regional scene, you would not think that he's this devastating puncher."

He continued:

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"He really shined as a grappler, really shined with his wrestling. While Charles Oliveira is the greatest ground specialist we've seen in the UFC, I think it's gonna be really hard for Charles to submit Ilia Topuria. So, I think Ilia gets the job done."

Check out Michael Chiesa's comments below:

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Charles Oliveira previews Max Holloway vs. Dustin Poirier

Dustin Poirier makes his final walk to the octagon to face Max Holloway at UFC 318 at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans on July 19. The upcoming fight will be a trilogy for the BMF belt.

In an interview with Full Violence, Charles Oliveira shared his prediction for the fight, stating:

"When I fought Holloway, I didn't have the chance to fight because it was too fast, because I had an injury. I think Holloway is a guy that moves a lot, a guy who catches. But, Dustin Poirier is a guy that I have huge respect for."

He continued:

"For me, of all the guys I’ve fought, he’s the one with the sharpest boxing. He has a very heavy hand. He knows how to play the game. He will fight at home, practically, so I think Poirier wins. It's his last fight, it's his retirement. So he will fight consciously than he has ever fought."

Check out Charles Oliveira's comments below:

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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