"You want to hate him but you can’t" - Ilia Topuria comes clean on emotional conflict heading into UFC 317 clash

This weekend at UFC 317, Ilia Topuria is stepping inside the octagon to create history in a vacant title fight against Charles Oliveira, who is already a legend in the lightweight division. Topuria is now attempting to join the elite class of two-division titleholders. Oliveira, the former lightweight champion, stands as both an obstacle and an icon for 'El Matador.'

For the Georgian-Spaniard, this fight comes with a rare emotional tug—he's facing a man who, through sheer will and perseverance, has become one of the most respected figures in the sport. The 28-year-old acknowledges the fact that he absolutely cannot hate 'do Bronx,' and it's difficult to fight a man of such honour.

Earlier this week, in footage captured by the UFC, Topuria said:

"It’s so tough to fight someone that, ou want to hate him but you can't."

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Check out Ilia Topuria's comments below:

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Former UFC fighter breaks down Ilia Topuria vs. Charles Oliveira

Former UFC fighter Brendan Schaub believes it is not going to take long for Ilia Topuria to finish Charles Oliveira. In a recent video on his YouTube channel, while breaking down the UFC 317 headliner, Schaub predicted that the fight would not go past two rounds. He said:

"Charles is actually a true 145-er, who was getting beat up at 145lbs, and had to go to 155lbs, y'all must've forgot. Now, one of the greatest lightweights to ever do it, but the reason he ventured over to lightweight, he was getting beaten up at 145lbs. Ilia Topuria dominated at 145lbs. I would argue now he's not compromised at 145lbs and he can hydrate at 155lbs, the fury he's going unleash on Charles, which Charles, again, one of the greatest to ever do it, he's older and gets hit in every single fight, even the ones he wins, he gets hit, he gets in trouble."

He added:

"I just feel like Ilia is a guy where he's going to land, I guarantee he lands, and you can't get hit by him.Charles, you can't change a leopard's colors; he likes to get in these back-and-forth fights. It's called Fight of the Night because both guys did pretty well, both of you get the bonus, not just one of you. It's the perfect fight for Topuria to showcase his skill set, and I don't think it goes past two.”

Check out Brendan Schaub's comments below:

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Proma holds a bachelor’s degree in English. She is an active combat sports practitioner who’ll soon
be making her amateur debut in MMA.
This jiu-jitsu blue belt’s favorite fighter is Georges St-Pierre for his resilience and consistency. A WWE fan, she turned to MMA after watching Brock Lesnar’s success in the sport.
While writing her articles, Proma likes to verify information and confirm its accuracy online through
various sources and articles. Being an active competitor with real-time experience also helps her to explain the intricacies of the sport. She strives to channel this passion into creating engaging content that resonates with readers while shaping her craft as a writer.
Her hobbies include jiu-jitsu (which she's been doing for four years) and striking (one year).

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Edited by Subham