Charles Oliveira before UFC 317 fight vs. Ilia Topuria: 'I will knock out this guy'
Charles Oliveira before UFC 317 fight vs. Ilia Topuria: 'I will knock out this guy'
Charles Oliveira is seeking an explosive finish of his own at UFC 317.
Oliveira (35-10 MMA, 23-10 UFC) takes on Ilia Topuria (16-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) for the vacant lightweight title in the June 28 headliner at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+).
"Do Bronx" enters the fight as a sizable underdog against fellow former UFC champion Topuria, but he's unfazed by the odds.
"It's a great fight, he's a great fighter, but I don't need to prove anything to anyone about who I am, what I've done, (and) what I've done in the fight business," Oliveira said in a translated interview with Full Violence. "This fight came at a huge opportunity. I will knock out this guy. That's for real."
With Topuria's power and Oliveira's tendency to take damage in fights, many pundits are leaning toward Topuria to win. Oliveira argues he's far more battle tested – especially against the lightweight division's elite such as Justin Gaethje, Dustin Poirier, and Arman Tsarukyan.
"I don't care much about what people say," Oliveira said. "I know he's a guy who hits hard, but he's talking about the lightweight category, the harder category. I fought against Justin Gaethje, and everyone said he was the guy who hit harder, and when I did, he went down. I believe in the power of fire in the hands that I have. So, let's wait. On the 28th, we'll meet."
Oliveira also rubbished the quitter reputation that followed him throughout his career, dating back to his days as a UFC featherweight contender.
"In reality, we've been in there for 15 years," Oliveira said. "I've seen a lot of these guys say a lot of things, that I give up, that I'm going to lose, that they're going to knock me out, that they're going to finish me, and then, when the time comes, they don't do anything."
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