issue 218

June 2025

Ilia Topuria’s rise reached warp speed at UFC 317 as he flattened Charles Oliveira with a one-two that was so clean it looked like it belonged in a geometry textbook. The first strike was a short right softener that seemed to short-circuit Oliveira’s balance. As he dipped, Topuria unleashed that now-famous left hook that landed as his opponent was already folding. Oliveira seemed to be out cold before he hit the canvas. The clock read: 2:27 of the first round. Topuria predicted this moment from the start, as he became a two-division UFC champion and the first in history to do it without a single loss. This image of Oliveira mid-collapse, Topuria’s left hand still extended like an executioner’s seal, will always outlive the noise. And while post-fight theatrics brought Paddy Pimblett into the cage for a face-off, no distraction could take the shine off this masterpiece. 

June 29, 2025

UFC 317, T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada