Ilia Topuria has revealed that he never wanted to fight Charles Oliveira for the UFC lightweight title, admitting he knew exactly how the matchup would play out long before the two met inside the Octagon.
Topuria (17-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) captured the vacant UFC lightweight championship with a devastating first-round knockout victory over Oliveira (37-11 MMA, 25-11 UFC) at UFC 317 after former champion Islam Makhachev vacated the belt to pursue a move to the welterweight division. The Georgian-Spanish star had originally expected to challenge Makhachev for the 155-pound title before the change in plans led to a showdown with Oliveira.
Speaking with former two-division UFC champion Daniel Cormier ahead of his first lightweight title defense against Justin Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250 on Sunday, Topuria explained why he apologized to Oliveira before their championship clash.
Cormier referenced the moment during their conversation, saying: “So the Charles Oliveira fight, you're fighting Charles Oliveira. You told him, ‘I'm sorry it has to be you before the fight.’ Why?”
Topuria responded by revealing he was disappointed the matchup had been made because of the respect he has for the Brazilian veteran.
“Because originally I was supposed to face Islam for the lightweight title,” Topuria said. “And when he decided to move up, I got the call from the UFC and they told me it's going to be Charles.
“So I was like, ‘Listen, I didn't want you to fight me because I knew what would happen in a fight between me and him,’ and I was like, ‘Listen, I'm so sorry.’”
Despite his confidence heading into the fight, Topuria emphasized that his reluctance stemmed from his admiration for Oliveira both inside and outside the cage.
“Because I like the guy,” Topuria continued. “He's a great guy. He's one of the great human beings that I ever met in this sport. He's a great guy.
“So be fighting a guy like him, it's kind of tough, kind of difficult. You try to hate him, but you can't. The guy has nothing to hate.”
