Aljamain Sterling respects the power of Ilia Topuria and knows that Charles Oliveira should do the same.
After being criticized early in his career, apparently facing adversity, Oliveira reinvented himself as a world champion, as he absorbed the punishment and could turn it back tenfold. This has given us a lot of Do Bronx highlight reel finishes and post-war bonuses.
He will have the opportunity to regain his lightweight title on June 28th when he fights Ilia Topria in the main event of UFC 317 for a belt vacant by Islamic Makhachev, who is moving to welterweight (Topria also recently vacated the featherweight title to pursue a second championship). When that day comes, Sterling is not sure Oliveira should resort to his Berserker style if he wants to confuse Topuria.
“This is interesting as Oliveira is dropped every battle,” Sterling said. Weekly scrap Podcast. “Almost every fight. The last eight fights. I say. That being said, I know Ilia Topria can break. We’ve seen him drop before by Jay Herbert. It was when he felt better at 155. I say his strength is different at 155. Otherwise I think it’s a bad night and Ilia is the two division champion.
“But the grappling department. We’re not seeing anyone force a grappling issue against Ilia. I wonder if the Bronx is going to try and see if he can gas him and take some of the pop out of the punch. That’s the big question mark.”
Oliveira is one of the most feared grapplers in MMA history. The 35-year-old won 16 UFC fights by the promotional record Submission. He also has a size advantage over Topuria, which brings an extraordinary level of plot to any closed exchange they may have.
Topuria shows offensively and defensively a flash of wrestling, but relies primarily on his blows for his blows. He knocked out Alexander Volkanovsky to win the featherweight title, becoming the first fighter to defeat Volkanovsky in a 145-pound match, and then the first fighter to knock out Max Holloway.
Considering how to kill his legend, Sterling wonders far enough that Topulia can continue to climb the highest ranks of all time.
“It’s hard to count the Bronx,” Sterling said. “I think he’s still him. But I’m not saying that about Max, I said about Volk and I’m not saying those guys are going to win against Ilia, but you say those guys are still them, and Ilia does it to them, you say, “Fuck… who’s stopping this guy?”
Oliveira is only 2-2 in his last four fights, but before this stretch he has won 11th straight in a row in the deepest division in MMA. On the other side, Topuria has yet to lose in 16 professional matches.
Their matchups could be determined by who can impose their strongest discipline in the fight, and Sterling expects it to be a permanent question for the entire five rounds, or as long as the match continues.
“I’m leaning towards Ilia,” Sterling said. “I think it’s smart money. Of course, Oliveira can win. If he can work with him early, he’s going to surprise us and show that Ilia can get tired and get rid of those punch stabs, but then what does that look like for Oliveira in the later rounds?
“Can he raise his hands and protect him in the right way?