Ilia Topuria absolutely delivered on his promise, knocking out Brazil’s Charles Oliveira in the main event lightweight title fight at the T-Mobile Arena on Sunday.
The highly anticipated showdown ended incredibly quickly, with Topuria securing the title in just two minutes and 27 seconds of the very first round. Though Topuria appeared smaller in the cage compared to Oliveira, he expertly defended against Oliveira’s renowned grappling attempts before unleashing his devastating striking power.
While Oliveira had a brief moment of control during an exchange on the mat, Topuria quickly disengaged to bring the fight back to its feet. Shortly after, the fight was over. The 28-year-old Spaniard stunned Oliveira with a powerful right hook, then followed it up with a crushing left that sent Oliveira crashing to the canvas, eyes glazed, as Topuria claimed a truly stunning victory.
This win boosts Topuria’s career record to an incredible 17-0. Earlier this year, he had actually given up his featherweight world title to move into the lightweight division, a move that clearly paid off in a big way.
Pantoja Retains Flyweight Title in Co-Main Event
In the co-main event, Alexandre Pantoja successfully defended his flyweight title, securing a third-round submission win over Kai Kara-France. Pantoja dominated New Zealander Kara-France, eventually taking his back and locking in a rear-naked choke at 1:55 into the third round to seal the deal.
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