For former UFC champion Charles Oliveira, UFC 317 did not go as planned. Fighting for the vacant lightweight crown in the main event vs. Ilia Topuria, Oliveira suffered a devastating knockout loss.
“It wasn’t how we wanted it to be,” Oliveira posted on Instagram, “but for the best, I want to thank everyone for the affection and wonderful energy. God bless you all.”
In the aftermath of the defeat Saturday night, Oliveira posted on X (formerly known as Twitter) a two-word message of “My apologies.”
The 35-year-old was unable to hand Topuria his first career loss, losing at the 2:27 mark of the opening round. The loss by knockout was the first for the veteran since a 2017 defeat at the hands of Paul Felder.
It could be a while before Oliveira is back in title contention following the defeat. He is now just 2-3 over his last five, with a submission loss to Islam Mackhachev and a split decision defeat to Arman Tsarukyan around wins over Michael Chandler and Beneil Dariush.
But Oliveira has shown an ability to string together multiple wins. He went unbeaten from 2018-2022, winning 11 in a row including 10 by finish. Included in that run was victories over Justin Gaethje, Tony Ferguson and Kevin Lee.
Read the full article here