Fans of the UFC will still be rueing Ilia Topuria vs Islam Makhachev as the dream fight that got away. Still, Ilia vs Charles Oliveira isn’t a bad consolation, especially when one mind-blowing statistic is revealed.
Topuria recently vacated his featherweight title, choosing to move up to lightweight and challenge Islam Makhachev. However, those plans have been derailed. This follows Islam’s decision to vacate the title and chase two-division glory against Welterweight Champion Jack Della Maddalena.
This shift in the UFC universe has moved Ilia into the path of Oliveira, who now looks likely to headline UFC 317 to decide who becomes the new UFC Lightweight Champion.
With a 16-0 record in MMA and recent wins against Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway under his belt, Ilia looks like the favorite heading into UFC 317. However, the man in front of him, Oliveira, has a résumé worthy of the impressive Topuria.
Oliveira has the most submission wins in UFC history, with 16, as well as the most bonuses, with 20, suggesting that he will bring the entertainment factor to the bout no matter who he faces.
But there’s one comparable statistic that the two fighters share that’s almost too close to call. It suggests their bout will be nothing short of dramatic.
Another record that Oliveira holds in the UFC is the most finishes in the promotion’s history, with 20. This works out, as Twitter user Dovy revealed, at a staggering 89% finish rate.
As impressive a statistic as that is, Ilia is extremely close to matching the tricky Brazilian. Ilia’s finish rate is almost identical at 88%, having knocked out or submitted 14 of his 16 opponents.
Considering Oliveira is 46 fights deep into his career, it makes Ilia’s finish rate all the more staggering.
Fellow X user Jacob Cooke couldn’t hide his excitement for the fight, responding to Dovy’s post with a simple, but telling declaration: “So much aura in one fight,” he wrote.
So much aura in one fight
— Jacob (@JacobCookeMMA) May 22, 2025
Another asserted that the whole card for UFC 317 was ‘fire’ as it is. “Honestly, that whole main card will probably be stoppages. Good match-making,” he said.
“That is not going the distance,” predicted another.
Topuria vs Oliveira is already heating up
Amidst the merry-go-round that erupted in the wake of Della Maddalena’s victory at UFC 315, Topuria has already shared some choice words for Oliveira in the run-up to their fight.
Following the dropping of the featherweight title, Topuria claimed back in March that Islam and Oliveira were afraid to fight him.
“All my training is focused on Islam and Charles because I don’t see any other opponents,” Topuria said. “Neither of them seems to dare. These are the symptoms of fear – we all know that, but it’s normal; I’d be scared, too,” he added.
Following the comments, Oliveira responded immediately in an interview with Ariel Helwani.
“[Topuria] is saying a lot of crap. I really respect his fights, the way he’s come up and everything, but he’s being very disrespectful now and is saying a lot of things that he shouldn’t,” ‘Do Bronx’ claimed.
In a straight fight, Ilia vs Oliveira is a mouthwatering prospect. But with this added heat and the strong probability of a dramatic finish, the anticipation for their title fight just got bigger.
