Charles Oliveira vs Ilia Topuria

Charles Oliveira meets Ilia Topuria in a battle for the vacant lightweight title at UFC 317. Oliveira is looking to reclaim glory, while Topuria rides an unstoppable undefeated streak moving up from featherweight. Can Oliveira’s experience withstand the rising star power of “El Matador”?

Core Stats Comparison

Striking Breakdown:

Charles Oliveira holds an edge in striking accuracy, landing 55% of his shots compared to Ilia Topuria’s 47%. However, Topuria makes up for it with elite striking defense at 64%, a full 15 percentage points higher than Oliveira’s 49%.

When it comes to output, Topuria leads with 4.69 significant strikes landed per minute, clearly outpacing Oliveira’s 3.4. Topuria also absorbs slightly more at 3.84 strikes per minute versus Oliveira’s 3.21, but his overall striking differential remains positive.

Grappling Breakdown:

Topuria dominates in efficiency, boasting a 61% takedown accuracy and an elite 92% takedown defense, far superior to Oliveira’s 40% accuracy and 55% defense. Both fighters average over 2 takedowns per 15 minutes—2.25 for Oliveira and 2.02 for Topuria—indicating high grappling volume. However, Oliveira is the far more dangerous submission artist, averaging 2.7 submission attempts per 15 minutes, more than double Topuria’s 1.1.

Summary:

At first glance, Ilia Topuria looks better suited for success on the feet with his stronger defense, higher output, and a positive striking differential. In the wrestling exchanges, he continues to shine with superior takedown accuracy and defense. That said, Charles Oliveira remains a major threat with relentless takedown pressure and a much higher submission rate, making him extremely dangerous on the ground.