For all the talk of Ilia Topuria’s quest for a second UFC belt and a potential fight with Islam Makhachev, who himself is chasing a second UFC title in the welterweight division, there is a bleach-haired, history-making Brazilian eagerly waiting to play the spoiler, and few fighters have embraced shattering expectations like Charles Oliveira.
“Do Bronxs,” UFC’s all-time leader in finishes (20), submissions (16) and performance bonuses (20), sees his UFC 317 main event against Topuria not as a coronation for the Spain-based Georgian, but the completion of his journey back to the throne he once held. Oliveira was exalted when he first won the title in May 2021, and his consecutive wins over Michael Chandler, Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje wiped away the false narrative that he was a “quitter.