Ilia Topuria seeks to join elite UFC company when he meets Charles Oliveira for lightweight title

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Former featherweight champion Ilia Topuria will enter the octagon for potentially the biggest fight of his career on Saturday, when he faces former lightweight titleholder Charles Oliveira for the vacant UFC lightweight championship. Just don't tell him that. "I don't know what to tell you, it feels exactly the same to be honest," Topuria said with a coy smile during Wednesday's media availability. Topuria (16-0) moves up to the 155-pound weight class for UFC 317 following a successful 2024 at featherweight. He claimed that belt with a second-round knockout of Alexander Volkanovski and defended his title by finishing Max Holloway in the third round of their October bout in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The 28-year-old dual citizen of Georgia and Spain, ranked fourth on UFC's pound-for-pound list, now moves up a division hungry to win another belt and join nine others who have held a UFC belt in two weight classes. "I think that I am a better fighter right now," Topuria said. "More mature, more experienced. You're going to see, for sure, a better version of myself. "When I was fighting in the featherweight division at this point, I was feeling really, really bad. I think I made a great decision. This is one of the best training camps that I've ever had." Topuria, who is heavily favored with -550 odds at BetMGM Sportsbook, has registered eight wins by submission, including six by knockout, and has nine first-round finishes to his credit. Oliveira (35-10) will also be searching for history, as he looks to become the first fighter to win the lightweight belt on separate occasions. Last year, he lost a tough-luck decision to Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 300 before bouncing back with a decision win over Michael Chandler at UFC 309 in New York City. The victory moved him into a three-way tie with Donald Cerrone and Andrei Arlovski for the second-most wins in UFC history. Oliveira, who has the most finishes in UFC history, has scored 21 victories by submission, including 10 via knockout. Despite his longevity in the sport, the 35-year-old Brazilian said he hasn't changed his approach. "A guy that continues to be thirsty, a guy who is hungry for the win," said Oliveira, the No. 2-ranked UFC lightweight contender. "Yeah, he is younger, comes in undefeated. But does he want it more than I do, does he have more hunger and more thirst than I have? "This is for my legacy, this is for my history. I'm ready for this fight." In the co-main event, flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja (29-5) and Kai Kara-France (25-11) will meet for a second time, nine years after their quarterfinal clash on the reality show "The Ultimate Fighter." Pantoja won the first meeting by unanimous decision. This time, the winner will leave the octagon with the flyweight belt. Pantoja, who carries a seven-fight win streak, won the title two years ago, beating Brandon Moreno by decision. Since then, the 35-year-old Brazilian has defended the title three times, most recently at UFC 310 in December against Kai Asakura. Kara-France, 32, is hoping to make the most of his second opportunity at a UFC title after falling short against Moreno when the two battled for the interim flyweight title at UFC 277. Kara-France, the fourth-ranked flyweight contender, has 12 wins by knockout and three by submission.