Ilia Topuria’s Three-Fight KO Run Surpasses McGregor’s Legacy, Says Former UFC Champion
Ilia Topuria’s UFC 317 first-round knockout of Charles Oliveira has the MMA world reeling and former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling believes it cements Topuria’s rise as historic.
“You’re not going to find a better three-fight run than this,” Sterling said on The Weekly Scripts podcast. “Volkanovski, Holloway, Oliveira — all by knockout. That’s greater than Conor’s run.”
Topuria’s finish wasn’t just violent it was calculated. After surviving a grappling scare early on, the featherweight champ turned lightweight contender reset, baited. Oliveira in, and dropped him with a clean two-punch combo.
The moment was surgical. Full recap: Topuria Shocks Oliveira With First-Round KO
“He’s Playing Chess, Everyone Else Is Playing Checkers”
The difference, according to Sterling, isn’t just physical — it’s cerebral.
“Charles looked like he was on pads. Ilia looked like he was setting traps,” said Sterling. “That’s the gap. He’s three steps ahead in there. Fight IQ, timing, patience he’s the total package.”
Topuria’s ability to absorb pressure, identify patterns, and fire back with precision left little doubt in the minds of analysts: this wasn’t luck, it was elite-level execution.
👉 Ilia’s mindset revealed: “Charles will do the work for me”
What’s Next? Ilia Topuria Wants the Best Not the Biggest Name
Despite a surprise face-off with Paddy Pimblett after UFC 317, Topuria made it clear: he’s aiming for greatness, not hype.
“Paddy’s a fun fight for fans, but if you care about the highest level — it’s Ilia vs Islam,” said Sterling.
The call for a superfight with lightweight champ Islam Makhachev is growing.
Both men are on dominant streaks, both are tactical masters, and both have barely been touched in recent outings.
Fans want it. Fighters want it. Even commentators do — Joe Rogan said he’d travel to Spain to call it.
Ilia Has the Aura and the Results to Back It
There’s more to Topuria than stats. There’s presence. Swagger. Calm confidence.
“This man talks like he’s invincible — and then proves it. He dresses like a Bond villain and fights like a boss level character. That’s real aura,” Sterling said.
In three fights, Topuria has dismantled legends — Volkanovski, Holloway, Oliveira — and made it look easy.
In the eyes of many, he may already be the pound-for-pound best in the world. See why Ilia fired back at Paddy Pimblett post-fight
