By Nilaav Gogoi
Ilia Topuria expressed that he was hesitant to face Charles Oliveira for a long time. Instead, Topuria was always eager to fight Islam Makhachev for the UFC lightweight championship.’El Matador’ defeated Oliveira via knockout at UFC 317 to claim the vacant 155-pound title after Makhachev moved up to the welterweight division. Topuria mentioned that since the Dagestani left the lightweight division, he was obligated to fight the Brazilian, even though he wasn’t keen on it.In a recent interview with TMZ Sports, Topuria shared his feelings about fighting Oliveira. Claiming that it made him sad, ‘El Matador’ said:”At some point, I was a little bit sad because I didn’t want to fight against him since the beginning. My real goal always was Islam [Makhachev]. But since he decided to run away, it has to be Charles.”Check out Ilia Topuria’s comments on Charles Oliveira below (4:15):Ilia Topuria lauds Charles Oliveira as an “amazing human being”Charles Oliveira is widely regarded as one of the fan-favorite fighters in the UFC. The Brazilian fighter consistently demonstrates great respect for his opponents and refrains from engaging in harsh trash talk, a quality that many admire.In the aforementioned interview with TMZ Sports, Ilia Topuria also expressed his deep respect for Oliveira. Praising the Brazilian for his character as an individual, Topuria said:”At the end of the day, all the respect for Charles. We respect him. We appreciate for everything he has done in the sport. He’s an amazing sportsman, an amazing human being. He represents good values. He’s always surrounded by his family, teammates, and friends. So, I don’t have anything else to say about him than respectful words.” [3:35]After his defeat to Topuria at UFC 317, Oliveira’s run of form, filled with ups and downs, continues. He currently holds a record of 3-3 losses in his last six fights in the promotion. Meanwhile, ‘El Matador’ has made history as the first undefeated two-division UFC champion.