Charles of the Bronx will face Ilia Topuria No. UFC 317. (Photo: Montage/SUPER FIGHTS)
Despite the extreme confidence demonstrated in the days leading up to the UFC 317, Ilia Topuria recognizes that the duel against charles do brox represents the biggest challenge of his career. The Spaniard will have the opportunity to join the select group of UFC double champions and, in his own words, take a decisive step towards immortalizing himself as an MMA legend.
In an interview with UFC News, Topuria, who is coming off impressive victories over Alexander Volkanovsky e Max Holloway, stated that if he beats Charles, he will have defeated three great names in the sport consecutively. For him, this feat is already enough to put him on the level of the great icons in the history of MMA.
“Three legends. When you beat legend after legend after legend, you automatically become a legend. That’s what I hope for. I don’t know. At this point in my career, I don’t know what’s next,” Topuria said.
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Topuria said he has already achieved his childhood dream by winning the featherweight belt and, in search of new challenges, decided to move up a weight class. Now, he is aiming for the lightweight title to become a double champion. However, he admitted that, beyond this immediate goal, he still doesn't know what the next steps in his career will be.
“My dream since I was a kid was to become a world champion, and I achieved that when I became a featherweight champion. After I won the belt and defended it, I thought, ‘I need something new.’ I moved up a weight class. Now I’m going to become a world champion twice, at featherweight and lightweight. And what’s going to happen after that? I don’t know. I don’t know.”, he said. Ilia Topuria.
According to Topuria, Charles Do Bronx's style favors him for an easy and quick victory
Charles of the Bronx won Michael chandler No. UFC 262. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram
It is not new that Ilia Topuria is extremely confident that he will win charles do brox. In public statements and even on social media, the Spaniard makes it clear that he sees himself as being on a higher level than the Brazilian. But, beyond words, Topuria supports this confidence with a thesis that, according to him, justifies his expectation of a quick victory.
In an interview with UFC News, the featherweight champion analyzed Charles' aggressive style and pointed to it as a clear advantage for his game. According to Topuria, the fact that the Brazilian advances from the first second makes his strategy easier, unlike duels against Alexander Volkanovsky e Max Holloway, where he needed to take the initiative and shorten the distance. This time, he believes that the fight will be decided in the center of the octagon, making the fight easier and faster for his side.
“Stylistically, to be honest, his style is perfect for me because I don’t need to close the distance with him, since he moves forward from the first second. For example, if you watch my fights against Volkanovski or Holloway, I had to move forward the whole time, closing the distance. Against Charles, I don’t need to do that. (…) I think it will be very quick, because I will finish him in the first two or three minutes,” he explained. Ilia Topuria.
Charles Do Bronx is a big underdog in the betting against Ilia Topuria
Charles of the Bronx is a highlight of the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram
After the announcement of the duel between Charles of the Bronx e Ilia Topuria as the main fight of UFC 317, the Brazilian started behind in the initial quotes made available by 'Stake'. At the moment Charles appears with odds of 4 which indicates a significant return for those who bet on his victory, that is, every R$20 bet on the Brazilian would yield R$10 in case of triumph. On the other hand, Ilia Topuria is the big favorite, with odds of 1,24, which represents a return of R$1,24 for every R$1 bet on his victory.
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