It’s always tricky territory comparing any combat sports athlete to an all-time legend like Muhammad Ali but Dana White admits it was hard not to think of him after Ilia Topuria delivered on his promise at UFC 317.
Prior to his showdown with Charles Oliveira on Saturday night, Topuria predicted a vicious first round knockout that would allow him to claim the vacant lightweight title after Islam Makhachev left the division. That’s exactly what happened after Topuria blasted Oliveira with a massive right hook that effectively knocked out the former champion but “El Matador” also unloaded a left hand that landed for good measure to officially end the fight.
Topuria was already a massive star on the rise after doing the same to a pair of featherweight legends in Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway but even White was stunned at seeing him follow through on his prediction to dispatch Oliveira in less than five minutes’ time.
“If you look at what he’s accomplished in his last three fights, tonight was like his big coming out party,” White said at the UFC 317 post fight press conference. “Moved up to win another title and did it in spectacular fashion.
“Like some [Muhammad] Ali shit saying ‘I’m going to knock him out in the first round’ and viciously knocks him out in the first round. I think tonight was his big night. We have a star on our hands.”
Even before his latest win, Topuria was already ascending to potentially become the new face of the UFC — a role the promotion definitely needed to fill with past stars like Conor McGregor, Ronda Rousey and now even Jon Jones gone from the sport.
Of course, the UFC has continued to produce massive revenue and with a new broadcast deal on the horizon, 2026 is poised to be the biggest year yet for the promotion.
Still, Topuria now gives the UFC an incredibly marketable champion with an undefeated record and a fan-friendly style that makes him an attractive option to sell a whole lot of tickets and pay-per-views.
“He did exactly what he said he’s going to do,” White marveled when speaking about Topuria. “He is an absolute complete fighter. His standup is beautiful, ground, grappling, everything. This kid’s a star.
“There’s no doubt about it. You obviously felt the energy in the building tonight. It was a big fight. Again, to go in and say exactly what you’re going to do and then do it in the way that he did it, is impressive.”
