Ilia Topuria is just one week away from the chance to make history as a two-division champion. But standing in his way at UFC 317 is veteran Charles Oliveira — a man equally determined to reclaim gold. From the beginning, “El Matador” wanted to fight Islam Makhachev. He didn’t simply want to be champion; he wanted to take down the most powerful fighter in the lightweight division. He wanted to show that he was the best by fighting the best. But that ideal fight never happened.

Makhachev formally gave up the lightweight belt last month so he could work on his own two-division career. He moved up to welterweight to look for fresh challenges. Islam Makhachev, who won UFC 317, won’t be there, so either Topuria or Oliveira will be the new lightweight title. Still, many fans were sad to see the Russian depart since it ended what might have been one of the biggest fights since Conor McGregor vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Who’s More Dangerous for Ilia Topuria: Islam Makhachev or Charles Oliveira?

At 35 years old, Charles Oliveira currently sits at #2 in the UFC lightweight rankings, just behind Arman Tsarukyan. Since joining the promotion back in 2010, ‘Do Bronx’s career has seen its share of ups and downs. However, things took a dramatic turn in 2018, after the birth of his daughter Tayla — a personal milestone that sparked a legendary 12-fight win streak. That run came to an end in 2022, when Oliveira faced Islam Makhachev.

Islam Makhachev won the lightweight title by submitting the former champion with an arm-triangle choke in a highly anticipated fight. Makhachev was on an 11-fight winning streak at the time and hadn’t lost since 2016. Both men are considered ground masters—top grapplers whose submission talents have made them quite powerful. ‘The MacLife’ recently asked Ilia Topuria to name the most dangerous opponent in the lightweight division.

Instead of singling anyone out, Ilia Topuria emphasized that every fight at the top level presents its own unique challenges. ‘El Matador’ said,

“I don’t know. Every fight is a huge challenge. There are no easy fights when you get to this level. They both represent a difficult matchup, of course, because they’re both great athletes. They have completely different styles. So, I don’t know… I don’t know what to tell you. They’re both difficult fights.”

Islam Makhachev may have the edge when it comes to getting more people to buy his products and promoting them. Charles Oliveira, on the other hand, is in a league of his own when it comes to accomplishments and fan connection.

Charles Oliveira is often considered to be the division’s most loved underdog. He has the most finishes in UFC history (20) and 16 submission wins. He has also won 20 Performance Bonuses, which is more than any other fighter. This makes him one of the UFC’s most entertaining and popular sportsmen.

Joe Rogan warns Topuria of Charles Oliveira’s threat ahead of UFC 317

As UFC 317 gets closer, Ilia Topuria is expected to be the fan favorite since he is young, has an exciting style, and has never lost a fight. But even though there is a lot of buzz around “El Matador,” veteran UFC commentator Joe Rogan isn’t ignoring the real danger that Charles Oliveira poses. Islam Makhachev had been on ‘El Matador’s’ mind for a long time, and he saw a fight with ‘Do Bronx’ as a less scary task at first. But once the fight was set, with Charles Oliveira taking Islam Makhachev’s place, Rogan gave the budding star a plain and direct warning.

On a recent episode of his Fight Companion podcast, Rogan praised Ilia Topuria’s skills but urged caution when facing a battle-tested veteran like Oliveira,

“Ilia is just so f—— dangerous. He’s so technical too, the way he bobs and weaves and moves in, he’s so comfortable with his head movement, he’s a step ahead of everybody,” Rogan said. “I like Topuria vs Oliveira. Oliveira is so tall, and so dangerous everywhere (though), (he’d have a) huge reach advantage. Those (lightweights) are real big, Islam’s huge.”

Charles Oliveira and Ilia Topuria are ready to have a huge fight at UFC 317, which is only a few days away. Will the Brazilian veteran get his gold back, or will the undefeated “El Matador” take his chance? Who do you believe will become the new lightweight champion? Put your guesses in the comments.