There’s a growing buzz echoing through the shadows of the UFC world, a potential biopic on Charles Oliveira’s life may be on the horizon, and honestly, it’s long overdue. The former lightweight champ has endured trials that would break the average man. From battling rheumatic fever and a heart murmur in his youth to climbing the ranks and claiming UFC gold, Oliveira’s journey is nothing short of cinematic. Now, as he prepares to clash with Ilia Topuria for a second shot at the lightweight throne, his opponent couldn’t resist taking a cheeky, albeit respectful dig at the Brazilian warrior.

Fairly recently, Ilia Topuria attended a press briefing to answer questions from the media, and one reporters asked the former featherweight champion for his opinion on the upcoming biopic about Charles Oliveira’s life. Responding to the question, Ilia Topuria expressed that he is happy that ‘Do Bronx’ is getting a biopic made on him, “The only thing that I can see and I can feel is that he’s a good person. He has good sportsmanship, also. He represents good values. So I don’t have anything against him personally. You know, the only thing is that we are going to fight. So I’m not going to be kind to him before the fight.” 

The former featherweight champion did take a cheeky dig at him when he said, “After the fight, I’m going to wish him all the best and a fast recovery.” Well, Charles Oliveira and Ilia Topuria have been going back and forth ever since UFC CEO Dana White announced their fight, and with their ultimate showdown just around the corner, it’s only natural for ‘El Matador’ to take a dig at him.

Well, what about his biopic? The news was first broken by Brazilian director Eduardo Ferro’s 405 Films, which stated that they had acquired the life rights to Oliveira and are planning to develop a feature film showcasing his struggles, from starting out in the favelas to making a name for himself across the world. For those of you who are not aware of Eduardo, he is not someone who is new to combat sports films; his previous works include O Faixa-Preta: A Verdadeira Historia de Fernando Terere, a hit biopic about Brazilian jiu-jitsu legend Fernando Augusto.

As per reports, the life story of Charles Oliveira will be shot in Las Vegas and Brazil, which will explore ‘Do Bronx’ early life struggles in the Vicente de Carvalho neighborhood of Guaruja, São Paulo, as well as his victory reign in the United States. Interestingly, Oliveira will have a part in that movie, but that role is yet to be ascertained. Well, his Biopic might get a perfect ending if he navigates his way across Ilia Topuria, but ‘El Matador’ has nothing but a warning for him.

Ilia Topuria responds to Charles Oliveira’s heavy-hitting jibe

Ilia Topuria is yet to taste defeat in his career, having knocked out the likes of Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway in back-to-back outings. ‘El Matador’ is confident in his finishing skills, but that doesn’t concern Charles Oliveira, who has asserted that he hits harder than the former featherweight champion. Quite a bold statement from Oliveira, however, how did Ilia Topuria respond to it?

While having a conversation with Kevin Iole, the former featherweight champion stated, “That’s very, very wishful thinking. He thinks that he has a more powerful punch than I, that’s very wishful thinking. I challenge him.nI challenge him. We can separate between like a boxing match, a grappling match, a wrestling match. Everywhere, I beat him. Everywhere. However, I want. This is how confident I feel.”

With a career record of 16 victories and 0 losses, Ilia Topuria has finished most of his opponents. Out of those 16 wins, ‘El Matador’ has secured 6 by knockout and 8 by submission. While Topuria certainly possesses knockout power, what could work against him in this fight is his grappling, especially considering Charles Oliveira is predominantly known for his elite submission skills. With just days remaining until the bout, fans might be treated to a classic showdown between a striker and a grappler.