Ilia Topuria is undefeated. A man on a meteoric rise. The current UFC Featherweight Champion, who dismantled Alexander Volkanovski with chilling precision, now carries the swagger of a young king. Yet, even kings must fear something—and for Topuria, it may very well be Charles “Do Bronx” Oliveira, the wild lion who thrives in chaos and destruction.

Ilia Topuria: Calm, Calculated, and Dangerous

As UFC 317 approaches, fans are salivating over this potential war between Topuria, the calm technician, and Oliveira, the chaos conductor. But under all the hype, highlight reels, and trash talk, there’s a fundamental question worth asking: What does Ilia Topuria actually fear about Charles Oliveira? The answer is not a single punch, not a specific move, not even a title loss—but the unpredictable storm Oliveira brings when the cage door closes. The one thing Topuria must truly be cautious about is Oliveira’s weaponized chaos.

Ilia Topuria isn’t your average undefeated fighter. He’s cold, clinical, and brutally efficient. His victory over Volkanovski at UFC 298 wasn’t just a win—it was a statement. He didn’t just beat the champion; he dismantled him with composure and firepower that made the rest of the division take notice. He blends sharp, technical boxing with devastating kicks, elite timing, and slick jiu-jitsu. Unlike many brash contenders, Topuria doesn’t get dragged into messy brawls.

Charles Oliveira: The Chaos Master

To understand why Oliveira is such a terrifying opponent, you must understand what makes him unique in the pantheon of UFC champions. He holds the UFC records for most submissions (16) and most finishes (20). He has defeated the who’s who of the division—Justin Gaethje, Dustin Poirier, Michael Chandler, Tony Ferguson—and in ways that often defy logic. He’s been dropped. He’s been bloodied. He’s looked out. And then, in seconds, he turns it around and finishes the fight.

Charles Oliveira doesn’t need mount. He doesn’t need back control. He doesn’t even need clean grips. He has submitted world-class fighters from positions most fighters wouldn’t even attack from. His grappling IQ is off the charts, and he’s instinctively dangerous. Whether it’s standing guillotines, flying triangles, or pulling guard for armbars—his jiu-jitsu is less about position, more about moment.

Why Oliveira’s Style Is a Threat to Topuria

This is where Ilia Topuria must tread carefully. It’s not about fearing Charles Oliveira’s striking alone—it’s about understanding how Oliveira turns chaos into opportunity. Few fighters walk toward damage the way Oliveira does. He’s not afraid to get hit—he’s even been accused of playing possum, luring opponents in when he’s “hurt,” only to snatch a submission the moment they overcommit.

Against Michael Chandler, he was nearly finished in the first round, only to come back and knock Chandler out in round two. Against Dustin Poirier, he ate bombs early, then gradually drowned Poirier with pressure and clinch work before tapping him. He survives the storm, then becomes it. Topuria will need to resist the urge to rush when Oliveira looks vulnerable. That urge has cost many great fighters.

The Mental Game: Oliveira’s Psychological Edge

Charles Oliveira is the king of momentum theft. You can dominate him for a minute, even a round—and still lose moments later. That’s why his fights are must-watch. They’re never over until they’re over, and sometimes, they’re over before you know it. Topuria thrives in control. He likes to build his offense. But Oliveira doesn’t let you build. He takes the fight into the wild, and in the wild, even a king can bleed.

Let’s not get it twisted—Ilia Topuria is a phenomenal fighter, and he’s more than capable of beating Oliveira. But to do so, he needs a disciplined, cautious approach. Topuria’s biggest threat is his own power. If he rocks Oliveira—and he likely will—he must resist chasing the finish recklessly. That’s when Oliveira is at his most dangerous.

Topuria’s Path to Victory

Topuria should avoid prolonged ground exchanges unless he’s in a completely dominant position. Oliveira’s jiu-jitsu can turn even defensive moments into submissions. Staying upright and punishing from distance may be safer. Topuria thrives on pressure—but against Oliveira, it has to be measured pressure. Over-committing will land him in bad positions. He must fight like a sniper, not a berserker.

When you’ve beaten names like Gaethje, Poirier, Chandler, Ferguson, and even Kevin Lee, the fear factor becomes real. Topuria may be confident, but he must look at what happened to those who underestimated Oliveira. They all thought they could finish him. They all thought they could control him. They all walked into the chaos—and none walked out unscathed.

Experience vs. Youth

Ilia Topuria is 15-0. Charles Oliveira has 44 professional fights, with 34 wins—30 of them finishes. If Topuria believes he’s seen everything the sport can throw at him, he’s mistaken. Oliveira has been through the fire. He’s been cut by the UFC. He’s been humiliated. He’s been labeled a quitter—and he’s destroyed that narrative with one of the most brutal resurgence stories in MMA history.

Mentally, Oliveira is at peace with the battlefield. He doesn’t panic. He doesn’t retreat. If Topuria expects him to break the way Volkanovski did, he might be in for a rude awakening.

Can the Surgeon Defuse the Storm?

Ilia Topuria is the present—and possibly the future—of the UFC featherweight division. But Charles Oliveira is a relic of violence, a master of the unpredictable, and the living embodiment of danger in the octagon.

If Topuria fights like he did against Volkanovski—calm, calculated, and methodical—he has a strong chance of retaining his belt. But if he disrespects Oliveira’s chaos, if he charges when he should wait, if he grapples when he should disengage, then the undefeated king may find himself in the one place he’s never been before—on the canvas, tapping out, wondering how it all fell apart so fast.

Conclusion: The Fear Behind the Confidence

This fight isn’t just about belts or rankings. It’s about two contrasting energies colliding. Topuria is the surgeon, dissecting opponents with skill and control. Oliveira is the storm, unpredictable and unrelenting. And the question that will define UFC 317 is simple: Can the surgeon control the storm—or will the storm consume him like it has so many others?

Ilia Topuria may not admit it, but deep down, even he knows the truth: Charles Oliveira is chaos personified. And that, above all else, is what he must fear.