Dustin Poirier issues final verdict on Ilia Topuria vs. Charles Oliveira clash at UFC 317: "I'm excited about it"

Dustin Poirier recently gave his take on the upcoming title matchup between Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira. Poirier expressed his excitement for the highly anticipated contest and leaned toward Topuria, emphasizing on the Spaniard's knockout prowess.

Topuria has the chance to become a two-division champion when he takes on Oliveira for the vacant lightweight title in the main event of UFC 317 on June 28 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Given his recent octagon outings, many backed the 28-year-old to prevail over Oliveira, including Poirier.

In a recent conversation with 'Full Violence', the former 155 pound title challenger said:

''I think Ilia man. I think he's gonna be way undersized against Charles. I just don't see, unless Charles can sub him, maybe if he [Oliveira] hurts him but it's gonna be tough I think cause Charles gets hit a lot you know. Ilia puts people away. I'm excited about it.''

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Check out Dustin Poirier's comments below:

As Poirier mentioned, which was also highlighted by UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping, Oliveira has been dropped by his opponents in the past. Notably, 'The Diamond' himself along with Michael Chandler and Justin Gaethje have knocked down Oliveira. However, the Brazilian displayed his tenacity and ultimately prevailed over them.

This may not be the case with Topuria, who is known for having tremendous power in his hands, as proven by knockout victories over Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway at UFC 298 and UFC 308 respectively. Despite being overlooked, 'do Bronx' is confident about his abilities to defeat Topuria.

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Dana White expresses his admiration for Dustin Poirier

Dustin Poirier is preparing for his retirement fight at UFC 318 on July 19, when he challenges reigning champion Max Holloway for the BMF belt in a rematch.

In a recent interview with WDSU News, UFC CEO Dana White praised Poirier's time inside the octagon, saying:

Dustin Poirier is a big star for us. He's accomplished a lot in the sport. This is for him, to be honest with you. This is for him. He wanted to have his last fight and end his career in New Orleans, so here we are...He's ranked No. 5 in the world right now in the lightweight division. He's a guy who's held his position in the top 10 for a very long time. He's achieved a lot. He's one of the all-time greats. Thousands of people have fought in the UFC. I don't know where I could rank him, but he's one of the all-time greats."

Check out Dana White's comments below (0:54):

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Edited by Swagat Kumar Jena