Dustin Portier offered guidance to Charles Olivier prior to their title encounter during UFC 317.
Let's Dish on UFC 317:
Former UFC lightweight champ Charles Oliveira faces undefeated prospect Ilia Topuria for the vacant belt in the main event on June 29. Oliveira's previous foe, Dustin Poirier, chatted with MMA Junkie about the key differences between Oliveira's past combatants and Topuria:
"Listen, Charles takes a hell of a lot of damage. I've caught flack for calling Topuria the favorite, but that's my take."
Poirier elaborated: "Dude, Oliveira eats a ton of punishment. Topuria, he's cut from a different cloth. We haven't seen it all yet, but he's got serious confidence in his jiu-jitsu. If he floors Charles, he'll dive for the takedown."
Many have floored Oliveira, but most tried to get him back up and keep fighting, according to Poirier. If Topuria rocks Oliveira, he'll likely go for the takedown, aim for his guard, and that's a problem for Oliveira when opponents aren't afraid to roll with him on the mat. We've watched Oliveira start to crack when opponents aren't shy about grappling with him. But who shows up this time? It's a fascinating match-up."
Poirier thinks Oliveira should play the same game against Topuria as he did in their bout: "He should either be in his face or keep his distance. With me, he avoided middle range - either clinching, focusing on grappling, utilizing energy, but not letting me box, or staying at a distance for kicks. He's tall and elongated. He can't play at boxing range - he needs to clinch. He can't trade blows in a stand-up with a more compact and powerful foe."
A quick reminder: Poirier and Oliveira met at the end of 2021. Poirier lost to Oliveira via submission in round three.
Bonus Reading:
- Michael Chandler ponders a Paddy Pimblett UFC lightweight title win
- Islam Makhachev shares his reason for vacating the lightweight title
- Ilia Topuria lays out the smooth rodeo for Paddy Pimblett to nab a title shot
Enrichment data reveals Poirier seems to favor Topuria over Oliveira for the UFC 317 lightweight title fight, citing Topuria's skillset and momentum. Oliveira, on the other hand, emphasizes a fight style characterized by relentless pressure and unconventional offense, relying on his experience and tenacity to retake the belt from Topuria. Despite not mentioning a specific tactic for Oliveira, Poirier's pick of Topuria suggests he may question Oliveira's ability to deal with Topuria's power and speed. Oliveira, conversely, believes his experience and pressure fighting put him at a distinct advantage. The strategic landscape is all about Oliveira employing pressure and experience to counter Topuria's youth, power, and hand speed, while Poirier anticipates Topuria's power and momentum to prevail.
Bookmakers may find it challenging to predict the outcome of the UFC 317 lightweight title fight, as both Oliveira and Topuria have unique strengths that could sway the match. According to Poirier, Topuria's power and confidence in his jiu-jitsu could pose a threat to Oliveira, who has shown vulnerabilities when grappling with opponents.
