ILIA TOPURIA and Charles Oliveira took part in a tense conversation during their first face-off ahead of their lightweight title fight.
The pair, 28 and 35 respectively, will in Las Vegas.
Georgian-born Spaniard Topuria will look to become only the tenth fighter in UFC history to hold titles in two weight classes.
Fan favourite , meanwhile, will look to reclaim the belt he lost on the scales ahead of his clash with in May 2022.
The pair had an unexpected run-in at the UFC Performance Institute on Wednesday, crossing paths at the sauna.
But they got a better chance to size up one another after the pre-fight press conference at the T-Mobile Arena early on Friday morning.
The duo stared intensely in one another’s eyes moments after shaking hands.
An intense conversation ensued, so much so that Oliveira took off his glasses as Topuria spoke.
The undefeated Topuria claimed and defended the featherweight title, which he’s since relinquished, last year by gunning down MMA legends and Max Holloway.
And he plans to become a two-weight world champion in equally as devastating fashion.
He said of the pair’s Sin City showdown:“Charles is a great fighter.
“I’d say he’s a legendary fighter, one of the few still active in the UFC.
“But the truth is that his style fits perfectly with mine to put him tosleepin the first round.
“Because he has no mobility, he doesn’t move.”;
