Spaniard Topuria defeats Oliveira by knockout

Spaniard Ilia 'El Matador' Topuria was crowned the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight mixed martial arts world champion on Saturday, defeating Brazilian Charles 'Do Bronx' Oliveira with a spectacular first-round knockout.

Following the battle at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Topuria, 28, of Georgian origin, remains undefeated in 17 fights , seven by knockout and two by submission; Oliveira, 35, has 36 wins, 11 by knockout, 21 by submission, four by decision, and 11 losses.

Topuria, an expert in boxing, Greco-Roman wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, was a storm from the start of the fight , connecting with a pair of hooks that opened Oliveira's right eyebrow.

The force was too much for the Brazilian, who received a devastating left-right combination that sent him to the canvas at two minutes and 27 seconds of the first round. Charles was then finished off with another right on the ground until the judge intervened to prevent further damage and declared the knockout.

The UFC lightweight championship is the second for 'El Matador' Topuria, who also won the featherweight title last year after dominating opponents such as Australian Alexander Volkanovski and American Max Holloway.

He can now boast of being the first undefeated two-division UFC champion.

The intensity and energy of this mixed martial arts fight is a breath of fresh air in combat sports, while professional boxing languishes due to the promotion of commercially successful figures, such as Mexican Saúl 'Canelo' Álvarez, but far from the quality of the legends of the past.

"I said it, I'm a representative of the next level of the new generation of mixed martial arts. I warned him I would be fast, and I delivered. That's how I planned the fight, with hook and jab combinations," Topuria stated at the end of the fight.

"There are people who didn't trust me, there are rivals who run away from me, but I'm prepared for them all, now I want to defend my title. I'm ready for the rival who's next on the list. Now I'm going to celebrate," concluded the champion before leaving the ring with his pair of belts on his shoulder and the Spanish flag in the air.