Despite seeing Topuria knock out Alexander Volkanovski and become the first to put Max Holloway out inside the Octagon, Oliveira is still promising to march forward. That appears to have been music to the ears of ‘El Matador’, who told Ariel Helwani during fight week that ‘all he needs’ is for his Brazilian rival to walk forward.

Makhachev will be watching closely to see who begins the next era at 155 pounds, but former featherweight champ Topuria (16-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) enters as the heavy betting favorite over Oliveira (35-10 MMA,