Topuria wore custom shoes before Oliveira fight when he stood at 16-0

Footage surfacing from an HBO documentary has offered a glimpse into the mindset Ilia Topuria carried before his bout with Charles Oliveira, revealing that the Spanish fighter had custom shoes made in anticipation of the contest at a point when his professional record stood at 16-0.

Topuria, nicknamed "El Matador," is currently 29 years old and holds a 17-1-0 record competing out of Spain for Climent Club. He is ranked second in the lightweight division and sits atop the pound-for-pound rankings. Standing five-foot-seven with a 69-inch reach, Topuria lands an imposing 4.81 significant strikes per minute, a volume that underlines the aggressive, forward-pressing style that made the custom footwear detail feel less like arrogance and more like calculated certainty.

Charles Oliveira, known as "Do Bronxs," brings a 37-11-0 record into the equation. The 36-year-old Brazilian, who trains with Chute Boxe Diego Lima, is ranked third at lightweight and sits eleventh in the pound-for-pound standings. At five-foot-ten with a 74-inch reach, Oliveira is a seasoned threat on multiple fronts, landing 3.35 significant strikes per minute at 54 percent accuracy while also averaging 2.6 submission attempts per 15 minutes — one of the more dangerous submission rates in the division.

Why it matters

• Topuria's 16-0 record at the time of the documentary footage underscores the confidence he openly projected heading into a fight against a highly credentialed opponent.
• The matchup pits the division's second-ranked fighter against its third-ranked, meaning the outcome carries significant lightweight title implications.
• Oliveira's submission volume against Topuria's striking output sets up a compelling stylistic contrast between a rangy submission specialist and an aggressive volume striker.