Ilia Topuria has built a flawless career by breaking people down—but never with a head kick. Or a body kick. Not once. As unusual as it may sound for a modern mixed martial artist, this is actually true. With UFC 317 approaching and Charles Oliveira standing across the cage, the statistic has resurfaced—and fans can’t help but wonder whether he’s going into this fight with a loaded gun… but only one bullet.
It’s not as if the Spanish-Georgian lacks firepower. He’s a pressure-heavy boxer with devastating combinations and underrated grappling. With 16 victories, six by knockout and eight by submission, ‘El Matador’ destroys opponents with a sharp jab, devastating hooks, and bold forward movement.
His stand-up style is straightforward: get in your face, throw hands, and get the job done. And it certainly works; just ask Alexander Volkanovski or Max Holloway. However, the lack of body or head kicks in his arsenal is surprising in an era when leg dexterity is seen as a must-have in top-level MMA.
And it’s not just an oddity; it’s a confirmed pattern. Multiple stat trackers and analysts have reviewed his UFC fights and concluded that he has received next to no kicks to the body or head. He’s only been on the receiving end of a high kick before.
Ilia Topuria was nearly knocked out in the first round of his only previous lightweight appearance at UFC London in 2022 by Jai Herbert’s crushing head kick. He was sent reeling and survived the round by sheer guts. But in round two, he reminded the world who he was, throwing a nuclear right hand that left Herbert knocked out.
That fight is most likely the reason why many people are concerned about UFC 317. Charles Oliveira is not only one of the game’s most deadly submission experts, but he’s also a striker who enjoys mixing it up with knees, elbows, and, yes, kicks. And with the recent trash-talk, he will be all hyped up getting into the fight.
If Ilia Topuria intends to continue with his boxing-centric strategy, he’ll need to be more cautious than ever of those openings, especially at 155 pounds, where the margin for error is thinner. But will we get to see him deliver a brutal leg kick at UFC 317? Well, not as per UFC fans.
Fans reveal the reason behind Ilia Topuria’s lack of leg kicks
For a fighter as elite as Ilia Topuria, every detail of his game is scrutinized—and ahead of UFC 317, fans have narrowed in on a single statistic. The fact that ‘El Matador’ has never thrown a head or body kick in his UFC career surely became a major talking point in the MMA world, and fans are doing what they do best: guessing.
Some attributed it to Topuria’s compact frame and build. “His feet can’t reach that high ,” one user joked, while another simply said, “Too short.” A more technical explanation stated, “Because he’s not tall enough and his body type favors a more boxing-heavy approach with low kicks.” While some of these were obviously joking, they all pointed to the same conclusion: Ilia Topuria’s technique isn’t missing kicks by accident; it’s just optimized for his physicality.
Then came the group that believes a storyline twist is in the works. “Don’t give him any ideas,” one fan advised, possibly hinting that the Spanish-Georgian may secure his first win via a leg kick. Another fan noticed something interesting online: “The video on my feed right before this post is a video of him training throwing a spinning kick.” The most frightening reply, however, came from someone looking ahead to Saturday night: “He will get it from Charlie’s Oliveira this week.”
But for many, the answer is much simpler: why fix something that isn’t broken? “I’ve been saying this!! The dude beats these guys with boxing, low kicks, and grappling . He’s ignoring like 30% of the game; it’s insane!!” One fan marveled. Another provided a boxing purist’s perspective: “Boxing. The sweet science.”
One fan even added a philosophical spin: “He’s got that Marcus Aurelius approach—do less but do it better.” Whether he changes his approach this weekend or not, Ilia Topuria’s minimalist savagery has already piqued the interest of MMA fans worldwide. Now, let’s see if he has any surprises planned for us at UFC 317!
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