Roy Jones Jr. believes he could ‘make a lot of difference’ as Ilia Topuria’s trainer for UFC 317.
Topuria gets his first shot at the UFC lightweight title in a matter of weeks now when he faces former champion Charles Oliveira in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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Both men will lock horns for the vacant strap at 155 lbs after No. 1 pound-for-pound (P4P) king Islam Makhachev announced he would be dropping the title to move up and fight at welterweight.
Makhachev followed a similar path to Topuria, who vacated his UFC featherweight title after knocking out Max Holloway to contest at lightweight.
The pair now headline UFC 317 on June 29, and boxing icon Jones Jr. believes he could be the key differential to guide Topuria to gold.
“I would make a lot of difference [to Ilia Topuria’s camp for Charles Oliveira] because I teach how to get the most out of the striking, how to stay set while you’re doing it,” Jones Jr. told Prime Casino.
“Because in MMA you gotta always be set because guys can take your legs out, but the way I fight you always stay set, so I think what I teach would be advantageous to anybody who chose to indulge in it and get what I really teach.”
Jones Jr. is a former four-weight boxing world champion and regarded by many as one of the greatest pound-for-pound pugilists of all time.
He retired from professional boxing with a record of 66 wins and 9 defeats in February 2018, returning to box ex-UFC fighter Anthony Pettis five years later.
Jones Jr. also famously battled Mike Tyson in an exhibition bout in 2020, exchanging leather to a split draw with the legendary heavyweight boxer.
“Roy understands the mechanics of all boxing, all fighting, not just boxing, all arts of fighting,” he added, speaking on why he would be a worth coach for Topuria.
“Roy understands the mechanics of MMA totally well and totally understands what’s necessary and what’s not necessary to make you a better fighter.”
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Jones Jr’s offer follows news that Topuria has made a major reshuffle within his camp ahead of UFC 317.
The 28-year-old is no longer working with his head coaches who are based in Alicante, Spain, as he and his brother, Aleksandre Topuria, have relocated to Madrid.
Topuria is one of the hardest-hitting MMA fighters in the world right now, and has the potential to be the greatest UFC fighter of all time on his current trajectory.
He knocked out UFC veteran and current featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski in February 2024 to win his first title in the promotion.
‘El Matador’ then handed Holloway the first KO defeat of his career eight months later and is the current No. 3 ranked UFC P4P fighter.
Should he defeat Oliveira at UFC 317, Topuria could meet longtime rival and Liverpudlian Paddy Pimblett in his first lightweight title defence.
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