Ilia Topuria is a 27-year-old UFC fighter who spent his youth traveling in search of his place in life. In 2024, "El Matador" dethroned the dominant king of the featherweight division, Alexander Volkanovski, and instantly became not only a super star in the MMA world but also a national hero in several countries. Telecomasia.net tells about the significant changes in Topuria's life.
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Spaniard of Georgian descent conquered the UFC in 3.5 years
Ilia led a nomadic lifestyle until adulthood. He was born in Germany, grew up in Georgia, where he practiced wrestling, and at the age of 15, he moved to Spain with his parents. It was there that Topuria began training in MMA, even though Spain is passionate about football. But the young man managed to find a combat sports gym.
After a series of eight victories, "El Matador" signed with the UFC in October 2020 and fought against Youssef Zalal on short notice. Although Ilia won by decision, he was exhausted after two rounds. Back then, no one knew that a new force had emerged in the division, which would relentlessly make its way to the very top.
Topuria set out to crush everyone in the league, sending opponents doctor's notes with his dominant performances. In June 2023, the Spanish-Georgian athlete turned the sturdy Josh Emmett into a punching bag for his striking practice and secured a title fight with Alexander Volkanovski.
Before the fight with the "Great," Ilia went all-in: he said he would knock out the Australian, created a whole film about himself, changed his record in his Instagram bio, and imitated Conor McGregor, mockingly taking the belt from Volkanovski. If Topuria had lost to Alex, fans would have destroyed him, a wave of hate would have engulfed the young prospect. But "El Matador" handled the tremendous pressure, showed remarkable composure, and kept his word by knocking out the dominant champion.
Bet on MMA with 1xBetTopuria increased his income in the UFC several times
Immediately after Topuria snatched the belt from the hands of Volkanovski, he became a star of the promotion. The number of his Instagram followers nearly doubled (from 2.2 million to 4.1 million), and Dana White promised the newly crowned champion to consider a tournament in Spain. After all, the UFC suddenly found a new promising market in Spain.
Earlier, Topuria earned quite modest sums in the UFC (around $52,000 for fights with Damon Jackson and Ryan Hall), and he did not receive an immense purse for the title fight - $400,000 according to the California State Athletic Commission. But Ilia will probably get an improved offer after winning the belt. Promotional posts, sponsorship contracts will steadily fill Topuria's coffers. Ilia even has an OnlyFans page, however, he only posts workouts clips instead of NSFW content.
A young and charismatic knockout artist, hailed as a hero in two countries with a bright persona and good looks, who also speaks several languages. How could he not become a media sensation?
Bet on MMA with 1xBetTopuria became a national hero in Spain and Georgia
After getting the belt, Topuria instantly became a national hero in two countries - Spain and Georgia. Neither of these countries had ever had a UFC champion. Spain and Georgia can now call Ilia their own and take pride in his accomplishments.
After his victory over Volkanovski, Real Madrid congratulated the fighter on winning the belt on X (formerly Twitter). On February 25, the Spanish giant invited Topuria to the La Liga match against Sevilla. Fans at the Santiago Bernabeu were ecstatic. When a club with a century-old history honors you, what is it if not greatness?
Topuria also received a Spanish citizenship passport from the hands of the country's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. "El Matador" appeared on the cover of the major publication Marca, which has over 2 million readers, making it one of the highest media outlets in Spain. When they say that a huge country (or even two) stands behind Ilia, it's not an exaggeration.
The UFC champion also does not forget about good deeds: on March 18, the charity fund that collaborates with Ilia announced that the fighter paid for surgery for a Georgian child with the funds raised from his victory at UFC 298. Interestingly, Topuria hadn't told anyone about it himself.
On March 21, Topuria visited the Euro 2024 qualifying match between Georgia and Luxembourg, where he was welcomed as a national hero. Another Georgian star, footballer Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, walked by "El Matador”.
On March 22, Topuria received the Order of Honor from the President of Georgia, Salome Zourabichvili, for his special personal contribution to the popularization of MMA in the country and his success in sports. Although Ilia no longer lives in Georgia and became a UFC fighter after moving to Spain.
The champion skillfully uses his well-deserved status - he is constantly in the spotlight, meets with top government officials, and increases his value in the fighting market. Topuria could open his own courses on how to effectively build a brand from scratch with just the determination and immense faith in one's own abilities.
Topuria continues to create hype by calling out Makhachev and McGregor
Despite all the fame that has come his way, Ilia remembers that he is not just a star, but also a fighter. Immediately after his victory over Volkanovski, the Spanish-Georgian finisher announced that he has set three targets - Islam Makhachev, Conor McGregor, and Max Holloway. Besides, there are discussions about a potential bout between Ilia and the bantamweight champion Sean O'Malley.
The Russian champion and P4P leader Makhachev received the most attention: Topuria posted a photo of Islam's only career loss and left a bold message: "Bijo (a guy - note of Telecomasia.net) will knock you out." Makhachev declined Topuria's challenge, stating that Ilia has unfinished business in the lightweight division - a fight with Movsar Evloev. The Russian fighter is on an eight-fight win streak, ranks in the top 5, and outright claims that Ilia is avoiding a fight with him. The rivalry is indeed intriguing, especially given the long-standing conflict between the fighters.
"El Matador" also wants to defend his belt in Spain, and UFC is seriously considering organizing an event at the Santiago Bernabeu in the summer of 2024. White is delighted with the asset he got. The most important thing for the UFC boss is to manage Topuria effectively to not lose this hyped character. Judging by the athlete's recent performances, the lightweight division has gained a new dominant champion.
Topuria's main achievement is that he has made himself into a star. Charisma, trash talk, command of several languages, support from two countries, and incredible self-confidence have allowed "El Matador" to revel in triumph immediately after the fight with Volkanovski. Ilia pushed all his chips to the center of the table and was dealt a royal flush.
