From Ilya Topuria to “El Matador”: profile of the new UFC hero

Invasion Ilya Topuria (14-0) in the MMA elite has gone from promise to reality in a matter of years, and now the Latino Georgian is aiming to defeat Alexander Volkanovski for the featherweight title and become the first Spanish champion in UFC history. The Honda Center in Anaheim, Los Angeles, will witness a battle that could mark a generational change on the throne.

A graduate of the Kliment club is one of the most promising players of the leading mixed martial arts company.With. His charisma and style in and out of the cage made El Matador one of the most recognizable figures on the scene., a status that convinced Dana White to give him the opportunity to fight for the 145-pound belt. The task is gigantic. HeyLia will face Volkanovski, considered the best featherweight of all time, undefeated in his title defense (5/5) and with over four years of reign under his belt.

Stars like Yair Rodriguez and Max Holloway have passed through the clutches of Wolf in recent years, but Ilya’s case seems to be different from all the others. At 27 years old, he is in perfect physical and mental condition to become the new featherweight (65.8 kg) monarch.

The origins of “El Matador”

The Topuria family was born in Germany (Halle) in 1997 and grew up in Georgia, the homeland of both his parents. The Topuria family moved to Alicante (Spain) with the goal of creating a better life. ThisThe kids of the house, Alex and Elijah, have found a second home at Club Clement, a martial arts gym run by two other brothers, Jorge and Agustin.

and today it has become a factory of warriors, devastating the main promoters. Ilya is his best student.

A boy with a background in Greco-Roman wrestling, who through hard work and sweat has become one of the most accomplished wrestlers in the world today and who strives to leave a lasting legacy. His older brother’s role is a fundamental part of this meteoric rise. Alexander, who plans to make his UFC debut in 2024, has “put on hold” his professional career to help the baby in the house achieve his dreams, and is part of “Team Topuria” as a coach and sparring partner.

Ilya, 27 years old. He has demonstrated talent in all three areas of MMA: striking, takedowns and jiu-jitsu – skills that have captivated UFC fans. and especially Dana White, the company boss who has repeatedly demonstrated his sympathy for Ilya and even refused the offer to visit Spain at a press conference: “I have never thought about going (to Spain), but now it is very close,” he said. In any case, the first goal now is the belt.

His nickname “Matador” He was born in the Clement club and, because of his attitude towards bullfighting, Ilya did not like him at first. However, the fighter admitted that over time “it sounded better” and he now looks proud when his name is called.

An unexpected debut and a meteoric rise

He made his professional debut in April 2015, at the age of 18, defeating Francisco Javier Martinez in the West Coast Warrior tournament. It was the first of his eight wins (seven by submission and one knockout) and got him knocking on the door of the UFC, where he’ll make his debut on just 10 days’ notice against Youssef Zalal. He defeated the Moroccan via unanimous decision in October 2020, a win that paved the way for the future. Damon Jackson, Ryan Hall and Jay Herbert, the latter of whom was in London with the entire public against him, reveled in the Latino’s fury. Later, two victories over opponents from the top 10 followed, which helped Ilya finally gain a foothold in the elite of the featherweight category: he dominated on the ground over such an expert as Bryce Mitchell, and then defeated one of the strongest boxers, such as Josh Emmett, leaving the American face completely bloodied and bruised.

Everyone had Topuria as an expert in jiu-jitsu and takedown technique, but these last two fights made it clear that the Latino Georgian’s boxing is on par with the best in the UFC. His fists punch at the speed of light and hit like steel. This three-dimensionality in his game makes Alicante a three-headed monster inside a cage. something very attractive from a pay-per-view perspective.

The biggest challenge… before the biggest

The dream came true on November 6th when Dana White announced on his social media a fight between Ilya Topuria and Alexander Volkanovski for the 145 pound title. The confrontation between “The Great” and “El Matador” a month later did not disappoint, and both also sent messages to each other at the press conference. “I’ll hit him and put him at the height of my balls” – assured the Spaniard, always so reserved. The UFC is a spectacle, and he seems to understand that very well, and that’s something martial arts fans really like.

Volkanovski (Australia, 1988) is currently the longest reigning UFC champion. He has over 1,500 days of reign under his belt and a perfect 15-0 record in the division (26-3-0 overall, 13 knockouts and 5 title defenses). He moved up the category twice, snatched the belt from Makachev and became a two-time champion, but the Dagestani was too strong for “The Great One,” who was up against the best pound for pound on the planet. Islam knocked him out in October and, at 34, that could have affected him heading into the Ilia fight, but the Australian is set to show off his enviable form again on February 17 in Anaheim.