Fighter Ilia Topuria

Ilia Topuria is a Spanish-Georgian mixed martial artist, the current UFC lightweight champion and former UFC featherweight champion. Nickname: "El Matador." He is the first fighter in UFC history to hold belts in two divisions without a single defeat. He is one of the most media-famous and colorful fighters in modern MMA.

Biography of Ilia Topuria

He was born on January 21, 1997, in Halle, Germany, to Georgian parents. At the age of 7, he moved to Georgia with his family, where, on the advice of his father, he began practicing Greco-Roman wrestling. At the age of 15, he moved to the southeast of Spain, to Alicante, and began training in mixed martial arts at the Climent club.

He made his UFC debut in October 2020 at UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi, defeating Youssef Zalal by unanimous decision. Topuria demonstrated a versatile technique during his early years in the league, including a knockout of Damon Jackson in 2020, a knockout of Ryan Hall in 2021, and a choke of Bryce Mitchell in 2022.

In June 2023, he defeated Josh Emmett by points in a grueling five-round fight and earned a Fight of the Night bonus. On February 17, 2024, he knocked out Alexander Volkanovski in the second round to win the UFC featherweight championship. On October 26, 2024, he defended his belt by knocking out Max Holloway in the third round.

In February 2025, Topuria moved up to lightweight, vacating his featherweight belt. On June 29, 2025, at UFC 317 in Las Vegas, he knocked out Charles Oliveira in the first round to become the UFC lightweight champion—the first fighter in history to conquer two divisions without a loss.

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