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The Irish Sun
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Meet Ilia Topuria, the son of refugees and high school dropout set to replace Conor McGregor as the face of the UFC
THE Ultimate Fighting Championship is potentially just days away from having a new poster boy. And it's somewhat fitting that the potential coronation of mixed martial arts' premier promotion's new king will take place nearly four years to the day that Conor McGregor - the face of the sport for several years - had what looked to be his final outing. Advertisement 9 Ilia Topuria is on the cusp of making UFC history Credit: AP 9 The Georgian-born Spaniard will look to claim the vacant UFC lightweight title Credit: GETTY 9 Standing between Topuria and yet more history is former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira Credit: GETTY 9 Topuria and his family come from incredibly humble beginnings Credit: INSTGRAM@ILIATOPURIA Many have long thought the heir apparent to McGregor's throne was 'Suga' Sean O'Malley, although back-to-back championship defeats to Merab Dvalishvili have seen the former bantamweight king's sweetness fade. The man poised to succeed 'The Notorious' is a Georgian-born Spaniard who made a statement on the prelims of what with increasing certainty looks to be the last McGregor card in UFC history. The man in question is former featherweight champion Ilia Topuria, who will bid to further write his name into the history books early on Sunday morning in the Las Vegas . Undefeated Topuria will do battle with fellow fan favourite and former lightweight champion Islam Makhachev left aside. Advertisement READ MORE ON TOPURIA Becoming the TENTH two-weight champion in UFC history in the fashion he claimed and defended the featherweight title will catapult Topuria into a new stratosphere, one he always believed he'd reach. Topuria, 28, was born in 1997 in Halle, Germany , where his parents were granted refuge during the ethnic cleansing of Georgians in Abkhazia in the '90s. It was in Germany that Topuria would discover the sport of Greco-Roman wrestling , which he practised along with his younger brother, Aleksandre. The Topuria family would eventually return to Georgia , where the brothers would continue their education in Greco-Roman wrestling, in 2003. Advertisement Most read in MMA JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS 9 Ilia Topuria and his siblings are the sons of refugees who fled the ethnic cleansing of Georgians in Abkhazia in the '90s Credit: INSTGRAM@ILIATOPURIA 9 Topuria and his younger brother, Aleksandre, dropped out of school in their mid-teens to pursue MMA Credit: INSTGRAM@ILIATOPURIA 9 Topuria tore through the regional and European scene before being signed by the UFC Credit: INSTGRAM@ILIATOPURIA Advertisement 9 He rewarded his dad's trust in him by winning UFC gold in February 2024 Credit: INSTGRAM@ILIATOPURIA Eager to provide a better life for their children, Topuria's parents, Zaza and Inga, moved the family to Alicante, Spain , in 2012. Not long after their arrival, Topuria's mother spotted a man sporting cauliflower ears and asked him if he knew where her sons could continue their training. Watch jacked Ilia Topuria complete epic UFC 317 body transformation after ditching crash diet to lose over 40lbs That chance encounter paved the way for Topuria to start his mixed martial arts journey under the tutelage of the Climent brothers, Agustin and Jorge. Advertisement The Topuria brothers' passion for MMA was so fervent that they both asked their dad if they could DROP OUT of school to pursue their dreams of fighting in the UFC. In 2022, Ilia said of his early teenage years in Spain: 'Yes [it was hard to communicate], but I left school when I was like 15 years old. 'When I was 15 years old, I went with my brother to talk with my father to tell him, 'Hey, dad. ''We don't want to go to school any more, but we really want to train. Advertisement 'And we're going to the gym all day, every day, and we're going to train.' 'Because my dream was to fight in the UFC. And he told me, 'If you're really going to train all the time like you tell me, then you have my approval. 'That's one of the reasons why I made my debut so young in the UFC, because it's very tough to get into the UFC from Spain. 'Because I wasn't living in the United States and I wasn't born here, because it's easier.' Advertisement I left school when I was like 15 years old." Ilia Topuria Three years after beginning his training with the Climent brothers, Topuria made his professional debut at the tender age of 18. He'd rip through the competition on the regional and European circuits with eight straight finishes, seven of which came via submission. The UFC came calling in October 2022 and Topuria hasn't looked back since, stopping all comers bar Youssef Zalal and Josh Emmett - both of whom were battered from pillar to post - on his way to claiming and defending the featherweight crown. His coronation as featherweight king came last February with a sensational second-round knockout of fan favourite Alexander Volkanovski. Advertisement And his final outing in the division last October saw him achieve the previously unthinkable and knock out iron-chinned former featherweight champion Max Holloway. Topuria's exploits - in particular his championship victories - have seen him become a superstar in Georgia, Spain and the rest of the Spanish-speaking world. He has a whopping 7.7million Instagram followers, has been recognised by boyhood footie team Real Madrid - who presented him in front of a capacity crowd at the Bernabeu after his KO of Volk - and is pals with Los Blancos legends Iker Casillas and Sergio Ramos. His global following will explode and the celebs in his orbit will only become bigger, even though he doesn't crave the limelight, should he become a two-weight champion in a similar fashion to his featherweight coronation. Advertisement The title of 'biggest star in the UFC' is right there for the taking for Topuria. All that remains now is for him to make it his own in devastating fashion. 9 Ilia Topuria is already a superstar in Spain and can become a global name with a win over Charles Oliveira Credit: GETTY
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Meet Ilia Topuria, the son of refugees and high school dropout set to replace Conor McGregor as the face of the UFC
TOP OF THE WORLD Meet Ilia Topuria, the son of refugees and high school dropout set to replace Conor McGregor as the face of the UFC Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE Ultimate Fighting Championship is potentially just days away from having a new poster boy. And it's somewhat fitting that the potential coronation of mixed martial arts' premier promotion's new king will take place nearly four years to the day that Conor McGregor - the face of the sport for several years - had what looked to be his final outing. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 9 Ilia Topuria is on the cusp of making UFC history Credit: AP 9 The Georgian-born Spaniard will look to claim the vacant UFC lightweight title Credit: GETTY 9 Standing between Topuria and yet more history is former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira Credit: GETTY 9 Topuria and his family come from incredibly humble beginnings Credit: INSTGRAM@ILIATOPURIA Many have long thought the heir apparent to McGregor's throne was 'Suga' Sean O'Malley, although back-to-back championship defeats to Merab Dvalishvili have seen the former bantamweight king's sweetness fade. The man poised to succeed 'The Notorious' is a Georgian-born Spaniard who made a statement on the prelims of what with increasing certainty looks to be the last McGregor card in UFC history. The man in question is former featherweight champion Ilia Topuria, who will bid to further write his name into the history books early on Sunday morning in the main event of UFC 317 in Las Vegas. Undefeated Topuria will do battle with fellow fan favourite and former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira for the vacant 155lbs belt, which the dominant Islam Makhachev left aside. READ MORE ON TOPURIA UFC 317 Topuria vs Oliveira: Live stream, results, start time and TV channel Becoming the TENTH two-weight champion in UFC history in the fashion he claimed and defended the featherweight title will catapult Topuria into a new stratosphere, one he always believed he'd reach. Topuria, 28, was born in 1997 in Halle, Germany, where his parents were granted refuge during the ethnic cleansing of Georgians in Abkhazia in the '90s. It was in Germany that Topuria would discover the sport of Greco-Roman wrestling, which he practised along with his younger brother, Aleksandre. The Topuria family would eventually return to Georgia, where the brothers would continue their education in Greco-Roman wrestling, in 2003. JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS 9 Ilia Topuria and his siblings are the sons of refugees who fled the ethnic cleansing of Georgians in Abkhazia in the '90s Credit: INSTGRAM@ILIATOPURIA 9 Topuria and his younger brother, Aleksandre, dropped out of school in their mid-teens to pursue MMA Credit: INSTGRAM@ILIATOPURIA 9 Topuria tore through the regional and European scene before being signed by the UFC Credit: INSTGRAM@ILIATOPURIA 9 He rewarded his dad's trust in him by winning UFC gold in February 2024 Credit: INSTGRAM@ILIATOPURIA Eager to provide a better life for their children, Topuria's parents, Zaza and Inga, moved the family to Alicante, Spain, in 2012. Not long after their arrival, Topuria's mother spotted a man sporting cauliflower ears and asked him if he knew where her sons could continue their training. Watch jacked Ilia Topuria complete epic UFC 317 body transformation after ditching crash diet to lose over 40lbs That chance encounter paved the way for Topuria to start his mixed martial arts journey under the tutelage of the Climent brothers, Agustin and Jorge. The Topuria brothers' passion for MMA was so fervent that they both asked their dad if they could DROP OUT of school to pursue their dreams of fighting in the UFC. In 2022, Ilia said of his early teenage years in Spain: 'Yes [it was hard to communicate], but I left school when I was like 15 years old. 'When I was 15 years old, I went with my brother to talk with my father to tell him, 'Hey, dad. ''We don't want to go to school any more, but we really want to train. 'And we're going to the gym all day, every day, and we're going to train.' 'Because my dream was to fight in the UFC. And he told me, 'If you're really going to train all the time like you tell me, then you have my approval. 'That's one of the reasons why I made my debut so young in the UFC, because it's very tough to get into the UFC from Spain. 'Because I wasn't living in the United States and I wasn't born here, because it's easier.' I left school when I was like 15 years old." Ilia Topuria Three years after beginning his training with the Climent brothers, Topuria made his professional debut at the tender age of 18. He'd rip through the competition on the regional and European circuits with eight straight finishes, seven of which came via submission. The UFC came calling in October 2022 and Topuria hasn't looked back since, stopping all comers bar Youssef Zalal and Josh Emmett - both of whom were battered from pillar to post - on his way to claiming and defending the featherweight crown. His coronation as featherweight king came last February with a sensational second-round knockout of fan favourite Alexander Volkanovski. And his final outing in the division last October saw him achieve the previously unthinkable and knock out iron-chinned former featherweight champion Max Holloway. Topuria's exploits - in particular his championship victories - have seen him become a superstar in Georgia, Spain and the rest of the Spanish-speaking world. He has a whopping 7.7million Instagram followers, has been recognised by boyhood footie team Real Madrid - who presented him in front of a capacity crowd at the Bernabeu after his KO of Volk - and is pals with Los Blancos legends Iker Casillas and Sergio Ramos. His global following will explode and the celebs in his orbit will only become bigger, even though he doesn't crave the limelight, should he become a two-weight champion in a similar fashion to his featherweight coronation. The title of 'biggest star in the UFC' is right there for the taking for Topuria. All that remains now is for him to make it his own in devastating fashion.
The Irish Sun
7 hours ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
‘Didn't answer' – Ilia Topuria brutally ghosted by Real Madrid legend days before UFC 317 clash vs Charles Oliveira
ILIA TOPURIA doesn't know if Sergio Ramos will be cheering him on at UFC 317 after being GHOSTED by the Real Madrid legend. Former Los Blancos and Spain star Ramos has attended two of Topuria's last three fights. 4 Ilia Topuria is a massive star in Spain Credit: GETTY 4 Topuria's star has shone so brightly that former Real Madrid man Sergio Ramos has attended two of his last three fights 4 But Topuria doesn't know if Ramos will be in attendance at UFC 317 this weekend after being ghosted by his countryman Credit: GETTY He had one of the best seats in the house for the Georgian-born Spaniard's incredible KO of Max Holloway at UFC 308 last November. Footie and MMA fans expected Ramos to be in the stands for Topuria's lightweight title tilt against But Topuria is currently in the dark over Ramos' attendance after being brutally left on read by his pal. When asked about Ramos attending the fight, he told READ MORE ON TOPURIA 'Actually, I texted him and he didn't answer me. 'He's my boy, but he didn't even answer me.' Topuria, 28, will bid to become the tenth two-division champion in UFC history in his vacant lightweight title clash with fan favourite Oliveira in the JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS Most read in MMA 4 Sergio Ramos celebrated Ilia Topuria's stunning KO of Max Holloway in the cage last November. Credit: GETTY And he plans to join the illustrious group in devastating and viral fashion. He said: "Charles is a great fighter. UFC star Ilia Topuria makes offer to Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso ahead of UFC 317 as Los Blancos eye Mbappe back-up "I'd say he's a legendary fighter, one of the few still active in the UFC. "But the truth is that his style fits perfectly with mine to put him to sleep in the first round. "Because he has no mobility, he doesn't move."
Scottish Sun
21 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Watch jacked Ilia Topuria complete epic UFC 317 body transformation after ditching crash diet to lose over 40lbs
The former featherweight king used to cut over a stone of weight WEIGH TO GO Watch jacked Ilia Topuria complete epic UFC 317 body transformation after ditching crash diet to lose over 40lbs Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) ILIA TOPURIA completed an epic body transformation at the official UFC 317 weigh-ins. The former king of the featherweights will bid to claim the vacant lightweight title early on Sunday morning in the main event of the International Fight Week card in Las Vegas. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up Ilia Topuria weighs in at 155lbs for his #UFC317 clash with Charles Oliveira — Chisanga Malata (@Chisanga_Malata) June 27, 2025 4 Ilia Topuria returns to the octagon this weekend in the main event of UFC 317 Credit: GETTY 4 Topuri will be fighting for only the second time at lightweight in the UFC Credit: Getty 4 He looked lean and mean on the scales this evening after completing a dramatic body transformation Credit: GETTY Topuria, 28, announced his move up to 155lbs in February after growing tired of the gruelling cut down to 145lbs. The Georgian-born Spaniard has been sporting a much more muscle-bound frame over the last few months. And he looked in incredible shape as he hit the scales at the official weigh-ins at the UFC Apex this afternoon. 'El Matador' looked lean and mean as he hit the lightweight championship mark of 155lbs for the first time. READ MORE ON TOPURIA FIGHTING TALK Watch Topuria and Oliveira have heated conversation during UFC 317 face off Topuria used to cut over a STONE in weight to make the featherweight title fight limit, and the gruelling cut played a big role in his decision to leave the belt he won last February. He told ESPN Deportes: 'In that moment [when cutting weight], I'm so low. "I feel terrible… I didn't want to suffer anymore… "It's like living in the desert, and I wanted to live on the beach.' JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS 4 Iia Topuria and Charles Oliveira will vie for the vacant lightweight title at UFC 317 Credit: GETTY Standing between Topuria and a second UFC title is former lightweight champion and fan favourite Charles Oliveira. Topuria has immense respect for 'Do Bronx' but plans to brutally knock him out to fulfil his dream of becoming a two-division champion. Ilia Topuria Trains For UFC 317 Clash With Charles Oliveira He said: "Charles is a great fighter. "I'd say he's a legendary fighter, one of the few still active in the UFC. "But the truth is that his style fits perfectly with mine to put him to sleep in the first round. "Because he has no mobility, he doesn't move."
The Irish Sun
21 hours ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Watch jacked Ilia Topuria complete epic UFC 317 body transformation after ditching crash diet to lose over 40lbs
ILIA TOPURIA completed an epic body transformation at the official UFC 317 weigh-ins. The former king of the featherweights will bid to claim the vacant lightweight title early on Sunday morning in the main event of the International Fight Week card in Las Vegas . Advertisement 4 Ilia Topuria returns to the octagon this weekend in the main event of UFC 317 Credit: GETTY 4 Topuri will be fighting for only the second time at lightweight in the UFC Credit: Getty 4 He looked lean and mean on the scales this evening after completing a dramatic body transformation Credit: GETTY Topuria, 28, announced his move up to 155lbs in February after growing tired of the gruelling cut down to 145lbs. The Georgian-born Spaniard has been sporting a much more muscle-bound frame over the last few months. And he looked in incredible shape as he hit the scales at the official weigh-ins at the UFC Apex this afternoon. 'El Matador' looked lean and mean as he hit the lightweight championship mark of 155lbs for the first time. Advertisement READ MORE ON TOPURIA Topuria used to cut over a STONE in weight to make the featherweight title fight limit, and the gruelling cut played a big role in his decision to leave the belt he won last February. He told ESPN Deportes: 'In that moment [when cutting weight], I'm so low. "I feel terrible… I didn't want to suffer anymore… "It's like living in the desert, and I wanted to live on the beach.' Advertisement Most read in Sport JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS 4 Iia Topuria and Charles Oliveira will vie for the vacant lightweight title at UFC 317 Credit: GETTY Standing between Topuria and a second UFC title is former lightweight champion and fan favourite Topuria has immense respect for 'Do Bronx' but plans to brutally knock him out to fulfil his dream of becoming a two-division champion. Advertisement Ilia Topuria Trains For UFC 317 Clash With Charles Oliveira He said: "Charles is a great fighter. "I'd say he's a legendary fighter, one of the few still active in the UFC. "But the truth is that his style fits perfectly with mine to put him to sleep in the first round. "Because he has no mobility, he doesn't move." Advertisement
