Topuria Mural In Barcelona A Hit With Tourists

Want to get punched in the face by Ilia Topuria and live to tell the tale? Head to Barcelona, where a new stencil graffiti work has popped up featuring the featherweight champ.

After his stunning knockout win over Max Holloway at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi, Ilia Topuria has come to Barcelona … in mural form.

Several UFC fighters have hit a level of fame over the years where they’ve inspire artists to create graffiti murals in their home country. We’ve seen great ones of Israel Adesanya, Robert Whittaker, and Alexander Volkanovski in Australia and New Zealand. England has honored Paddy Pimblett, “Meatball” Molly McCann, Leon Edwards, and Tom Aspinall.

And now Spain has a mural of “El Matador” Ilia Topuria in Barcelona that’s already turning into a popular tourist attraction. Located on the wall next to a dog groomer’s shop is a stencil graffiti of Topuria throwing a big overhand right. If you’re looking for the exact address, it’s Carrer de les Basses de Sant Pere. , 22, Barcelona.

The work is positioned with Ilia’s fist right against the edge of the wall so visitors can pretend they’re eating a punch from the knockout artist — although based on the pictures we’ve seen, casuals are mirroring the punch back or giving Topuria fistbumps. Don’t do this! Refusing to stand and bang with the Topuria mural is guaranteed bad juju.

The art is by Spanish street artist Alberto Leon, who has a number of similar-themed stencil graffiti corner pieces around the city.

“Example of overcoming, sacrifice and discipline,” Leon wrote on his Instagram post of the piece. “Pure inspiration to many people, a warrior in life and in sport, a steel mentality. My little tribute to the #1 of the UFC. Thank you legend.”

While Topuria is a resident of Madrid and is pushing to have his homecoming debut fight in the city’s Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, this mural in Barcelona shows that the fighter is exploding in popularity across the country. UFC CEO Dana White has said coming to Spain in 2025 is ‘important’ to him, and let’s hope he pulls it off.

According to White, where exactly the UFC’s Spanish debut ends up depends entirely on venue availability. But there’ll be no shortage of excitement wherever it ends up, be it the middle of the country or the eastern coast. So long as it features Topuria, it could set the stage for another explosion in MMA’s international popularity like we haven’t seen since Conor McGregor.