Ilia Topuria has all the makings of a superstar. The undefeated (14-0, 6-0 UFC) Featherweight contender has finished four of his first six opponents inside the Octagon, helping him catapult all the way up to the the No. 3 spot on the official UFC rankings.
But if “El Matador” can hand current UFC Featherweight champion, Alexander Volkanovski, his first-ever loss at 145 pounds when they collide at UFC 298 on Feb. 17, 2024, the sky is the limit for the 27 year-old. In fact, former UFC “champ-champ,” Daniel Cormier, says the Spaniard could have an ascension that mirrors that of Conor McGregor’s.
“[Topuria’s confidence] reminds me of Conor about to fight Jose Aldo,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel (h/t MiddleEasy). “He told you, and he was so sure that he was going to get it done that you knew that if it happened, he would become a star that we’ve never seen in the UFC before or in fighting. So, when it happened, he went to the moon. I feel like Ilia Topuria is setting himself up to have that type of ascent if he can deliver on all of the promises that he is making.”
Of course, McGregor’s rise through the UFC ranks was unlike something never seen before in the world of mixed martial arts (MMA). And though there have been several stars attempt to mirror his success, no one has quite come close.
In Cormier’s assessment, one of the traits that makes Topuria stand out from the pack is the fact that he seems to want all the pressure on his shoulders, which most of it is brought on by himself.
“It seems like all [Topuria] wants to do is put pressure on himself. This dude has now said he’s releasing a movie on becoming the champion of the world, this dude has updated his [social media] bio with another win and he’s now the UFC featherweight champion,” he added.
“This dude has stated he wants to fight in the same stadium where Real Madrid plays football in Spain. This dude has said to anyone that will listen how Alexander Volkanovski can not compete with him. Most people under these circumstances want to release the pressure. Not this dude.”
Like McGregor, Topuria does have the backing of an entire country behind him so if he does manage to upset “The Great” in Anaheim, Calif., Cormier’s prediction of super-stardom could very well come to fruition.