Tag: ilia topuria

EXCLUSIVE | Ilia Topuria Wants Anyone In The Featherweight Top 10 Next

Ilia TopuriaIllia Topuria is looking to continue his rise up the featherweight rankings after picking up the biggest win of his career last time out. ‘El Matador’ squared off against Ryan Hall on the undercard of Dustin Poirier vs. Conor McGregor III on July 10. The Georgian-Spanish fighter made it look easy as he shrugged off Hall’s […]

Ilia Topuria

Illia Topuria is looking to continue his rise up the featherweight rankings after picking up the biggest win of his career last time out.

‘El Matador’ squared off against Ryan Hall on the undercard of Dustin Poirier vs. Conor McGregor III on July 10.

The Georgian-Spanish fighter made it look easy as he shrugged off Hall’s unorthodox submission attempts before putting the Ultimate Fighter winner to sleep inside one round at UFC 264.

In a recent interview with LowKickMMA, Topuria spoke about the extreme level of confidence he felt heading into the biggest fight of his MMA career to date.

“I was so ready for that fight,” Topuria said. “I had three months specifically training for him and I am happy with the result.

“I was saying to everyone that I just need one round to finish him.”

Topuria is now ranked at #15 at featherweight and is hoping he’ll get the chance to crack the top 10 in his next fight.

“I think someone in the top 10,” Topuria said when asked about who he’ll fight next. “Now everyone is trying to escape from me, that’s normal. I understand that, but I think I’m going to get to fight someone in the top 10.”

UFC Featherweight Rankings

Champion: Alexander Volkanovski

  1. Max Holloway
  2. Brian Ortega
  3. Yair Rodriguez
  4. Chan Sung Jung
  5. Calvin Kattar
  6. Arnold Allen
  7. Josh Emmett
  8. Dan Ige
  9. Edson Barboza
  10. Giga Chikadze
  11. Bryce Mitchell
  12. Sodiq Yusuff
  13. Movsar Evloev
  14. Shane Burgos
  15. Ilia Topuria

Who do you want to see Ilia Topuria fight next?

Ilia Topuria Remains Undefeated, Stops Ryan Hall With Strikes – UFC 264 Highlights

TopuriaFormer Brave CF and Cage Warriors feature, Ilia ‘El Matador’ Topuria remains undefeated and improves his professional mixed martial arts record to 11-0 — stopping the tricky grappler, Ryan Hall with late ground strikes in the opening round of their UFC 264 clash. Improving to 3-0 in the UFC, Georgian native, Topuria debuted with a […]

Topuria

Former Brave CF and Cage Warriors feature, Ilia ‘El Matador’ Topuria remains undefeated and improves his professional mixed martial arts record to 11-0 — stopping the tricky grappler, Ryan Hall with late ground strikes in the opening round of their UFC 264 clash.

Improving to 3-0 in the UFC, Georgian native, Topuria debuted with a unanimous decision win over Youssef Zalal before lodging an impressive knockout win over Damon Jackson back in December of last year.

Meeting with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ace, Hall, who more often than not incorporates an elusive, really unorthodox style — Topuria avoided Imanari rolls and heel hook attempts from Hall in the opening round, before scoring a late knockout victory after weaving through guard and laying down a flurry of strikes to a grounded Hall.

Below, catch the highlights from Topuria stoppage win over Hall.

Ryan Hall vs. Ilia Topuria On Tap For July 10 Fight Night Event

A thrilling featherweight bout between Ryan Hall and the unbeaten Ilia Topuria is scheduled for the UFC event held on July 10. On Tuesday, the Georgian website Adjarasport was the first to report the news of the featherweight booking. Coming off of fou…

A thrilling featherweight bout between Ryan Hall and the unbeaten Ilia Topuria is scheduled for the UFC event held on July 10. On Tuesday, the Georgian website Adjarasport was the first to report the news of the featherweight booking. Coming off of four canceled fights for various reasons, this is a prime chance for Ryan […]

Report: Ilia Topuria To Face Ryan Hall At UFC’s July 10 Event

Hall TopuriaFeatherweight prospect Ilia Topuria will face his first big test in Ryan Hall. As per a report from Adjarasport, Topuria will face Hall in the UFC’s upcoming July 10 event. Nothing is official yet, but if true, a fight announcement should be expected soon. Topuria is 2-0 since joining the UFC in 2020. His most […]

Hall Topuria

Featherweight prospect Ilia Topuria will face his first big test in Ryan Hall.

As per a report from Adjarasport, Topuria will face Hall in the UFC’s upcoming July 10 event. Nothing is official yet, but if true, a fight announcement should be expected soon.

Topuria is 2-0 since joining the UFC in 2020. His most recent outing saw him get an impressive knockout win over Damon Jackson. In Hall, the undefeated Georgian will face a major step up in competition.

For Hall, it’s the opposite as he has long clamored for a ranked opponent only to complain of being ducked. He was finally set to face fellow contender Dan Ige earlier this month only to pull out of the fight due to a hip flexor injury. The American’s last outing came in July 2019 when he outpointed Darren Elkins.

Having had to pull out of his fights on a number of occasions, it looks like the UFC had no choice but to offer him an unranked opponent.

That said, Topuria is far from an easy test and this should be a good indicator of how far he can go in this stacked featherweight division.

Who do you have in this fight?

Ilia Topuria KO’s Damon Jackson With First-Round Overhand – UFC Vegas 16 Highlights

TopuriaThe Georgian MMA takeover continues tonight at UFC Vegas 16 in ‘Sin City’. Featuring on the preliminary portion of the card, Ilia Topuria improved to 10-0 professionally, and 2-0 under the promotion’s banner via a massive overhand right knockout win over Damon Jackson in the opening frame. The former Brave CF competitor made his Octagon […]

Topuria

The Georgian MMA takeover continues tonight at UFC Vegas 16 in ‘Sin City’. Featuring on the preliminary portion of the card, Ilia Topuria improved to 10-0 professionally, and 2-0 under the promotion’s banner via a massive overhand right knockout win over Damon Jackson in the opening frame.

The former Brave CF competitor made his Octagon splash in October at UFC Fight Island 5 — taking home a unanimous decision victory over fellow highly-touted prospect Youssef Zalal.

Utilising his boxing early and often opposed to his dangerous grappling, Topuria notably ripped the body on cue in the run up to the finish. Hurting Jackson with a perfectly placed body shot, Topuria backed the former up against the fence, before uncorking a massive overhand right hand, slumping Jackson before the three-minute mark of the first-round.

Below, check out the highlights from Topuria’s second Octagon victory and his devasatating knockout of Jackson.

Ilia Topuria Outworks Youssef Zalal – UFC Fight Island 5 Results

Zalal TopuriaOpening up the UFC Fight Island 5 main card is a featherweight clash between Youssef Zalal and Ilia Topuria. Round 1: The two touch gloves as we get started. Zalal misses a body kick. Topuria is advancing aggressively. Topuria responds with a right hand as Zalal attempts a low kick. Zalal partially lands a head […]

Zalal Topuria

Opening up the UFC Fight Island 5 main card is a featherweight clash between Youssef Zalal and Ilia Topuria.

Round 1: The two touch gloves as we get started. Zalal misses a body kick. Topuria is advancing aggressively. Topuria responds with a right hand as Zalal attempts a low kick. Zalal partially lands a head kick. Zalal continues to use good footwork and lands a body kick. Topuria level changes and goes for the takedown. Zalal defends well and reveres Topuria against the fence. Topuria, however, suplexes Zalal to the ground beautifully and is now in full mount. Topuria looks to lock in an anaconda. Zalal continues to fight it but finds himself in a guillotine choke. It’s switched to an anaconda but Zalal scrambles and is on his feet. He separates and the round comes to an end.

Round 2: Zalal goes for the takedown now but Topuria is defending well. Topuria lands some hammer fists but Zalal continues to work. They separate. Zalal appears to be much slower now as Topuria advances forward. Topuria lands a huge one-two but Zalal eats it. Topuria quickly takes him down soon after. Topuria has transitioned to a mounted guillotine but Zalal gets out of it. Topuria transitions to his back. However, Zalal reverses and now has Topuria’s back! Topuria shrugs him off and lands some ground and pound. Zalal looks for a kneebar but to no avail as the round ends.

Round 3: Topuria level changes and is back on top of Zalal. Zalal threatens with an armbar but Topuria is not in serious danger. Topuria looks to attempt another submission but Zalal gets out of it. Topuria attempts another takedown but Zalal defends it and goes for a guillotine now. However, Topuria gets out of it and is on top again. Zalal gets up but Topuria has his back and drags him to the ground again. They’re back on the feet and Zalal looks like the much fresher fighter now. Zalal partially lands a head kick. Topuria is clearly fatigued here. Topuria ducks a left and beautifully-timed takedown. Zalal tries a flying switch knee but Topuria catches it and ends the round on top.

Official result: Ilia Topuria defeats Youssef Zalal via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).