In this tabloid-style article, we delve into the journey of Ilia Topuria, the latest contender for the UFC Featherweight Title and one of the most promising prospects in the world of MMA. Join us as we explore Topuria’s MMA record, his performance in the UFC, and his impressive number of finishes.
Ilia Topuria began his professional career in April 2015, making his debut in Valencia, Spain, where he secured a victory against Francisco Javier Asprilla. Since then, Topuria has participated in 13 more professional MMA fights, emerging victorious in each and every one of them.
Despite having a relatively short career with only 14 fights, Topuria’s achievements have been nothing short of extraordinary. This Spanish MMA sensation currently holds a flawless record of 14-0. Out of these 14 victories, 12 have been secured inside the distance. With eight wins by submission and four by knockout, ‘El Matador’ has proven himself to be a force to be reckoned with.
Topuria’s career thus far has been nothing short of sensational, and it’s clear that he is just getting started. His next goal is to claim the UFC Featherweight Championship in his first attempt as he takes on long-reigning champion Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298.
As expected, Topuria enters this bout as the slight underdog according to the top UFC betting sites. He is priced at +105 to become the UFC champion on his first try and become the first fighter to defeat ‘The Great’ in the featherweight division of the UFC.
As previously mentioned, Ilia Topuria made his professional MMA debut approximately nine years ago. He made an impressive start to his career, securing a submission victory in the first round of his debut fight on a West Coast Warriors card. Topuria went on to have seven more fights as a professional MMA fighter before signing with the UFC.
‘El Matador’ arrived in the UFC with a well-established reputation. With an 8-0 record, all victories by stoppage, Topuria was seen as a rising star. He made his UFC debut in October 2020, winning via unanimous decision and kickstarting his UFC career.
UFC President Dana White wasted no time in pushing Topuria to face tough opponents. Just two months after his debut, Topuria knocked out Damon Jackson in the first round of their 145-pound contest. He continued his impressive run by defeating Ryan Hall via knockout in the first round, bringing his record to 11-0 with three knockouts and seven submissions.
Next up was a challenging fight against Jai Herbert, which Topuria won with a second-round knockout, silencing the pro-Herbert British crowd. He also received a ‘Performance Of The Night’ bonus for his knockout in the second round.
Topuria faced another tough opponent in ranked fighter Bryce Mitchell on the main card of UFC 282 in December 2022. Once again, Topuria rose to the occasion, securing a ‘Performance Of The Night’ bonus with a submission victory via triangle choke in the second round.
His next challenge came in the form of UFC veteran Josh Emmett, who had his own aspirations for a title shot. In their last encounter, Topuria emerged victorious via unanimous decision, earning himself a shot at the UFC gold. This brings us to the present, with Topuria preparing to face Alexander Volkanovski and his 145-pound title at UFC 298.
As we approach this weekend’s fight, Ilia ‘El Matador’ Topuria is considered a slight underdog against ‘The Great’ according to the best US sportsbooks. He aims to become the first fighter to defeat Volkanovski in the featherweight division of the UFC, ending his impressive five-year reign as the 145-pound champion.
Don’t forget to take advantage of the various sports betting app bonuses and UFC free bets available on the SportsLens site before Topuria’s next fight.
According to the Source sportslens.com