Spanish-Georgian fighter Ilia Topuria is already a UFC legend after retaining the featherweight title in a fight held in Abu Dhabi on October 26. There, in a few minutes, he managed to defeat Max Holloway, his challenger, by KO, a victory that made him the big star of the category which leaves Conor McGregor, until now star of the category, on the ropes and waiting. decides to challenge Topuria to witness the duel that everyone wants to see. The guest has become everything a regular at The anthillsince just a few weeks ago he was on set talking about the premiere of the documentary film about his careernow available on the Movistar Plus+ platform.
The evening began with the Valencian reminding him that this new victory was unthinkable for many, since the experts in the category predicted that it was impossible for him to retain the title. “Well, impossible for some. I always preach the same thing, I always say, “If anyone has done it, I will do it too; and if no one has done it, I will be the first to do it’. And that’s how it happened,” the guest replied with his usual calm. He also wanted to know what it felt like to accomplish something so important for the second time and to silence so many of geese: “Many times I thought about this answer, but I never find these words that describe this happiness, because there are no words that can define this level of happiness. How you feel when you suddenly win and feel that emotion, that energy from people… It can’t be explained. What I would like is for everyone to be able to experience this level of happiness that I feel at that moment, because it is something unparalleled.”, was his response.
Although today he is the big star of the category, the truth is that Ilia only started in the world of fighting very late in his adolescence, when he and his brother discovered this world by chance so that they were already living in Alicante with their family. after changing countries several times. Motos reminded him that at first no one bet on him: “I had no talent and I was always cold and had a runny nose… Nobody imagined that I could become world champion.“.
Topuria revealed that at first it was her brother who got all the attention: “They told me why not do something else like learn to play the violin or the piano and I said no, they should give me a little more time.“.
It was his father who encouraged him to move forward despite obstacles: “I was skinny and always cold, but one day my father started fantasizing about me and told me that when the world knew my talent and saw everything I had, I was going to revolutionize the world.“.
These words, which were only a way of encouraging a teenager, have over the years made a world champion. “It made me believe in myself and that was the first big change I made in my life, starting to trust myself. And it was thanks to my father“, recognizes Ilia Topuria, who remains grateful to all her family and always keeps them in mind, so much so that her brother Aleksandre is part of her team.
