Ilia Topuria News

BJ Penn Staff - May 8, 2025

About that new nickname UFC star Ilia Topuria chose for himself last month… Spain’s Topuria, the former UFC featherweight champ, is one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in MMA right now. Ahead of his anticipated debut in the lightweight division, he announced plans to switch his nickname from “El Matador” to “La Leyenda.”

BJ Penn Staff - May 2, 2025

Ilia Topuria has confirmed the date for his next UFC fight. Spain’s Topuria is one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in MMA at the moment. He has been particularly impressive in his last two fights.

Harry Kettle - May 2, 2025

UFC star Charles Oliveira’s coach Diego Lima has admitted that he prefers the Ilia Topuria fight ahead of an Islam Makhachev rematch. As we know, Charles Oliveira is easily one of the most popular fighters on the roster – and in all of mixed martial arts. The man known as ‘Do Bronx’ is a former champion, he’s an all-time lightweight great, and he’s still a handful for just about any other fighter at 155 pounds. In terms of what’s next, there are plenty of rumors out there – with one of the big ones being that he will battle Ilia Topuria in the latter’s debut at lightweight.

BJ Penn Staff - April 25, 2025

Dustin Poirier will fight for a final time at UFC 318 on July 19, when he takes on his long-time rival Max Holloway. On paper, Holloway looks like a perfect final opponent for the legendary lightweight Poirier. The pair have fought twice before, and while Poirier has won both encounters, both fights were entertaining. Furthermore, the two MMA legends are among the most beloved fighters in the sport’s history. It makes all the sense in the world.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - April 22, 2025

A current UFC titleholder doesn’t want to see Ilia Topuria’s move to lightweight become a waste. Topuria recently vacated the UFC Featherweight Championship to move up to the 155-pound division. “La Leyenda” is seeking a shot at Islam Makhachev for the UFC lightweight title. While the potential fight would be lucrative, Makhachev’s team argues that Topuria should have a No. 1 contender fight first.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - April 22, 2025

Ilia Topuria has a few fighters that he enjoys watching, but not all of them can get his seal of approval. The former UFC Featherweight Champion has big aspirations for his career. Topuria is moving up to the lightweight division in hopes of capturing another UFC title. While “La Leyenda” is known for being boastful, he does admit there are other elite fighters on the UFC roster who catch his attention with their fighting style.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - April 21, 2025

Islam Makhachev’s team hasn’t been too keen on a potential Ilia Topuria fight, and one highly ranked UFC lightweight thinks he knows why. Makhachev is the reigning UFC Lightweight Champion. Many have argued that he should already be on the move to the welterweight division, but Makhachev feels there’s still work to be done at lightweight. It appears he’d rather his next title defense be a rescheduling of the Arman Tsarukyan bout or Justin Gaethje rather than Topuria.

Harry Kettle - April 18, 2025

UFC star Ilia Topuria is of the belief that his rival Paddy Pimblett would be able to defeat both Justin Gaethje and Conor McGregor. As we know, Paddy Pimblett is now considered to be a top contender in the UFC’s lightweight division. He has been able to take his game to a whole new level, largely thanks to his victory over Michael Chandler at UFC 314. Now, there are a handful of big names being linked with a fight against ‘The Baddy’, and all of them would make for pretty intriguing matchups in the future.

Cole Shelton - April 16, 2025

Ilia Topuria is confident his next fight will be against Islam Makhachev. Topuira vacated his featherweight title as he planned to move up to lightweight. The thought was that he would face Makhachev for the belt right away. However, the lightweight champ has said he doesn’t want to fight Topuria and instead believes he needs to get a win first.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - April 16, 2025

Ilia Topuria has reacted to Paddy Pimblett’s dominant UFC 314 win over Michael Chandler. Pimblett has been a rising star in the UFC lightweight division, but many wondered how he would fare against “Iron.” It was a high-profile fight for “The Baddy,” and he passed the test with exceptional results. He battered Chandler to score a third-round TKO finish. It was a one-sided thrashing, and Pimblett has now emerged as a top lightweight contender.

BJ Penn Staff - April 15, 2025

UFC star Islam Makhachev does not want to fight Ilia Topuria — at least, if his friend and mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov is to be believed. Makhachev is the UFC lightweight champion. He is also the top fighter in the promotion’s hallowed pound-for-pound rankings. That list also includes Topuria, who is a touch lower down the list.

BJ Penn Staff - April 15, 2025

It’s been a little while since a UFC star appeared on an episode of The Joe Rogan Experience podcast. The wait is over, thanks to a recent visit from former featherweight champion Ilia Topuria. Topuria is one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the UFC right now, sporting a perfect 16-0 record. He has spent the bulk of his career competing in the featherweight division. In early 2024, he captured the division’s title with a knockout of featherweight legend Alexander Volkanovski. Later in the year, he defended the title with a knockout of another legend in Max Holloway. He was the first man to stop Holloway with strikes.

Harry Kettle - April 12, 2025

UFC newcomer Aaron Pico has made an interesting claim regarding his abilities in comparison to Ilia Topuria. As we know, Aaron Pico has made his way into the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Ever since his arrival, many have wondered what kind of future he could have in the promotion. Some believe he’s ready to mix it up with the very best in the featherweight division, whereas others are of the belief that he needs a few warm-up fights before getting there.

Cole Shelton - April 11, 2025

Ilia Topuria has made a bold prediction for when he fights Islam Makhachev. Topuria vacated his featherweight title as he announced he’d move up to lightweight. Although many expected him to get an immediate title shot against Islam Makhachev but that hasn’t happened yet. If he does fight Makhachev, he is confident he will be able to take down the champ and submit him.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - April 7, 2025

Paddy Pimblett is hoping to get a chance to face Ilia Topuria. Pimblett and Topuria have had some beef over the years. “The Baddy” even threw a hand sanitizer bottle at “La Leyenda” in a fighter hotel lobby. The two have continued to trade barbs, and it’s left many wondering if a matchup will become a reality in the future.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - April 6, 2025

Dan Hooker doesn’t believe Ilia Topuria did anything spectacular that led to his finish over Alexander Volkanovski. Back in Feb. 2024, Topuria challenged Volkanovski for the UFC Featherweight Championship. The bout didn’t make it out of the second round, as Topuria knocked Volknaovski out to become the new 145-pound titleholder. He followed that up with a third-round knockout victory over Max Holloway.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - March 30, 2025

Ilia Topuria has provided an update on his next fight with a big claim. Topuria will officially vacate the UFC Featherweight Championship once the UFC 314 main event between Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes begins. When it was announced that Topuria is moving up to the 155-pound division, many assumed that “El Leyenda” will be getting a shot at Islam Makhachev’s UFC Lightweight Championship. UFC CEO Dana White told reporters that Makhachev vs. Topuria isn’t a lock for the next lightweight title fight.

BJ Penn Staff - March 25, 2025

UFC star Ilia Topuria has unveiled his new Octagon nickname ahead of his move up to the lightweight division. The Georgian-Spanish MMA star has, to this point, fought with the nickname “El Matador.” However, he recently revealed plans to change his nickname ahead of his next fight.