Ilia Topuria
Ilia Topuria is a Georgian-Spanish UFC fighter and former featherweight and lightweight champion who shares his training, fight camps and life beyond the cage.
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Latest
Ilia’s happenings, collected from public sources, plus his backstory and Starbook, where fans write.
Known for
HBO Max
UFC
Movistar Plus+
UFCOverview
- Born
- 1997 · Halle, Germany; Georgian parents
- Moved to Spain
- 2012 · Alicante
- Known as
- El Matador
- Breakout
- UFC featherweight champion at UFC 298 in 2024
Mini bio
How it started.
Born in Germany to Georgian parents, Ilia moved to Georgia in 2003 and grew up practicing Greco-Roman wrestling with his brother Alex. In 2012 he moved to Alicante, where he trained in mixed martial arts at Climent Club. He began his professional MMA career in 2015.
The breakthrough.
Ilia made his UFC debut in October 2020. At UFC 298 in February 2024, he knocked out Alexander Volkanovski in the second round to win the featherweight title. In June 2025, a first-round knockout of Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 made him a champion in a second division.
Beyond fight night.
Fans can also follow his story on screen. He is a subject and executive producer of the 2024 film Topuria: Matador and the 2026 HBO Max series Los Topuria, which opens up his family life and work with his team.
The next chapter.
His first professional defeat came against Justin Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250 in June 2026. In November, he spoke about a possible return from April 2027 onward; the interview did not announce a booked fight.
Creditschronological, newest first
Documentaries
- 2026Los TopuriaSubject and executive producer
- 2024Topuria: MatadorSubject and executive producer
UFC milestones
- 2025UFC 317: Topuria vs OliveiraLightweight title winner
- 2024UFC 298: Volkanovski vs TopuriaFeatherweight title winner
Awards
Quotes
This is the first time that I actually feel like I'm 100 percentIlia Topuria, UFC.com
In June 2025, he explained how moving up to lightweight felt after cutting weight for featherweight fights.
Trivia
- His official biography says he speaks Georgian, Spanish and English.
- He earned a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt alongside his brother Alex in 2018.
- His El Matador nickname began in his old gym; he did not immediately embrace it.
Find Ilia
Follow Ilia for training, fight camps and life beyond the octagon.
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