Ilia Topuria ( ka, ილია თოფურია; born January 21, 1997) is a Georgian and Spanish professional

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting sport based on striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-stylistic contests took place t ...

. He currently competes in the

Featherweight Featherweight is a weight class in the combat sports of boxing, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, and Greco-Roman wrestling. Boxing Professional boxing History A featherweight boxer weighs in at a limit of . In the early days of the division, ...

division of the

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promoter (entertainment), promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor ( ...

(UFC), where he is the former

UFC Featherweight Champion Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight clas ...

and the first Georgian fighter to win a UFC championship. As of April 15, 2025, he is #3 in the UFC featherweight rankings and as of June 10, 2025, he is #4 in the UFC men's pound-for-pound rankings.

Background

Topuria was born in Halle Westfalen, Germany. to Georgian parents who were refugees from Abkhazia. At the age of seven, Topuria moved to

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

with his family and started practicing

Greco-Roman wrestling Greco-Roman (American English), Graeco-Roman (British English), or classic wrestling (Euro-English) is a style of wrestling that is practiced worldwide. Greco-Roman wrestling was included in the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 and has been i ...

at a local school. After the

Russo-Georgian War The August 2008 Russo-Georgian War, also known as the Russian invasion of Georgia,Occasionally, the war is also referred to by other names, such as the Five-Day War and August War. was a war waged against Georgia by the Russian Federation and the ...

, at the age of 15, they once again relocated, this time to

Alicante Alicante (, , ; ; ; officially: ''/'' ) is a city and municipalities of Spain, municipality in the Valencian Community, Spain. It is the capital of the province of Alicante and a historic Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean port. The population ...

, Spain. In 2015, he made his debut as a professional in local competitions. Topuria has an older brother, Aleksandre Topuria, who is also a professional mixed martial artist signed to the UFC.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Topuria started his career with four straight submission wins on the Spanish regional scene and won a belt in Mix Fight Events promotion. In 2018, he competed in his first international fight in Cage MMA Finland. In the same year, in May, he became the first Georgian black belt in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu alongside his brother Alex Topuria. Months later he received the opportunity to fight for the Cage Warriors Bantamweight Championship at the Lotto Arena in

Antwerp Antwerp (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third-largest city in Belgium by area at , after ...

, Belgium. Ilia failed to make the agreed weight so despite winning the fight quickly, he did not get the belt. In 2019, he signed with

Brave Combat Federation BRAVE Combat Federation is a mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion based in Bahrain. The organization was established on 23 September 2016 by Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa. BRAVE Combat Federation features mixed martial artists from more than ...

. Ilia made his promotional debut in Bogotá, Colombia, defeating Luis Gomez in the first round by submission; which earned him the award for best performance of the night. On November 15, 2019, in Bahrain, he won his second fight in BRAVE by defeating Steven Goncalves by KO in the first round.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Topuria, as a replacement for Seung Woo Choi, took a bout on short notice against Youssef Zalal on October 11, 2020 at UFC Fight Night: Moraes vs. Sandhagen. Topuria won the fight via unanimous decision. Topuria faced Damon Jackson on December 5, 2020, at UFC on ESPN: Hermansson vs. Vettori. He won the fight via knockout in round one. Topuria faced Ryan Hall on July 10, 2021, at UFC 264. He won the fight via knockout in round one. Topuria was scheduled to face Movsar Evloev on January 22, 2022, at

UFC 270 ''UFC 270: Ngannou vs. Gane'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on January 22, 2022, at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Background A UFC Heavyweight Championship title unificat ...

. However, Evloev withdrew from the bout for undisclosed reasons and was replaced by

Charles Jourdain Charles Jourdain (born November 27, 1995) is a Canadian mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He was previously a TKO Major League MMA Double Champion, winning th ...

. However, Topuria was pulled from the card due to a medical issue related to cutting weight and the bout was cancelled. Topuria faced Jai Herbert, replacing Mike Davis, on March 19, 2022, at UFC Fight Night 204. Topuria suffered a knockdown from a head kick in round one, but recovered and won the fight via knockout in round two. With this win, he received the '' Performance of the Night'' award. Topuria was scheduled to face Edson Barboza on October 29, 2022, at UFC Fight Night 213. However, Barboza withdrew in late September due to a knee injury and the bout was cancelled. Topuria faced Bryce Mitchell on December 10, 2022, at UFC 282. He won the fight via submission in round two. This win earned him the '' Performance of the Night'' award. Topuria was initially scheduled to face

Josh Emmett Joshua James Emmett (born March 4, 1985) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional since 2011, Emmett has also competed for K ...

on June 17, 2023, at UFC on ESPN 47. However, the promotion later announced that the bout was shifted to headline UFC on ABC: Emmett vs. Topuria on June 24, 2023. He won the fight via unanimous decision. The bout earned him the '' Fight of the Night'' award.

UFC Featherweight Champion

In October 2023, Topuria was scheduled to face

Alexander Volkanovski Alexander Volkanovski (born 29 September 1988) is an Australian professional Mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Featherweight (MMA), Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where ...

on January 20, 2024, for the

UFC Featherweight Championship Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight classe ...

at UFC 297. However, on ten days notice replacing an injured

Charles Oliveira Charles Oliveira da Silva (born October 17, 1989) is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist and fourth degree black belt Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner. Oliveira currently competes in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting ...

, Volkanovski faced

Islam Makhachev Islam Ramazanovich Makhachev (; born 27 October 1991) is a Russian professional mixed martial artist and former sambo competitor. He currently competes in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is the cu ...

for the

UFC Lightweight Championship Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight class ...

at UFC 294 on October 21, 2023, and was knocked out in the first round. As a result, Topuria vs. Volkanovski was pushed back one month to headline UFC 298 on February 17, 2024. Topuria won the featherweight championship via knockout in the second round, ending Volkanovski's four-year reign as champion. This fight earned him the '' Performance of the Night'' award. Topuria defended his

against former champion

Max Holloway Jerome Max Keli'i Holloway (born December 4, 1991) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Featherweight and Lightweight divisions of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former UFC Fea ...

on October 26, 2024, at UFC 308. He won the fight by knockout in the third round, leading to the first knockout loss of Holloway's career. This fight earned him another '' Performance of the Night'' award.

Vacating title

Despite rumors of a rematch between Topuria and Volkanovski, on February 19, 2025, it was announced that Topuria will vacate the Featherweight championship as soon as the featherweight championship main event at UFC 314 starts. UFC president

Dana White Dana Frederick White Jr. (born July 28, 1969) is an American businessman who is the CEO and president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a global mixed martial arts organization. In August 2019, White's net worth was estimated at . Out ...

explained Topuria's unexpected move, citing difficulties cutting weight, a lack of interest in the division's competition, and a desire to move up to Lightweight permanently.

Move to Lightweight

Topuria is scheduled to face former

UFC Lightweight Champion Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight class ...

for the vacant

on June 28, 2025 at UFC 317.

Fighting style

Initially coming into the

UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. The larg ...

organization with a strong base in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Topuria dedicated himself to enhancing his stand-up game, developing a

boxing Boxing is a combat sport and martial art. Taking place in a boxing ring, it involves two people – usually wearing protective equipment, such as boxing glove, protective gloves, hand wraps, and mouthguards – throwing Punch (combat), punch ...

-heavy approach under the guidance of experienced coaches. His boxing style is marked by precise shot selection, fluid combinations, and remarkable power, which was on full display during his knockout victories over

and

in 2024. Topuria's execution of boxing is strategic, using his footwork and positioning to set up clean, fight-altering punches. He has cited the Mexican boxing style, particularly that of

Canelo Álvarez Santos Saúl Álvarez Barragán (; born 18 July 1990), commonly known as Canelo or Saúl Álvarez, is a Mexican professional boxer. He has held multiple quadruple champion#Boxing, world championships in four weight classes, from light middlewe ...

, as a major inspiration for his striking, adapting its principles to mixed martial arts.

Personal life

Topuria speaks fluent Georgian and also speaks a bit of

Mingrelian Mingrelian may refer to: *the Mingrelians *the Mingrelian language The Mingrelian or Megrelian language ( ) is a Kartvelian language spoken in Western Georgia (regions of Mingrelia and Abkhazia), primarily by the Mingrelians. Mingrelian has hist ...

. Topuria and his partner have a son (born 2019) and daughter (born 2024). Topuria is a

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

. Topuria's older brother Aleksandre, also a mixed martial artist, debuted with the UFC in February 2025 at

UFC 312 ''UFC 312: du Plessis vs. Strickland 2'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on February 9, 2025, at the Sydney SuperDome, Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia. Background The event mark ...

. On March 5, 2024, Topuria obtained Spanish citizenship after it was announced at the

Council of Ministers Council of Ministers is a traditional name given to the supreme Executive (government), executive organ in some governments. It is usually equivalent to the term Cabinet (government), cabinet. The term Council of State is a similar name that also m ...

press conference. On March 21, 2024, Topuria was awarded the Order of Honor by the

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

Orbeliani Palace The Orbeliani Palace () or the Atoneli Residence () is the official residence of the president of Georgia since November 2018. It is located on Atoneli Street in Central Tbilisi. It was once home to Elizabeth Orbeliani, a Georgian poet and the coun ...

Tbilisi Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი, ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), ( ka, ტფილისი, tr ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Georgia (country), largest city of Georgia ( ...

, Georgia. That day, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced that the government will ensure Ilia retains his Georgian citizenship, making him a dual citizen of Georgia and Spain.

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

(One time, former) *** One successful title defense *** First Georgian champion in UFC history ** Performance of the Night (Four times) ** Fight of the Night (One Time) **UFC Honors Awards *** 2024: President's Choice Performance of the Year Nominee & President's Choice Performance of the Year Nominee **UFC.com Awards *** 2020: Ranked #8 Newcomer of the Year *** 2022: Ranked #7 Knockout of the Year & Ranked #9 Submission of the Year *** 2024: Fighter of the Year , Ranked #2 Knockout of the Year & Ranked #6 Knockout of the Year * Mix Fight Events ** MFE Featherweight Championship (One time) * MMAjunkie.com **2022 December Submission of the Month

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Win , align=center, 16–0 ,

, KO (punches) , UFC 308 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 1:34 ,

Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi is the capital city of the United Arab Emirates. The city is the seat of the Abu Dhabi Central Capital District, the capital city of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and the UAE's List of cities in the United Arab Emirates, second-most popu ...

, United Arab Emirates , , - , Win , align=center, 15–0 ,

, KO (punch) , UFC 298 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:32 ,

Anaheim Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, United States, part of the Greater Los Angeles area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the tenth-most ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 14–0 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC on ABC: Emmett vs. Topuria , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Jacksonville, Florida Jacksonville ( ) is the most populous city proper in the U.S. state of Florida, located on the Atlantic coast of North Florida, northeastern Florida. It is the county seat of Duval County, Florida, Duval County, with which the City of Jacksonv ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 13–0 , Bryce Mitchell , Submission (arm-triangle choke) , UFC 282 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:10 ,

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 12–0 , Jai Herbert , KO (punches) , UFC Fight Night: Volkov vs. Aspinall , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:07 ,

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, England , , - , Win , align=center, 11–0 , Ryan Hall , KO (punches) , UFC 264 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:47 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 10–0 , Damon Jackson , KO (punch) , UFC on ESPN: Hermansson vs. Vettori , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:38 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–0 , Youssef Zalal , Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Moraes vs. Sandhagen , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United Arab Emirates , , - , Win , align=center, 8–0 , Stephen Goncalves , KO (punches) , Brave CF 29 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:42 ,

Isa Town Isa Town (, ''Madīnat ʿĪsā'') is a middle class town located in Bahrain, in the north central part of the country. Etymology The name ''Isa'' refers to Isa ibn Salman Al Khalifah, a former ruler of Bahrain, from 1961 to 1999. History Isa To ...

, Bahrain , , - , Win , align=center, 7–0 , Luis Gomez , Submission (triangle straight armbar) , Brave CF 26 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:15 ,

Bogotá Bogotá (, also , , ), officially Bogotá, Distrito Capital, abbreviated Bogotá, D.C., and formerly known as Santa Fe de Bogotá (; ) during the Spanish Imperial period and between 1991 and 2000, is the capital city, capital and largest city ...

, Colombia , , - , Win , align=center, 6–0 , Brian Bouland , Technical Submission (anaconda choke) , Cage Warriors 94 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:39 ,

, Belgium , , - , Win , align=center, 5–0 , Mika Hämäläinen , Submission (guillotine choke) , CAGE 43 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:35 ,

Helsinki Helsinki () is the Capital city, capital and most populous List of cities and towns in Finland, city in Finland. It is on the shore of the Gulf of Finland and is the seat of southern Finland's Uusimaa region. About people live in the municipali ...

, Finland , , - , Win , align=center, 4–0 , Jhon Guarin , Submission (guillotine choke) , Mix Fight Events 28 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:50 ,

Valencia Valencia ( , ), formally València (), is the capital of the Province of Valencia, province and Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, the same name in Spain. It is located on the banks of the Turia (r ...

, Spain , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 , Daniel Vasquez , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Mix Fight Events 26 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:50 ,

, Spain , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Kalil Martin El Chalibi , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Climent Show MMA 4 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:03 ,

, Spain , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Francisco Javier Asprilla , Submission (triangle choke) , Mix Fight Events 17 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:30 ,

, Spain ,

Pay-per-view bouts

References

External links

* * , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Topuria, Ilia 1997 births Living people Male mixed martial artists from Georgia (country) Spanish male mixed martial artists Featherweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing Greco-Roman wrestling Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu Emigrants from Georgia (country) to Spain Mingrelians Sportspeople of Georgian descent Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters Spanish practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners from Georgia (country) People awarded a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu People from Halle (Westfalen) Recipients of the Order of Honor (Georgia) Ultimate Fighting Championship champions 21st-century Spanish sportsmen