Ilia Topuria: Dominance in Two UFC Weight Categories
There’s no denying that Ilia Topuria is a formidable force in the world of UFC. With a display of raw power and precision, he recently gave an enduring exhibit of his martial prowess during a live stream. He found himself in the company of the Nelk Boys trio: Steiny, Kyle Forgeard, and Salim, all of whom had the ‘privilege’ of experiencing his punches first-hand. Salim light-heartedly revealed that his preferred fighter was Islam Makhachev, an antagonistic choice considering Makhachev is a known competitor of Topuria.
During the live broadcast featuring the Nelk Boys on Wednesday, Ilia Topuria demonstrated his strength by striking down the co-founder of Nelk Boys, Kyle Forgeard, and the co-host of Full Send Podcast, Aaron ‘Steiny’ Steinberg, with powerful right hands. The highlights of the live stream exhibit Topuria powerfully grappling with Forgeard, Steinberg, and another Nelk Boys contributor, Salim ‘The Dream’ Sirur. Post grappling, the team decided to don their gloves for a round of striking action.
Topuria was last seen combatting in the UFC in the lively city of Las Vegas. It was there that he was awarded the title of UFC lightweight champion following a lightning-fast first-round knockout victory over Charles Oliveira. This triumph meant that he had something in common with only nine other champions in the history of the UFC.
Topuria vanquished Oliveira at 2:27 of the opening round, etching his name alongside a handful of elite fighters as a two-weight champion in UFC’s history books. Even among these elite, Topuria emerged uniquely triumphant, becoming the first two-weight champion to retain an unbeaten record while simultaneously holding multiple championship belts.
In the aftermath of his crowning victory, speculation started swirling regarding his next opponent. Many eyes turned towards Paddy Pimblett, the number 8 ranked lightweight hailing from Liverpool, England. Since 2021, there’s been a history between Topuria and Pimblett, and the possibility of a rematch electrified their fans.
Previously, Ilia Topuria had been open about his intention to spar with Pimblett during his first title defense, with Las Vegas being the desired location. However, circumstances shifted when later on, he expressed his opinion that Pimblett needed more, not least another win, before bearing the mantle of his challenger.
Subsequently, Topuria shifted his focus towards the future outlook of UFC’s potential match lineup. He suggested that Arman Tsarukyan and Paddy Pimblett might want to secure additional victories before considering a face-off against him. Firmly believing that UFC could be planing to promote Justin Gaethje as his future adversary, Topuria remained confident and prepared for whatever challenge arises.