Ilia Topuria
Born 1997 · Age 28
Georgian–Spanish professional mixed martial artist. Undefeated two-division UFC champion (Featherweight, Lightweight) and #1 UFC pound-for-pound as of mid-2025.
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Life & Career Timeline
Born in Halle, Germany
Ilia Topuria born to Georgian parents who were refugees from Abkhazia.
Family moved to Georgia
Topuria family relocated from Germany to Georgia (per Ilia's official timeline).
Started Greco-Roman wrestling
Began practicing Greco-Roman wrestling at a local school in Georgia with his brother Aleksandre.
Moved to Alicante, Spain; joined Climent Club
Relocated to Alicante after the Russo–Georgian War and began training Mixed Martial Arts at Climent Club gym.
Early run: Four straight submission wins
Between April 2015 and May 2016 Topuria opened his career with a string of submission victories on the Spanish regional scene, establishing his grappling credentials.
Professional MMA debut (win)
Debuted professionally defeating Francisco Javier Asprilla via triangle choke in Valencia, Spain.
Second pro win (Climent Show MMA 4)
Submitted Kalil Martin El Chalibi (1:03) in Alicante, Spain.
Regional win vs Daniel Vasquez (catchweight)
Submitted Daniel Vasquez (rear-naked choke) in Alicante; catchweight (141 lb).
Won MFE Featherweight Championship
Defeated Jhon Guarin to win the vacant Mix Fight Events (MFE) Featherweight title in Valencia, Spain.
First Georgian black belt in BJJ (joint with brother) — recognition
Recognized publicly as the first Georgians awarded black belts in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (with brother Aleksandre), boosting their profile in Europe.
First international fight — CAGE 43 (Finland)
Defeated Mika Hämäläinen by submission (guillotine choke) in Helsinki; bantamweight debut.
Awarded black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
In May 2018 Ilia and his brother Aleksandre became the first Georgians to be awarded a BJJ black belt.
Cage Warriors 94 win; missed weight for title
Submitted Brian Bouland for a win at Cage Warriors 94 in Antwerp; missed weight (139.4 lb) so was ineligible to win the bantamweight title despite victory.
Personal: son born
Topuria and his wife had a son in 2019.
Signed with Brave Combat Federation
Signed with Brave CF and began fighting internationally in 2019.
Brave CF debut — KO/submission win in Bogotá
Defeated Luis Gomez via submission in first round at Brave CF 26 in Bogotá; earned best performance of the night.
Brave CF 29 KO win in Bahrain
Knocked out Stephen Goncalves in the first round at Brave CF 29 in Isa Town, Bahrain.
UFC debut — win over Youssef Zalal
Stepped in as a replacement and won a unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night: Moraes vs. Sandhagen (Fight Island).
UFC win — knocked out Damon Jackson
Defeated Damon Jackson via first-round knockout at UFC on ESPN: Hermansson vs. Vettori.
First Spaniard in UFC Top 15
In 2021 Topuria became the first Spaniard in UFC Top 15 rankings (featherweight division).
UFC 264 KO of Ryan Hall
Knocked out Ryan Hall in round one at UFC 264, further establishing his reputation as a rising prospect.
Lightweight debut noted
March 19, 2022 fight vs Jai Herbert marked Topuria's debut at the Lightweight limit (documented as lightweight debut in some sources).
Scheduled UFC 270 bout canceled (weight/medical)
Was scheduled to face Movsar Evloev (later replaced by Charles Jourdain) but Topuria was pulled from the card due to a medical issue related to cutting weight.
Lightweight debut — KO of Jai Herbert
Replaced Mike Davis and defeated Jai Herbert at UFC Fight Night 204 via second-round KO; earned Performance of the Night ($50,000).
Edson Barboza fight canceled
Bout scheduled for Oct 29, 2022 was cancelled after Barboza withdrew with a knee injury in late September.
UFC 282 — submitted Bryce Mitchell
Returned to featherweight and won by arm-triangle choke in round two at UFC 282; earned Performance of the Night ($50,000).
Entered UFC Featherweight Top 10
After the Bryce Mitchell performance (Dec 2022), by 2023 Topuria jumped into the UFC featherweight top 10 rankings.
Headlined UFC on ABC vs. Josh Emmett (win)
Headlined UFC on ABC: Emmett vs. Topuria, won via unanimous decision; fight earned Fight of the Night bonus ($50,000).
Recognized nationally and internationally
Named Yahoo Sports 2024 MMA Fighter of the Year; BodySlam.net Male Fighter of the Year 2024; multiple industry year-end accolades.
2024 Accolades
Named (tied) UFC.com Fighter of the Year 2024; nominated for President's Choice Performance of the Year awards; Yahoo Sports MMA Fighter of the Year and other year-end recognitions.
Reached P4P No.5 (post-title win)
After defeating Volkanovski, some outlets and his official site listed Topuria around No.5 in UFC pound-for-pound rankings.
Personal: daughter born
Topuria and his wife had a daughter in 2024.
Received multiple UFC Performance of the Night bonuses
Between 2022 and 2025 Topuria earned multiple Performance of the Night bonuses (Jai Herbert, Bryce Mitchell, Alexander Volkanovski, Max Holloway, Charles Oliveira) at $50,000 each.
Won UFC Featherweight Championship (KO vs Volkanovski)
Defeated Alexander Volkanovski by second-round KO at UFC 298 to win the UFC Featherweight title; ended Volkanovski's four-year reign and earned Performance of the Night ($50,000). First Georgian and first Spanish UFC champion.
Granted Spanish citizenship
The Government of Spain granted Ilia Topuria Spanish nationality; announced at Council of Ministers press conference.
Awarded Order of Honor by President of Georgia
Received Georgia's Order of Honor at Orbeliani Palace; Georgian government confirmed he would retain Georgian citizenship (dual citizenship).
Title defense — KO of Max Holloway (UFC 308)
Defended UFC Featherweight Championship, knocked out Max Holloway in round three (Holloway's first KO loss); earned Performance of the Night ($50,000).
Professional record milestone — Undefeated 17-0
As of winning the lightweight title at UFC 317 (June 28, 2025) Ilia's pro record stood at 17 wins, 0 losses (7 KO, 8 submissions, 2 decisions).
Brother Aleksandre debuts in UFC
Ilia's older brother Aleksandre Topuria made his UFC debut at UFC 312 (February 2025 debut announced/occurring in early 2025).
Media appearance: Full Send Podcast
Featured guest on Full Send Podcast (recorded/published Feb 13, 2025) — speaking engagement/interview.
Announced decision to vacate Featherweight title
Announced he would vacate the UFC Featherweight Championship as soon as the featherweight title main event at UFC 314 started; cited weight-cutting difficulties and desire to move to Lightweight.
Featherweight title vacated (reported)
Record items list the Featherweight title tenure ending on April 12, 2025 (date reported in sources); reflects official vacancy of the title.
Split from Climent Club / team change (reported)
Reports in mid-2025 described a split with longtime coaches (Climent Club); infobox shows 'Topuria Team' listed from 2025 onward.
Won UFC Lightweight Championship (UFC 317)
Defeated former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira by first-round knockout (2:27) to win the vacant UFC Lightweight title; earned Performance of the Night; became the tenth multi-division champion and one of the few two-division champions with an undefeated record.
Promoted to #1 UFC Pound-for-Pound
Following his Lightweight title win at UFC 317, Topuria was promoted to #1 in UFC men's pound-for-pound rankings.
Key Achievement Ages
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