Ilia Topuria is the first Georgian fighter to win a UFC Championship. Ahead of his match with Brazil’s Charles Oliveira, the 28-year-old Topuria chatted with t2, exclusively, on his method and more.
Firstly, all the best for the fight, Ilia! How are you feeling going into the game versus Charles Oliveira?
I feel great. I’m very excited. A couple of days ahead and I’m ready to shine.
What are the qualities you like in Charles Oliveira?
He’s a great fighter, as we always say. He has the most finishes in UFC history. He seems to be a great person and a family man. So he has many great qualities, but that won’t help him in the fight!
How do you prep for a big fight?
As always, I did my training camp. Of course, we make some adjustments based on the fighter, but at the end of the day, all training camps are basically the same. The strategy changes but is the same as well, but it’s a lot of hard work.
You’ve had a stellar UFC career. How have these last five years panned out?
The last five years have been very exciting for me, to be honest. An amazing five years that I have had in the UFC. I feel extremely grateful and blessed for everything that I was able to live in those five years.
MMA is literally in your blood, with your brother too being in the same profession. Do you two often exchange notes at home?
We very often used to exchange notes and the knowledge we both get in different sides of life. That’s why we are our brothers, and God put us in the same family.
What attracted you to wrestling and then MMA, eventually?
Nothing to be honest. It happened completely by chance in my life, both wrestling and MMA. It was not something I had planned. When we were living in Georgia, we were practising the Greco-Roman wrestling style. Once we moved to Spain, we wanted to stay in the same discipline, but they didn’t have a big culture of Greco-Roman wrestling there. By chance, we found an MMA gym. I didn’t even know what the sport was, and my dad explained to me about the sports and the athletes. Finally, they convinced me and here I am, fighting for the second title.
How has the sport changed your life?
This world completely changed my life and my family’s life. Everything I have learnt, I have learnt from the sport. The values that the sport gave me changed my life.
We heard you are a Real Madrid fan! Are you watching the FIFA Club World Cup?
Ah! Sadly, I don’t have much time to watch the games but my heart is always supporting Real Madrid.
We have to ask you about Cristiano Ronaldo and Rafael Nadal. What of them have you imbibed in your game?
They are both idols for me, hard workers. They both represent good values, and yeah I have learnt many things from them, like the discipline they represent, the consistency and a lot of things.
What are some of your pastimes?
I like to spend time with my family, my friends, and with my kids. I’m a very normal person.