Tag: Ilia Topuria

Ilia Topuria’s brother, Alexsandre, on reaching UFC goal: ‘I don’t see myself very far’

Alexsandre Topuria is determined to join his brother Ilia in the UFC sooner rather than later.

MIAMI – It may be just a matter of time until the UFC has another Topuria on its roster.

[autotag]Alexsandre Topuria[/autotag], UFC featherweight contender [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag]’s brother, is determined to make it and represent their countries on MMA’s biggest stage, the octagon.

“Definitely that’s my objective right now – enter the UFC and represent the two flags,” Alexsandre told MMA Junkie in Spanish. “Everything for Georgia and Spain.”

Alexsandre (5-1) has big ambitions, but for now, the immediate goal is to make it to the UFC. The 27-year-old is currently on a three-fight winning streak and coming off a first-round TKO win on the regional circuit in Spain.

“El Conquistador” believes the UFC dream is close.

“I don’t see myself very far,” Alexsandre said. “I just need the right moment and right circumstance. I’m ready for whatever is to come.”

Ilia, who’s one of the best featherweight contenders on the rise, has motivated Alexsandre plenty in his fighting career. He’s proud of the success of his brother, someone who pushes him on a daily basis.

“The fact that Ilia and I share this sport, it demands a lot from me,” Alexsandre said. “He’s my main rival, my brother is, inside the gym. So yeah, he demands for me to be a better fighter and better person every day.”

Alexsandre has yet to book his next fight. Ilia fights Saturday in the main event of UFC on ABC 5. He takes on top contender Josh Emmett in a five-round featherweight bout.

UFC on ABC 5 breakdown: How Josh Emmett can end Ilia Topuria’a undefeated run

MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom breaks down the main event for UFCon ABC 5, a featherweight clash between Josh Emmett and Ilia Topuria.

MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom breaks down the UFC’s top bouts. Today, we look at the main event for UFC on ABC 5.

UFC on ABC 5 takes place Saturday at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. The main card airs on ABC following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

UFC veterans in MMA and bareknuckle boxing action June 23-25

Check out which veterans of the UFC are in combat sports action across the globe this weekend.

This week, the UFC returns to Jacksonville, Fla. for UFC on ABC 5.

The event at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena features a featherweight main event between [autotag]Josh Emmett[/autotag] and [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag].

Elsewhere, many other combat sports events are taking place that feature a number of familiar names that have competed under the UFC banner.

This week, there are a total of 16 veterans of the global MMA leader competing in MMA and bareknuckle boxing this week from June 23-25.

Check out the names and details about their bouts below.

Upcoming event information from Tapology.

UFC on ABC 5: Emmett vs. Topuria media day interviews

Watch the live stream for the UFC on ABC 5: Emmett vs. Topuria media day in Jacksonville, Fla.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The UFC returns to network television this Saturday with a key featherweight showdown.

In the main event of UFC on ABC 5, unbeaten rising contender [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] takes on former interim title challenger [autotag]Josh Emmett[/autotag], as he looks to get one step closer to UFC gold.

But before the two battle it out at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, Topuria and Emmett will spoke to the media, along with 10 other fighters competing on the card, at Wednesday’s media day.

Above you can find the live video stream for the media day, and below each individual interview from the fighters.

Ilia Topuria expects title shot with UFC on ABC 5 win, says he’ll finish Alexander Volkanovski in first round

Ilia Topuria sees a featherweight title shot next with a UFC on ABC 5 win and hopes Alexander Volkanovski is still champ when he gets there.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] thinks a victory over Josh Emmett in Saturday’s UFC on ABC 5 will serve as his launching point for a featherweight title shot.

Topuria (13-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) competes in his first octagon headliner when he meets Emmett (18-3 MMA, 9-3 UFC) in a key matchup for the 145-pound division, which takes place at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena and airs on ABC following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+. With an unblemished record so far in his UFC tenure, Topuria believes he’s put in the work to be considered a title contender.

If he beats Emmett, Topuria argues his resume gets taken over the top, and he should receive a crack at UFC gold.

“I’m the next guy in the line,” Topuria told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s UFC on ABC 5 media day. “Who deserves more than me to fight for the title? No one else. So I’m the next guy.”

The timing of a potential Topuria win could be ideal. A featherweight title unification bout between champion Alexander Volkanovski and interim titleholder Yair Rodriguez takes place July 8 at UFC 290, and there’s no clear next man on deck.

Topuria expects it to be him, and he hopes it’s Volkanovski (25-2 MMA, 12-1 UFC) who is in possession of the undisputed strap rather than Rodriguez (15-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC).

“I’m going to finish him in the first round,” Topuria said. “Of course it’s going to be a little bit bigger to beat someone who is pound-for-pound No. 1. It’s going to be bigger than if Yair beats him, and I beat Yair. Because Yair lost a lot of fights with a lot of ranked guys – with Max Holloway, with Frankie Edgar. He lost a lot of fights. I prefer the fight against Alex and to take the win against him.”

Although Topuria is discussing the stakes around a victory, he made it clear he’s not disrespecting Emmett. Topuria said he knows he has a difficult task at hand Saturday, but he has zero doubt what the result will be, which is why he’s OK talking about everything else.

“I’m not overlooking anyone,” Topuria said. “Never, ever. I’m just confident about all the work I’m doing, how hard I work, everything I’m doing in all my training camps. The confidence doesn’t come from the air. I work really hard, and I know I’m better than anyone.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ABC 5.

UFC free fight: Ilia Topuria runs through Bryce Mitchell for second-round submission

Watch Ilia Topuria’s dominant submission of Bryce Mitchell at UFC 282.

In a battle of unbeaten featherweights, [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] prevailed against [autotag]Bryce Mitchell[/autotag].

Topuria faced Mitchell this past December at UFC 282. With both men riding plenty of momentum in the featherweight division, Topuria separated himself with a dominant performance.

Topuria was able to tag Mitchell numerous times on the feet but was taken down at the end of Round 1. Topuria opened up Round 2 with a big left hand and stuffed multiple takedown attempts from Mitchell. Less than two minutes into the round, Topuria dropped Mitchell with a right, eventually securing an arm-triangle choke that forced Mitchell to tap out.

You can watch the fight between Topuria and Mitchell in the video above.

Topuria (13-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) will look to emerge as a title contender when he meets Josh Emmett (18-3 MMA, 9-3 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC on ABC 5 main event at VyStar Veterans Memorial Aren in Jacksonville, Fla. The main card airs on ABC following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ABC 5.

UFC on ABC 5 pre-event facts: Neil Magny on cusp of UFC’s 21-win club

Check out the numbers behind UFC on ABC 5, where Neil Magny can become the ninth fighter in history to join UFC’s 21-win club.

The UFC will travel to Jacksonville, Fla., for the fourth consecutive year Saturday with UFC on ABC 5, which takes place at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena with a main card that airs on ABC following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

A matchup of ranked featherweight contenders serves as the main event of the card. [autotag]Josh Emmett[/autotag] (18-3 MMA, 9-3 UFC) will attempt to rebound from his failed bid at the interim title in February when he takes on undefeated rising star [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] (13-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC).

For more on the numbers behind the lineup, check below for MMA Junkie’s pre-event facts about UFC on ABC 5.

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UFC’s Ilia Topuria no longer interested in Paddy Pimblett: ‘As a fighter we all know he’s not worth anything’

UFC featherweight contender Ilia Topuria has lost interest in Paddy Pimblett and believes, at this point, that a fight would be a step back.

MIAMI – [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] has lost interest in a potential fight against [autotag]Paddy Pimblett[/autotag].

After several shots at each other in interviews and on social media, a scuffle in a hotel lobby, and a post-fight callout in the octagon, Topuria said he is done trying to get a fight against Pimblett. Now highly ranked and with his sights on the UFC featherweight title, Topuria believes he’s past Pimblett and fighting him would be taking a step back.

“Paddy, you know what happens with Paddy?” Topuria said in Spanish at a media day this past Saturday. “He’s a person that media attention wise, he’s big. But as a fighter we all know he’s not worth anything. He’s not even ranked. He hasn’t done anything.

“So giving merit to a person that’s only where he is because he knows how to sell himself well, I don’t think that’s the right thing to do. We’re athletes. In the UFC, the difference between them and other organizations is that here what’s valued is the sport and Paddy, sporting wise, hasn’t achieved anything. That’s why he doesn’t interest me at all.”

The Topuria (13-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) and Pimblett (20-3 MMA, 4-0 UFC) beef began about two years ago after Pimblett began targeting Georgian fighters in online attacks. Topuria was upset with Pimblett when the Englishman poked fun at the Russo-Georgian War that killed many Georgians, including Topuria’s family members. Pimblett would later apologize for his comments, but Topuria had none of it.

Topuria returns this Saturday in the main event of UFC on ABC 5 in Jacksonville, Fla. He takes on recent interim title challenger Josh Emmett.

Pimblett is coming off a controversial unanimous decision win over Jared Gordon at UFC 282 last December. He had ankle surgery in March, and he’s currently in recovery. It’s unlikely he’ll fight in 2023.

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Josh Emmett vs. Ilia Topuria gets new date, now headlines UFC on ABC 5 on June 24

Josh Emmett and Ilia Topuria will still compete in a main event, but the fight has a new date.

Top featherweight contenders will still collide in a UFC main event, but now they have a new date.

Originally set for June 17, [autotag]Josh Emmett[/autotag] will now compete in his second promotional main event against [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag], who will compete in his first five-round UFC fight, a week later on June 24.

UFC president Dana White officially announced the new date Thursday on Instagram Live.

The bout will headline the event taking place in Jacksonville, Fla., with the venue not yet announced. The main card will broadcast live on ABC and ESPN+ at 3 p.m. ET.

Emmett holds the No. 6 spot in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie featherweight rankings, with Topuria not far behind at No. 11.

Emmett (18-3 MMA, 9-3 UFC) will look to bounce back from a UFC 284 submission loss to Yair Rodriguez in February. Prior to the setback, Emmett won five straight, including victories over Calvin Kattar, Shane Burgos, and Dan Ige.

Topuria (13-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) remains perfect as a professional, as he enters his first UFC main event. He most recently competed at UFC 282 in December when he submitted grappling ace Bryce Mitchell.

With the shift, the UFC Fight Night lineup for June 24 now includes:

  • Josh Emmett vs. Ilia Topuria
  • Maycee Barber vs. Amanda Ribas

Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (April 10-16)

All the UFC and Bellator fight announcements that were first reported or confirmed by MMA Junkie in the past week.

MMA fight announcements are hard to follow. With so many outlets and channels available, it’s nearly impossible to organize.

But here at MMA Junkie, we’ve got your back.

Each week, we’ll compile all the newly surfaced fights in one spot. Every Monday, expect a feature listing everything you might have missed from the UFC or Bellator.

Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie from April 10-16