Spanish- Georgian former champion Ilia Topuria does not want to fight in Spain anymore due to several reasons!
Feb 17, 2024; Anaheim, California, USA; Ilia Topuria before fighting against Alexander Volkanovski during UFC 298 at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Imagine being so popular that an entire street gets named after you! That is the reality for Ilia Topuria, the UFC sensation who has taken the fighting world by storm. Since bursting onto the scene and claiming the featherweight title with a knockout victory over Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298, Topuria has become one of Europe’s biggest MMA stars.
His star power only grew brighter when he became the first fighter ever to knock out the legendary Max Holloway during his title defense at UFC 308. But despite his massive popularity in Spain, Topuria is pumping the brakes on something fans have been eagerly anticipating.
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Topuira’s Spanish Dream Fades
For months, Topuria had been vocal about bringing the UFC to Spain. As the country’s biggest MMA star, he seemed like the perfect ambassador to finally establish the promotion in his homeland. UFC CEO Dana White even hinted several times that Spain was on their radar for future events. It seemed like only a matter of time before Spanish fans would get to witness UFC action on their home soil. But now, Topuria has revealed he is no longer interested in pushing for this dream.
“It’s because of the agreement the UFC has with ESPN, the scheduling issue, because if they bring a numbered event to Spain it would have to be at 4AM or 5AM to be prime time on US television, so I don’t see it as very feasible to have everyone on their feet at 4AM or 5AM…Even as an athlete, I don’t see myself competing at that time. I already did it once in Abu Dhabi where we had to fight at such a crazy time, and I don’t want to do it again to be honest,” Topuria said via a press conference in Spain.
Topuria isn’t just thinking about the fans. He is also considering his own performance. His perspective shows the practical side of fighting that fans don’t always consider. Timing matters enormously to athletes whose bodies are trained to peak at certain hours. Asking them to perform at 4AM can seriously impact their abilities.
Topuria’s concerns aren’t unfounded. When the UFC returned to Manchester last year for UFC 304, one of the biggest criticisms was the fight schedule. The main card kicked off in the early morning local time to accommodate American prime-time television viewers. This created a strange atmosphere and put British fighters at a disadvantage. This time further forced them to compete at hours when their bodies would normally be resting. It seems Topuria has learned from this controversy and doesn’t want Spain’s UFC debut to be marred by similar scheduling problems.
(Image Credit: Gary A. Vasquez – Imagn Images)