Ilia Topuria may seem invincible, but he certainly doesn’t feel that way.
Every time “Elmatador” steps into the octagon, he looks like a real-life superman. So did his victory over Charles Oliveira at UFC 317.
However, Topuria’s success is not the result of the power of Kryptonian cells or other metahumans like comic books.
Instead, it comes from hard work and dedication. Because Topria knows that if he doesn’t give the gym everything he has, he will eventually fall into the cage.
“I don’t feel invincible. On the contrary, I feel beaten, so I work hard,” Toprea said in a postwar interview. “I put so much dedication to it. The work is going so well and I feel it definitely remains. So I celebrate things the night before because I feel that victory should be built and celebrated at the end of camp.”
Ilia Topuria wants Paddy Pimblett
Following the jaw-dropping knockout of “Do Bronx” at UFC 317, Topuria engraved his name in history books, becoming one of the few fighters to win titles in two different divisions.
Now sitting as the indisputable king of the lightweight division, the Fighters are already lined up to be the first person to best him in the octagon. Following Saturday’s pay-per-view event in Las Vegas, Topuria engaged in a fierce showdown with Paddy Pimblett, a fighter who has been on his sh*t list for the past few years.
Pimblett could be Topuria’s first challenger in Lightweight, but Liverpudlian may have to pass the final test once before securing the initial crack at UFC Gold. According to a recent comment from 185-pound champion Dricus du Plessis, Pimblett vs. Justin Gaethje was working on UFC 319 in August, and the winner could face Topuria in late 2025 or early 2026.
There have been no official announcements up until now, but Pimblett vs. Gaethje is nothing more than a rumour, but I think “Baddy” vs. ‘The Highlight” is pretty good for us if the UFC is about to book a fight for the No. 1 candidates.