ILIA TOPURIA

Born in Germany to Georgian refugees, Ilia "El Matador" Topuria later relocated to Georgia and then Spain, where he began his training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Representing the Climent Club, this orthodox lightweight fighter combines a solid grappling background with dangerous knockout power and a striking style focused heavily on boxing.

Heading into the September 2023 event, Topuria carries an undefeated professional record of 14-0. His rise includes consecutive knockout victories via punches over Damon Jackson, Ryan Hall, and Jai Herbert. He followed those performances by submitting Bryce Mitchell with an arm-triangle choke, and most recently secured a unanimous decision win against Josh Emmett in June 2023.