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Following the events of UFC 298, newly crowned featherweight champion Ilia Topuria is on top of the world. Leading into the fight, 'El Matador' spoke on how confident he was going into the clash, and proved he was right on fight night with a stunning second round knockout of former champion Alexander Volkanovski.
Since then, Topuria has skyrocketed in terms of stardom. A tweet from X (formerly Twitter) user @iHeartGeorgius1 revealed that Topuria was recently gifted a 2024 Aston Martin DB12, from Aston Martin's Madrid center.
A video shared by Aston Martin Madrid's official Instagram page also showed the newly-crowned featherweight champion accepting the gift, and expressing his gratitude for the present.
By defeating Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 on February 17, 2024, Ilia Topuria became the first and only Spanish champion in UFC history. 'El Matador' is originally of Georgian descent, but has spent a large part of his life in Spain.
Topuria currently holds citizenship in both countries, and has expressed his desire to represent both Spain and Georgia in the UFC. Apart from Aston Martin Madrid, Topuria has seen an outpouring of support from Spanish superstars like tennis sensations Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz for his achievement.
Ilia Topuria pens passionate statement following UFC 298 win over Alexander Volkanovski
Leading into UFC 298, Topuria did a lot of talking - so much so, that he drew comparisons to Conor McGregor. He backed up his words, even though many doubted him heading into the fight, and has since taken to X to write a passionate statement aimed at his naysayers.
On Feb. 20, 2024, Ilia Topuria wrote:
"Many will say you can’t do it. They will knock you down and doubt you. But remember, the only one you need to achieve anything is yourself. Trust in yourself, have faith, and work tirelessly because everything will come. It doesn’t matter where you come from if you know where you are going, and what’s in front of you is much more important than what’s behind you! Never ever give up. Just stand up and fight! Thank you, Volk, you were a tough opponent who made me even better. It was an honor to share the octagon with you #godfirst"
