3 reasons why Ilia Topuria will rule the UFC featherweight division

Ilia Topuria, the first ever Georgian Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, could become the greatest UFC featherweight champion since Jose Aldo. He began his fighting career in Spain, plying his trade on small scale shows in Alicante and Valencia. Starting hot with four straight submission victories, Topuria remains undefeated six years on.

At just 24 years of age, ‘The Matador’ has shown himself to be an exceptional combatant on both his feet and the ground. A masterful submission artist, Topuria has recently shown a propensity for explosive striking as well. Already a complete fighter, the sky is the limit for the #15-ranked UFC featherweight.

Let’s take a look at three reasons why he will one day rule the UFC featherweight division.

#3. Topuria's exceptional grappling

Topuria trains at Climente Club, a martial arts school located in Alicante, Spain. The gym provides training in a wide variety of disciplines, including BJJ, boxing, grappling and even CrossFit.

In a recent UFC 264 post-fight interview, Topuria discussed his opponent Ryan Hall’s notorious BJJ skills. Unfortunately for Hall, he has struggled to up his game in any other area over the years. At this point, he has become too predictable in the octagon.

Topuria revealed that training at the Climente Club has given him the chance to spar with nearly 30 BJJ black belts. In turn, Topuria, who is an expert in the ground-based martial art himself, was beyond prepared for any attacks Hall had in his arsenal. If Topuria can dismantle one of the most seasoned BJJ fighters in the division with such ease, it appears no one stands a chance on the grappling front.

#2. His mind frame

Ilia Topuria’s fighting confidence is well-placed and not, thankfully, moving into the realms of arrogance. In regards to Ryan Hall, Topuria was confident in his victory due to the extensive nature of his training. Instead of being excessively braggadocious or over-the-top in his antics before the fight, ‘The Matador’ knuckled down, trained hard and studied his opponent thoroughly. The results speak for themselves.

Topuria has confirmed his goal is to be world champion by next year. His plan for now is to fight a top ten-ranked featherweight later this year. Despite his immense skill and finish-rate, he remains measured and steady in his approach. Moving up the division at a sensible pace, Topuria improves with every fight as he consistently moves closer to his main objective.

His commitment to the ring and utter self-belief are almost reminiscent of Conor McGregor’s years in the featherweight division. While nowhere near as loud as The Irishman, Topuria possesses a similar "eye of the tiger" quality that will continue to serve him well in his path to glory.

#1. His constantly improving striking

‘The Matador’ became the first man in history to finish Ryan Hall at UFC 264. ‘The Wizard’ shot for Topuria’s leg throughout, looking to secure a takedown and potential submission victory. Not only did Topuria keep himself out of the red, he scored a shocking knockout win with just 13 seconds of the first round left.

While Topuria normally fights with an orthodox stance, his knock out of Hall shows he can throw deadly shots from any angle. The ruthless efficiency with which he punched Hall’s lights out on the ground was astonishing.

Fast, vicious and well-timed, Topuria is quickly becoming one of the most intimidating strikers in the featherweight division. Based on this and his one-punch KO on Damon Jackson last year, ‘The Matador’ is only going to keep getting more dangerous in this regard.