Ilia ‘El Matador’ Topuria: when a Georgian lion took the UFC by storm!
ahh man, i still remember the first time i saw ilia throw those kicks, must’ve been years ago now, back when he was still busting out the dance moves post-fight instead of talking smack. you could tell right away he was something special but even the most optimistic among us—well, we didn’t think he’d be knocking out kings in round two like it was nothing. that night at UFC 298? pure magic. the way he set that kick up, so casual-like, then—bam—volkanovski’s lights out before we even had time to cheer. still gives me goosebumps every time i watch it back, makes my mate’s knees wobble just describing it 😄
Remember when the grass was greener 🌱
woke up at 3am that night cause i KNEW something insane was gonna go down, mate!! had the livestream open on my phone, fingers shaking like i was the one getting kicked 😂 watched the whole thing in the kitchen while my tea went stone cold, then screamed so loud the neighbours banged on the wall lol
On the terraces since I was a kid.
ever seen ilia walk into the cage just before the bell like he’s already forgotten he’s about to fight? the look on his face—like he’s just spotted an old mate in the crowd and wants to wave hello. that night in madrid against volkanovski it was like he was dancing on the edge of something way bigger than himself. remember his leg shake before the kick? my missus thought he’d slipped, but i knew—he was gathering the storm inside that compact frame. now every time i see those legs load up i still hold my breath, half-expecting a distant *crack* even though the vid’s ten years old. the man makes static warm.
Remember when the grass was greener 🌱
Wait until you see how he moves now—still that same rhythm, but now it’s like he’s conducting instead of just jiving. The kicks still land, don’t get me wrong, but it’s the set-ups that make your jaw drop; he’s added these little feints, like a guitarist sliding into the next chord without anyone hearing the change. That night in Madrid was pure impulse—the fight almost too short, the KO almost too easy—whereas tonight he’ll take two, three rounds to carve the angles until his opponent forgets what southpaw even feels like. Same engine, heavier tuning.
Numbers > vibes.
Gah, even thinkin’ bout that night makes my arm hairs stand on end! Remember when we all ducked into the Forge in Walker just to watch it on a cracked old screen? Me ma went mental when that kick landed — reckoned she’d bin her hip replacement just from the shockwave, nearly took out the darts board behind her 😂 still got the picture on my phone where she’s clapping like her life depends on it with a pint still in hand.
Heart with the team, head on pause.
Man alive, i was at The Garage in Newcastle that night and my mate greg—total cagefighter wannabe—kept trying to do ilia’s leg shake between rounds like it was some sort of dance-off 🤣 by the time the kick landed we’d turned the entire pub into a moshpit of geordie georgians bashing pints off each other till the landlord did that slow-clap "i’m gonna evict the lot of you" thing 😂