Ilia Topuria‘s rise as a UFC featherweight has been a quick one. October 11, 2020, marked his first fight in the octagon and, since then, he has been on a path that only goes up.
Sitting at a perfect 13-0 record, “El Matador” steps into his first UFC main event this week against Josh Emmett, who is coming off a loss in his first shot at UFC gold. Before Topuria (13-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) faces Emmett (18-3 MMA, 9-3 UFC) at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, let’s take a look at his journey in the UFC thus far.
1. UFC Fight Night 179 on October 11, 2020 vs. Youssef Zalal
Topuria got his UFC career off to a hot start when he handed Youssef Zalal his first UFC loss. The Georgian won the bout via unanimous decision in Abu Dhabi’s Eithad Arena, which extended his record to 9-0. This would be Topuria’s only decision win in the UFC, with the rest coming by finish.
He took the bout on short notice and didn’t waste any time getting to work. It wasn’t an easy victory for Topuria, who had to dig deep in the final minutes, after Zalal nearly submitted him with a guillotine choke in the third round. Topuria kept the pressure on, and ultimately left the night with the victory. The best was yet to come for the featherweight.
2. UFC on ESPN 19 on December 5, 2020 vs. Damon Jackson
It took Topuria three minutes to stop his fight with Damon Jackson, ending it with a first-round knockout inside the UFC Apex. With Jackson up against the octagon, Topuria threw a jab to the body that wobbled Jackson and from there it was light work. Topuria finished it off with a few punches that sent Jackson to the canvas, forcing the referee to come in and stop it.
The victory pushed Topuria’s record to 10-0.
3. UFC 264 on July 10, 2021 vs. Ryan Hall
Prior to this fight, Topuria promised to get a first-round knockout and he delivered, snapping Ryan Hall‘s eight fight win streak with 13 seconds left to go in round 1.
There was a little bit of back-and-forth between the two combatants throughout the round, each getting their chance to land a few punches. In the final minute of the round, Hall tried to throw a spinning back kick and landed on the mat. This led Topuria to start raining down strikes on the ground, forcing the bout to be halted.
4. UFC Fight Night 204 on March 19, 2022 vs. Jai Herbert
Topuria made his lightweight debut against Jai Herbert inside The O2 Arena in London and it did not disappoint, earning him “Performance of the Night” honors with a second-round knockout.
Forty-five seconds into the fight, Topuria got dropped by a head kick, which led to a back-and-forth battle between the pair throughout the rest of the round. Topuria landed a takedown halfway through the round, but Herbert was able to defend and get back up, allowing him to land more hard shots to end the round.
Things started to click for Topuria in the second round as he landed a right hand that sent Herbert down to the canvas and out, leaving Topuria as the winner.
5. UFC 282 on December 10, 2022 vs. Bryce Mitchell
The 26-year-old’s biggest test to date came against Bryce Mitchell inside T-Mobile Arena during UFC 282. He passed it with flying colors, submitting a fellow featherweight prospect in the second round.
During the first round, it was Topuria who excelled in the striking game, but Mitchell ended the round in top position. Heading into the middle frame, it was all gas no brakes for Topuria, who hurt Mitchell on the feet, leaving him bloodied up as he took him down to the canvas. Just moments later, Topuria secured the arm-triangle choke to extend his record in the UFC to 5-0 and his overall record to 13-0.
This story first published at UFC.com.
