Spanish Sensation Ilia Topuria Aims to Bring UFC to Spain and Sell Out Santiago Bernabeu Stadium
Spanish MMA fighter, Ilia Topuria, has set his sights on a groundbreaking ambition – bringing the UFC to Spain and selling out none other than the iconic Santiago Bernabeu stadium.
Following his victory against Josh Emmet at a recent UFC event in Jacksonville, Topuria expressed his belief that the love for mixed martial arts in Spain is on the rise and envisions a grand UFC show in his homeland.
Confident in the growth of MMA fans in Spain, Topuria confidently proclaimed, “Right now, everyone knows everything about MMA. Everyone follows the UFC. I’m pretty sure that if the UFC brings an event to Spain, they’re going to sell out the whole arena in one day.” He emphasized that the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, one of Spain’s most important venues, would undoubtedly be filled to the brim with passionate MMA enthusiasts.
Having carved an impressive path in the UFC, Topuria has not only achieved success in the octagon but has also raked in substantial earnings. With a purse amounting to 1.5 million euros, he has become the highest-earning Spanish fighter in the history of MMA.
Topuria’s ambitions don’t end there; he has his sights set on a potential showdown with UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski. Not one to mince his words, Topuria expressed his lack of awe towards Volkanovski’s performance in his UFC 290 victory over Yair Rodriguez. Confidently dismissing the champion’s display, Topuria stated, “Volkanovski would be an easy fight for me.”
Ilia Topuria talks about his connection with Sergio Ramos
Spanish UFC star Ilia Topuria recently revealed the special connection he shares with soccer legend Sergio Ramos. Ramos, the former Real Madrid star, showed his support by attending Topuria’s recent victory over Josh Emmett at UFC Jacksonville. Topuria disclosed that Ramos had been following him on social media for about a year and sent encouraging texts after his fights.
Ramos fulfilled his promise to be cage-side for Topuria’s bout, witnessing the rising fighter’s five-round performance that potentially puts him in contention for a title shot. Topuria, currently residing in Spain but originally from Georgia, is optimistic about his growing fame and believes that the UFC’s debut in Spain would be a massive success. He even mentioned the possibility of selling out the iconic Santiago Bernabéu Stadium for such an event.
With Ramos’ support and the increasing popularity of MMA in Spain, Topuria’s dreams of bringing the UFC to his homeland seem more attainable than ever before.
“One year ago or something like that, he texted me after one of my fights. He started to follow me [on social media], text me, and for this fight he told me I’m going to watch you, to support you. I was like, ‘Really? You will come?’ He told me, ‘Yes, I’m on vacation. I didn’t have any football match, soccer match, so I’m going to go to watch you fight.’”
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