Topuria: The new featherweight monster
At 26 years old and with an undefeated record of 14-0, the fighter son of Georgians and based in Alicante, Spain, is confident that he will be the best in the world, that he can finish Alexander Volkanovski in one round.
After defeating Josh Emmett, who was ranked number five in the UFC rankings until Saturday, we can say that Topuria has put the big guys in the category on alert, but we must also consider that what is left on his way to the belt could be a bigger challenge.
Emmett could have been finished twice, at the close of the second and fourth rounds, but both referee Marc Goddard and his corner opted to give the American a chance to continue, probably against his own well being, as the punishment to the face was too much and it was impossible to turn around a very uneven scorecard.
Topuria went to decision for just the second time and that is good news for him. It seems imminent that in the near future he will face former champion Max Holloway, monarch Alexander Volkanovski and interim title holder Yair Rodriguez. All are accustomed to giving 25-minute battles and with tremendous stamina.
Although his critics are using the fact that he failed to submit or knock out Emmett, as promised, to say that it was necessary to see him tested to see if he was ready for the championship fight.
He is.
The Next Level
In just two and a half years ‘The Matador’ has been through it all. A fight on short notice where he beat Youssef Zalal by decision, a solid boxing knockout of Damon Jackson, a crushing performance against the always awkward Ryan Hall, he went to the canvas and recovered to knock out Jai Herbert in stunning fashion at 155 pounds and returned to his division in December to submit the undefeated Bryce Mitchell, who was supposed to have the advantage on the canvas.
After beating Emmett in emphatic fashion in his first stellar outing, the circumstance seems perfect for him to be the next featherweight challenger. He’ll be at UFC 290 to witness the unification between Volkanovski and Rodriguez and raise his hand at the end.
Emmett could have been finished twice, at the close of the second and fourth rounds, but both referee Marc Goddard and his corner opted to give the American a chance to continue, likely against his own well-being, as the punishment to the face was too much and it was impossible to turn around a very lopsided scorecard.
Topuria went to decision for just the second time and that is good news for him. It seems imminent that in the near future he will face former champion Max Holloway, monarch Alexander Volkanovski and interim title holder Yair Rodriguez. All are accustomed to giving 25-minute battles and with tremendous stamina.
Although his detractors are using the fact that he failed to submit or knock out Emmett, as he had promised, to say that he needed to be tested to see if he was ready for the championship bout.
He is.
The next level
In just two and a half years, “El Matador” has been through it all. A short notice fight in which he beat Youssef Zalal by decision, a solid boxing knockout of Damon Jackson, a crushing performance against the always awkward Ryan Hall, he went to the canvas and recovered to knock out Jai Herbert in stunning fashion at 155 pounds and returned to his division in December to submit undefeated Bryce Mitchell, who was supposed to have the advantage on the canvas.
After beating Emmett in emphatic fashion in his first stellar outing, the circumstance seems perfect for him to be the next featherweight challenger. He’ll be at UFC 290 to witness the unification between Volkanovski and Rodriguez and raise his hand at the end.
Much will depend on how that bout plays out and the calendar could also line him up with Max Holloway, Calvin Kattar, Brian Ortega or Arnold Allen. All of those fights offer greater challenges than he has faced, but Topuria’s “swagger” comes from studying his opponents.
When he has the microphone in front of him, he knows how to take advantage of it. He is eloquent and makes sense. It’s not just about insulting or humiliating his opponent, but also extolling his own virtues and attacking the weaknesses he has found.
His ease with words and his enormous talent inside the cage have led him to generate an unprecedented media phenomenon in MMA in Spain in a clear simile to what happened almost 10 years ago in Ireland when Conor McGregor exploded in popularity. He may be the first champion to represent Spain and has the pull to bring a card to Madrid.
Although his biggest fan base is in the Iberian peninsula, he generates conversation throughout Latin America thanks to the language, begins to show his global superstar potential and maintains a community relationship with the great generation of Georgian fighters now shining in the UFC, such as Merab Dvalishvili, Giga Chikadze and Roman Dolidze.
His team, headed by brothers Jorge and Agustin Climent in Alicante, knows that the leap will be a big one. They have decided that their training camps will be in South Florida, at the Kill Cliff FC of Henri Hooft, one of today’s most respected coaches. There he will be able to find sparring partners more adapted to the difficult conditions of his upcoming opponents.
Holloway’s boxing volume, Rodriguez’s versatility and Volkanovski’s versatility will be tough challenges in the near future.
