Here are some reasons why it sucks to fight Ilia Topuria. Let me take you into the depths because it gets way worse than you think. The first round killer, Max Holloway, the man who went five rounds with Dustin Poré, three wars with Vulcanovski, and ate 700 plus strikes without blinking.
A granite shin, a cardio machine, a legend. And yet, when he stepped in with Ilia Topurya, none of that mattered. Let me take you back to UFC 308.
Ilia Topurya versus Max Holloway. Holloway 26 wins, 14 finishes, seven losses, standing at 5'11, weighing 145 lbs with more octagon time than almost anyone in UFC history. Known for his volume, his durability, and his ability to break opponents mentally and physically.
But Ilia didn't flinch. From the first bell, Ilia showed no respect for the legend in front of him. He didn't overextend.
He didn't chase. He just waited, watched, and placed every shot like he already knew where Max would move next. Holloway fired back with volume, but Ilia's footwork and composure neutralized it.
He slipped just enough, landed just enough, and never let Max build momentum. Then came round three. A slight faint, a shift in weight, and then boom, a perfectly timed overhand right.
Holloway collapsed. The crowd didn't even scream right away. They froze because for the first time in his career, Max Holloway was out cold.
And Ilia, he didn't scream, didn't flex, he just stood there because this wasn't just another win. It was a message. And Ilia, he calmly sipped imaginary tea over Holloway's unconscious body like it was just another day at the office.
And that's how you erase an aura. That's how you become the new king. That's how Ilia became the legacy killer.
Walkia down pressure. I once sparred with a guy who didn't throw much. He just kept walking toward me round after round.
Never blinking, never breaking pace. It wasn't the punches that got me. It was the pressure.
Ilia fights like that guy, except faster, meaner, and with actual knockout power. He walks you down like you're already his prey. Let me take you back to UFC 282.
Ilia Topurya versus Bryce Mitchell. Mitchell, 15 wins, undefeated at the time, standing at 5'9 and weighing 145 lbs. A proud Arkansas wrestler with slick submissions, endless grit, and that awkward but effective striking.
He talked big before the fight. Ilas never fought someone like me. But at the same time, he foresaw something.
Something never before seen in Ilia's presence. It forced him to revisit verses of the Old Testament just to borrow some courage. His premonition turned out right.
He never fought someone like Ilia. From round one, Bryce looked uncomfortable. Every step he took back.
Ilia took one step forward. Measured, calm, no wasted movement. He didn't charge.
He suffocated. Bryce tried to fire off combos, shoot takedowns, and even switch stances mid round, but it didn't matter. Ilia read him like a manual.
And when Ilia started landing to the body, it was like watching the air slowly leave a balloon. You could see it in Bryce's posture. chest lower, breathing heavier, and Ilia, still walking forward like it was just round one on the pads.
Eventually, Bryce panicked, shot a desperate take to top position and made him tap. Not from his strikes, not from damage, just pressure. The kind that makes you want out.
And if you're thinking, "Okay, maybe you can trade with him, maybe catch him coming in. " Yeah, good luck with that. And you're definitely subscribing after this next part, because next up is the reason his hands are a loaded weapon.
oneshot knockout power. I remember the first time I saw Ilia fight. Something in me just knew this guy's different.
He's going somewhere. There was no trash talk, no showboating, just this quiet intensity. You could see it in the way he moved, the way he reacted.
Like his mind was always two steps ahead. And I wasn't wrong because the more I watched, the more I realized this wasn't just another hype train. This was a Desert Eagle trapped in a featherweight's body.
Let me take you back to UFC Fight Night London. Ilia Toporia versus Jai Herbert. Herbert 11 wins, nine knockouts, three losses.
Standing at 6'1 and weighing 155 pounds. Massive for the division with serious reach and striking credentials. This fight made you realize that weight classes are here for a reason.
Ilia was visibly massively undersized, a featherweight stepping into lightweight territory. But eventually that didn't matter. What people forget is that Ilia got clipped early.
Herbert caught him with a clean headkick and had him stumbling. Most guys would have gone defensive, played it safe, tried to recover. Not Ilia.
He's a totally different breed. He refused to give Jai a mental advantage. Admitting midfight that the Englishman won a striking battle.
Damaged and properly shaken, he continued walking up front and started chopping the body hard. Jai backed up, hands creeping lower, trying to create distance. And then it happened.
One short step in, a level change, a tight right hook to the jaw. Ilia conceded a strong counter hook in exchange of his own, but muscle power and most definitely a power of will prevailed. Boom.
Jai folded, looking like a statue of a warrior shattered to pieces. Just off switch. No wild celebration.
No need. Ilia knew what he did. He walked off like a man clocking out of work.
So maybe you start thinking, "All right, keep it on the ground. Stay safe down there. " But if that's your plan, you're walking straight into the next problem.
Underrated BJJ black belt. People love to talk about Ilia's striking, the knockouts, the highlight reels, the right hand. But what nobody talks about and what most opponents completely underestimate is what hits the ground.
Because Ilia isn't just dangerous on his feet. He's a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, trained since childhood. And when he gets on top, it's like a python tightening with every breath you take.
Let me take you back to UFC fight night. Ilia Topurya versus Ysef Zal. Zalah, 10 wins, two losses.
Standing at 5'10 and weighing 145 lbs. A dynamic, well-rounded fighter with slick movement and a solid submission game of his own. On paper, this was a striking battle with some grappling exchanges.
What we got was a one-man grappling show with Ilia in full control from start to finish, opening seconds. And once he got it, he never let go. Smooth transitions, heavy top control.
Every movement had purpose. Zal tried to scramble out to create space. But every time he moved, Ilia was already two steps ahead.
Zal wasn't fighting back. He was sinking. At one point, Ilia wrapped up an Anaconda choke so tight the commentary team thought it was over.
Zal somehow survived, but the damage was done. Three rounds of pure domination, and none of it had to do with striking. And that's the trap.
You prepare for the knockout artist, the fast hands, the pressure. But once Ilia takes you down, you realize that was just the beginning. Count the topics so far and you'll start to realize this guy doesn't seem to be beatable.
Don't relax just yet. There's still two more to go. And I'm telling you, they're even worse.
Precision striking with KO intent. And then came the fight that changed everything. Up until that point, people still had questions.
Was Ilia overhyped? Could he handle five rounds? What happens when he faces a real knockout artist?
He heard it all and he didn't argue. He just waited for the right moment to answer. That moment was Josh EMTT.
Let me take you back to UFC on ABC 5. Ilia Toporia versus Josh EMTT. EMTT with 18 wins, 13 finishes, standing at 5'6 with a 70in reach, and weighing 145 lbs.
A brawler, a powerhouse, the kind of guy who makes you pay for every mistake. For Ilia, this wasn't just another main event. It was the proving ground.
All eyes on him and no room for mistakes. And from the very first exchange, you could feel it. Ilia wasn't there to participate.
He was there to take over. He outclassed EMTT everywhere. Blocked smarter, hit cleaner, defended sharper.
And what made it scary was the calm. No showboating, no emotion, just business. Round after round, he made EMTT look like he was stuck in another era.
What was supposed to be a war turned into a technical dismantling? But how long before he gets that belt around his waist, the final statement. And then there was the champion, Alexander Vulcanowski, the man who ran the division.
A former rugby player turned pound-for-pound king. He beat Holloway three times, survived Brian Ortega's tightest chokes, went five rounds with Islam Makashem, unshakable, unbreakable until he met Ilia. This wasn't just another fight.
This was Ilia's moment. A chance to take the crown from a man nobody could touch for 5 years. The media doubted him.
The fans called him untested. But Ilia didn't talk. He trained.
And with the cage door shut, he turned pressure into prophecy. Let me take you back to UFC 298. Ilia Toporia versus Alexander Valkcanowski.
Valonovski. 26 wins, 14 finishes, four losses, standing at 5'6, weighing 145 lbs. A relentless striker with championship cardio, elite timing, and a mindset carved out of steel.
For years, he was the wall nobody could climb. But Iliad didn't climb. He kicked the damn wall down.
From the first exchange, Toporia showed zero hesitation. pressured without rushing. He cut angles, mixed levels, and touched Vulcanowski just enough to set the trap.
Calf kicks to disrupt balance, faints to freeze the timing. And then in round two, he unleashed it. A short, vicious right hand to detonated clean on the chin.
Vulcganowski collapsed. But what followed wasn't chaos. It was quiet.
The kind of quiet that only comes when something impossible has just happened. Ilia didn't explode with emotion. He stood still like a hunter, watching his shot land exactly where he imagined it.
And in that silence, a new legend was born. The next video proves MMA is not for normal humans.
