Ilia Topuria shocked the world at UFC 298 after becoming the new featherweight champion. The 27-year-old won the fight after knocking out the former champion Alexander Volkanovski in the second round. Since then, the new champion has garnered a lot of attention for his performance. Topuria currently resides in Spain and returned to a grand welcome in his country.
A recent video uploaded on Instagram shows the craze of the people for their new champion. The fans also took to social media to share their opinion on the whole. Let us find out what the fans have to say about ” El Matador’s” grand reception.
Ilia Topuria’s welcome receives mixed reactions from online fans
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Ilia Topuria was born in Georgia but later moved to Spain to follow his dreams. Now the 27-year-old has not only become the champion but also inspired many in his country. People gathered at the Madrid Airport to get a glimpse of their very own champion, and ” El Matador” did not disappoint them. The Spaniard received the accolades and even took pictures with his fans and ended the session by signing autographs. However, he received mixed reactions from fans online for his grand welcome at the airport. Let us take a look at some comments below.
View this post on Instagram
One user tried to find a funny angle in the incident and commented:
“He is the one escorting the policemen”
Another user seemed a Volkanovski fan but did congratulate the new champion:
“Honestly hate that volk lost, but itself kinda nice to see that another country has a champ to represent.”
One user wants to see Topuria at the Bernabeu and commented:
“They should have him headline at the Bernabeu”
Another user wants him to come to Georgia and commented:
“Wait till he comes Georgia”
One fan compared his looks to the great Volkanovski and commented:
“Looks like Volk”
Another user commented:
“Still looking for the crowd”
One user made sure that he appreciated Topuria’s wife and commented:
“Its a good sign that his wife stands aside instead of taking the shine aswell i respect that”
While Topuria is back to his home town after winning the belt, former champion Alexander Volkanovski is waiting for his rematch. The 35-year-old recently declared that he is ready for a rematch later this year if the UFC schedules an event in Spain. However, former UFC middleweight champion, Michael Bisping shared a piece of advice for the former champion regarding the rematch.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Michael Bisping advises “Volk” not to rush for his rematch
Alexander Volkanovksi entered the UFC 298 with the hopes of retaining his featherweight title against Topuria. However the 35-year-old couldn’t deliver his best on the night and lost the title. During the post fight presentation Topuria not only called out Conor McGregor, but also gave the UFC CEO Dana White a new destination for his next event. ” El Matador” asked for an event in Spain and the UFC head honcho seemed interested in the idea. This prompted the former champion to go for his rematch later this year. However former UFC champion Michael Bisping thinks otherwise.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Bisping in his recent YouTube shared his thoughts and advised the 35-year-old to be a bit more patient. The 44-year-old said: “Look, listen, as fighters, we operate with confidence. Confidence is such a vital ingredient in the mindset of a fighter. Of course, he’s got the skills. His boxing is fantastic, he’s got great footwork, he can wrestle, he’s got jiu-jitsu, and he’s only 35.”. ‘ The Count’ further added: “The whole ‘old man Volk’ thing, ok, it’s just because of these stats. But he’s not old. He’s 35 okay. But I would suggest he take some time away from the sport because if he goes back against Ilia Topuria when you have just lost twice in a row and you finished twice in a row, okay? Maybe that’s not the recipe for the best performance of a lifetime.” Should Volkanovski return for a rematch with Topuria later this year? Let us know in the comments below.
