What Is Ilia Topuria’s Religion? All About the UFC Star’s Faith and Background

When we talk about consistency, Ilia Topuria is the first name that comes to mind. The 27-year-old is the reigning featherweight champion after he defeated Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298. He is unbeaten not only in his UFC career but in his overall MMA career as well. While most of the fans know about the fighting style of the Spanish fighter, not much is known about his religion.

Looking at Ilia Topuria, it seems he is a believer in hard work and doesn’t quite have a religious side to him. In most of his interviews, he talks about dedication and hard work as the reason behind his success. But does he follow any religion?

Is Ilia Topuria Catholic or Orthodox?

At UFC 298, Ilia Topuria became the first Georgian fighter to hold a UFC title. He proudly represents his Georgian heritage and the flag of his country of residence, Spain. But ‘El Matador’ for all his claims about Georgia and Spain, has not let slip if he follows their religious customs too.

There is no such clarity surrounding his religion at the moment, but looking at his surname, it seems he is orthodox. There are also reports which suggest that he believes in Christianity. During his fight at UFC 298, during his weighing-in, he did the sign of the cross, and the video was shared on Instagram.

The caption read, “The new UFC World Champ Ilia Topuria, doing the sign of the Cross before winning the title. Wonderful seeing all these World champions in so many different sports putting Jesus first! All glory to God always”.

Ilia Topuria will now be seen taking on Max Holloway at the upcoming UFC 308 event. He will be defending his title for the first time after winning it at UFC 298 back in February. His rise to the top is a source of inspiration to many youngsters out there, both in Spain and Georgia. But not many know about his roots and background.

More about Ilia Topuria’s background and roots

Ilia Topuria was born in Halle Westfalen, Germany, to Georgian parents. However, at age seven, he and his family moved to Georgia, and this is where his love affair with fighting began, and he was exposed to wrestling in his school. Later, he moved to Spain at the age of 15 and began his mixed martial arts training in Alicante. Topuria loved the idea of Spain opening up its arms for him and said in an Instagram post that he hoped to lift Spain’s flag one day and show his appreciation towards the country.

Unbeaten in his UFC career, ‘El Matador’ seems ready to take on Max Holloway next in a highly exciting featherweight clash. No wonder the fight has drawn the attention of many, as two of the best strikers will be taking on each other. Holloway is fresh off a knockout victory during his last outing at UFC 300 against Justin Gaethje. However, Topuria has challenged him to do the same against him in a recent interview on YouTube.

Max Holloway has never been knocked out in his career and is known for his exceptional conditioning. However, he will be up against a fighter who many consider a knockout specialist and his power is second to none in the division. Can Max Holloway cause an upset at UFC 308? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.