Is UFC’s Ilia Topuria From Georgia or Spain?

Ilia Topuria has successfully established himself as a powerful fighter with more than just sharp striking in his arsenal. He is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and was trained in the Greco-Roman style of wrestling very early on in his childhood. Becoming the featherweight champion was nothing but a small step that he took towards greatness in the fighting world.

This strength has made the fighting community wonder about ‘El Matador’s origins. A man built to fight- here’s more about Topuria’s beginnings and where he comes from.

Where is Ilia Topuria from? What is his ethnicity?

Ilia Topuria was born in Halle Westfalen, Germany. He was born to Georgian parents and at age seven, he and his family moved to his homeland, Georgia. He was soon introduced to the world of wrestling in Georgia. But little did he know that his time in his home country would come to an end pretty soon.

‘El Matador’ moved to Spain, and it was here that he started learning mixed martial arts 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 over his head someday.

The 27-year-old began his journey with the UFC when he got a short-notice bout against Youssef Zalal at a Fight Night event on October 11, 2020. To put things in perspective, Alexander Volkanovski won his title fight against Max Holloway and became the featherweight champion in 2019. That means, ‘The Great’ has reigned supreme for longer than Topuria has even been with the promotion. But that didn’t mean he was invincible. Topuria took control of the bout at UFC 298 and claimed the mantle of UFC featherweight champion.

Either way, the Georgian force of nature knows no fear and once announced “Soon the world is going to know me” on his Instagram post as he came to the United States of America in Las Vegas for the UFC. But with his veins containing Georgian genes, he often shoulders the Spanish flag on him. This has indeed made the fight fans wonder about his nationality.

Why does Ilia Topuria represent Spain?

Topuria, although hails from Georgia, has acquired Spanish citizenship following his phenomenal victory over ‘The Great’. He had already made several requests to the Council of Ministers for citizenship in Spain, and in 2024, the featherweight champion’s wish finally came true.

Talking to the media during a press conference, the Minister of Education and Science of Spain, Pilar Alegira said, “The Council of Ministers has given the go-ahead to grant citizenship to Ilia Topuria. They know that he is a world-famous fighter in mixed martial arts, has been training in our country since 2012 and is an example of overcoming, and is also a benchmark in the sport discipline. Therefore, the Council of Ministers approves the granting of nationality to Topuria.”

His love for Spain, too, is visible even in his moniker ‘El Matador’. Matadors are brave bullfighters who have the ultimate task of defeating the bull that they’re put inside a stadium with. However, given his roots, does he believe in a particular religion?

What is Topuria’s faith?

Ilia Topuria is a Christian by faith. While he hasn’t been very public about his beliefs, many reports suggest that the fighter believes in Christianity. His background can lead one to believe that he is Georgian-German in terms of ethnicity. His family was originally from Georgia, it was merely that they lived in Germany at the time he was born in 1997.

And now, as Topuria gets ready to face Max Holloway at UFC 308, he will require all the faith and prayers to avoid getting knocked out in the last second. After all, it’s the featherweight championship title that has been put on the line for the bout.

What are your thoughts on Topuria’s background? Do you think his dual citizenship will play a role in getting him a win at his upcoming title defense? Let us know what you think in the comments down below.