Ilia Topuria has a formidable challenge in front of him. He is set to face the champion, Alexander ‘The Great’ Volkanovski at UFC 298 in a matter of days. As of yet, he has not yet been defeated. Will he continue his reign as an undefeated fighter? Only time will tell. For all we know, he has a lot more to offer than his fighting abilities to us fans which is very intriguing.

For instance, you would often see him coming out of a tunnel with a rose during his walkout. Have you ever wondered why he does that and the significance behind the same? Wait no further as we unwrap these questions for you.

Ilia Topuria reveals the importance of roses during his UFC fights

Topuria is a Mixed Martial Artist through and through. He was exposed to the sport of MMA at a very young age. One of the tenets of the sport is to respect an opponent, especially after a fight. That is why, to pay homage to his opponent, Topuria walks out with a rose that he uses post-fight and leaves it inside the cage as a gesture of respect.

Not to mention, this was confirmed by the man himself. Back in July of Last year, MMA reporter, The Schmo asked him, “What’s the deal with the roses that were thrown during the walkout and the fight? You got a lot of roses going on. What’s the significance?” In response, he said, “So, it’s a respect I showed for my opponents after the fight. I’ll leave the rose in the octagon; that’s just showing the respect.”

The aforementioned revelation is quite impressive. Not many in the sport of MMA have such gestures which makes him a unique fighter. However, it bears mention that there is something more unique that is underway for his upcoming fight.

Ilia Topuria’s rose-themed promo for the fight against Alexander Volkanovski

It appears there is more to it than meets the eye about Topuria and his relationship with Roses. A couple of months back, he made his promo for his upcoming fight. Which, he appears to be starring at Volkanovski on a television screen with a malevolent gaze. While he does that, he also holds a rose starts peeling of petals and keeps it in a box.

A post was made by @BloodyElbow on X., which said, “Ilia Topuria made a rose-themed promo for his fight with Alexander Volkanovski.” The said promo ends with Topuria confirming to fight the champion.

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It appears roses will be associated with the UFC fighter going forward as it makes one curious. In any case, what do you make of the aforementioned revelations? Share with us in the comments below.

Read more: Where Is Ilia Topuria From? Ethnicity/Nationality of the UFC Featherweight