Ilia Topuria has added another major achievement to the ever-expanding list of honors his martial arts career has earned. Unbeaten in his 15-fight professional MMA career, Topuria logs a maiden title defense at the UFC 308 pay-per-view (PPV) next. It happens in October at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Ahead of this, the fighter has made the Forbes Espaรฑaโs โ30 Under 30โฒ list.
The UFC 145-pound champion won his strap, knocking out the great Alexander Volkanovski in February. The Spaniard has had immeasurable fame and fandom since his win and tilted the focus to his country. Topuria had told Forbes that he made within a disclosed bracket of $350,000 for his win over Volk at UFC 298. โEl Matadorโ has plans to be the worldโs highest-paid athlete by the end of 2025.
The UFC championโs goal is a lofty one that he will be hard-pressed to achieve. The only UFC competitor on the list of the 10 highest-paid sportsmen was former champ Conor McGregor. McGregor made the list in 2021. However, the Alicante-Georgian fighter has already worked up his way with enough hooks and baits to be in the conversation.
Ilia Topuria, 27, meets consensus hard-chin best boxer Max Holloway next. Based on just a title win, he already sees prime comparison to McGregor, Sean OโMalley, and other such MMA stars. In the short time since his Anaheim appearance, Topuria has become a massive draw. If he can defend against Hollowayโs bid for gold, he is here to stay. As such, the matter has gone quite viral.
Fans react to Ilia Topuria making Forbes โ30 Under 30โฒ list
Ilia Topuria is set to take on former featherweight kingpin and current 155-pound BMF titleholder Holloway at UFC 308. But ahead of his first defense of the belt, Forbes Spain announced the Spaniardโs inclusion on the magazineโs annual โ30 Under 30โ list. The German-born Topuria may not be a household name Stateside. However, he is high-profile in Spain, where he moved after leaving Georgia at 15.
Now, hereโs what fans think of the addition of him to the list.
Anyone who can challenge โBlessedโ for a BMF call or knockout Volk and compete with McGregor with his own rival MMA promotion is already a top bill. In February, Topuria met with the President of Spain, did the honorary kick-off at the Real Madrid vs. Sevilla game, and was a top guest on national tele. The featherweight champ and his corner are also extremely confident he can sell out Real Madridโs Santiago Bernabรฉu stadium.
Gracing the โ30 Under 30โ list is only a testament to his fame. Some fans are dazzled that he is at this level, even without a title defense. However, most others have anonymously lauded the fighter. As such, this is just another reason why Ilia Topuria will remain a hot topic before UFC 308.