Ilia Topuria was lying in bed, nearly 30 pounds over his fighting weight and in the grips of a tough bout with covid, when the UFC called with an offer that would reshape his career.
Back in October 2020, at the height of the pandemic, Topuria took a short-notice fight against Youssef Zalal on Fight Island. He was still recovering from the illness but accepted the challenge anyway and somehow managed to shed 26 pounds to make weight.
That win marked the start of a remarkable rise. Now he’s set to headline UFC White House on June 14 against Justin Gaethje.
Ilia Topuria recalls gruelling illness just before his UFC debut
Getting the call from the UFC is what every fighter dreams of, but for Ilia Topuria, it couldn’t have come at a worse time. He was stuck in bed with coronavirus and well over the weight limit when the opportunity arrived.
Speaking to Adam Catterall on One on One MMA, Topuria said: “I didn’t want to get that call, I was sick with covid. I remember I was in my bed and I wasn’t even able to walk for two weeks. Finally, I said ‘I’m going to go outside and run for ten minutes.’”
“I did 15 minutes and had to come back. Then my phone rang, and they asked if I wanted to fight in the UFC in eight days. I thought, ‘How am I going to make that happen?’”
“I had to lose 12kg [just over 26lb] in eight days – so many things I had to do – but whatever. I said yes without knowing how I’d manage it.”
That gamble paid off handsomely for Topuria, who’s now one of the sport’s biggest stars with titles in multiple divisions.
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