Javier Sanchez

Updated Sunday, February 18, 2024-07:28

  • Previous Hollywood stars, tickets at $6,500 and half a million purses: Topuria before the fight that could give him world fame

Within 10 minutes of starting the fight, Ilia Topuria

's entire family

- his father, his mother, his wife, his son... - and all his friends from Alicante were already in the octagon celebrating the victory, a historic victory. Against Australian

Alexander Volkanovski

, featherweight champion since 2019, undefeated in his category, Topuria completed the performance of his life: a direct strike to the face of his rival, an immediate KO.

It happened at minute 3:32 of the second round, when the fight was still dawning, soon, very soon. Topuria thus took the belt from Volkanovski and, at 27 years old, became the first Spanish UFC champion. The public at the Honda Center in Anaheim, next to Los Angeles, which from the beginning showed its sympathy for the Australian, was stunned: thousands of fans with their hands on their heads.

Complete command of Spanish

"It's time to take the UFC to Spain.

Conor McGregor

, if you still have balls, I'll wait for you in Spain," Topuria proclaimed as he left the cage practically as he had entered. Only a cut on the upper part of the nose, resulting from a blow with Volkanovski's left in the first round, spoiled his figure. It was the only blow he received.

Since

Bruce Buffer

, the UFC announcer, shouted his 'It's time' and the bell rang, Topuria kept the fight under control, tactical, studious as always. Instead of trying to take his opponent to the ground, something predictable, due to his art in Greco-Roman wrestling and jiu jitsu, he proposed a punching match, practically boxing. Volkanovski looked surprised.

While Topuria dominated the center of the octagon, the Australian rotated around him with low kicks as his only argument. In that situation the outcome was prepared: in a flurry from the Spaniard, Volkanovski lowered his defense and the sky fell upon him. There was no option for more. The undefeated champion, the owner of the belt for the last five years, fell with everything, to the limit of unconsciousness.