Abraham P. Romero
Updated Thursday, February 22, 2024-19:37
Ilia Topuria
, son of Georgian parents, was born in
Halle
, a city in
Germany
, he moved to
Alicante
when he was 15 and the soccer team of his life is
Real Madrid
.
That is why this Sunday, after having become
UFC world champion in the Featherweight category
, the Hispanic-Georgian fighter will receive the tribute from the
Santiago Bernabéu
.
Topuria
will take the kick-off
in the match that the white team will play against
Sevilla
and will sit in the Chamartín box.
On the pitch, the player he has always noticed: Sergio Ramos, who will just return to the Bernabéu for the first time since his departure.
"
He is the player I followed the most since I was little and the one I saw myself most similar to
. Now we have a good relationship, but I admired him before," he said today, at a press conference in Madrid after landing from the United States.
To know more
Mixed martial arts.
Topuria's future as champion: Can he attract McGregor and fill the Bernabéu in 2025?
Editor: JAVIER SÁNCHEZ
Topuria's future as champion: Can he attract McGregor and fill the Bernabéu in 2025?
In the next few days, Topuria will be received by the mayor of Madrid,
José Luis Martínez Almeida
, and will visit the television program 'El Hormiguero', but in his first appearance since his victory against Volkanovski he regretted not having received congratulations from
Pedro Sánchez
: "
It hurt me that the leader of our country did not congratulate me
. But that does not change my love for the country, I do not hold a grudge."
Topuria has insisted that "the only fight I am going to accept is on national territory.
In Spain."
"It will happen
," she added.
"The Santiago Bernabéu is a mythical stadium. It seems that all the stars have aligned and it is going to happen," he said about an alleged fight in the Real Madrid field.
Regarding the tribute on Sunday before the duel against Sevilla, Topuria admitted that "
Florentino is one of the people I am most excited to meet
."
"He is a phenomenon."
And he confessed that "without offending anyone, the team that most represents the values of my country, Spain, is Real Madrid. I love Madrid."
"I will take the kick-off at the Bernabéu," he confirmed.