Ilia Topuria received overwhelming support from various icons and superstars.
On Friday night, Topuria looks to cement his name in history during the UFC 298 main event by dethroning Alexander Volkanovski of his featherweight title. It’ll be easier said than done, as Volkanovski is arguably the greatest 145-pound MMA fighter of all time.
Topuria has become a heel in the MMA community due to his unmatched confidence that he will defeat Volkanovski. Meanwhile, ‘El Matador’ is a fan-favorite in his home country of Spain, with many public figures voicing their support for him ahead of UFC 298.
Earlier this week, Topuria shared footage on social media of the following athletes and celebrities wishing him luck against Volkanovski:
Rafael Nadal, Iker Casillas, Alvaro Morata, Fede Valverde, Dani Martin, Sandra Sanchez, Pablo Navascues, Ferran Torres, Damian Quintero, Joana Pastrana, Andres Iniesta, Juan Lebron, Carlos Sainz, Marcos Llorente, Alberto Contador, Nico Shera, Maravilla Martinez, Dani Ceballos, Carolina Marin, Carlos Alcaraz, Koke, Pedri, and Marc Marquez.
Topuria thanked the public figures who sent him support by saying this on social media:
“I can’t be more thankful for all the messages of support and encouragement I’ve received. 15 years ago I came to this great country together with my family with the vision and determination to change our luck and on Saturday I will return all the affection you have given me with a historic title. Thank you Spain #15 #AndNew 🌹”
Watch the video of supportive messages for Topuria below:
No puedo estar más agradecido por todos los mensajes de apoyo y ánimo que he recibido. Hace 15 años llegué a este gran país junto a mi familia con la visión y determinación de cambiar nuestra suerte y el sábado os devolveré todo este cariño que me habéis dado con un título… pic.twitter.com/MbNPvSzelv
— Ilia Topuria (@Topuriailia) February 16, 2024
What’s at stake in the UFC 298 main event between Ilia Topuria and Alexander Volkanovski?
Ilia Topuria’s confidence has led him to make a documentary about becoming a UFC champion during the UFC 298 buildup. Therefore, Topuria has more at stake in his upcoming main event matchup against Alexander Volkanovski, as a loss would mentally be hard to overcome.
With that said, Topuria’s opportunity at UFC 298 has been compared to Conor McGregor’s historic knockout win against Jose Aldo. If ‘El Matador’ can secure a knockout win against Volkanovski, he will likely become one of the biggest superstars in the promotion.
Only time will tell if Topuria can change his life forever by taking out Volkanovski to become the new UFC featherweight king.
