Ilia
Topuria hinted that a change in moniker would accompany his
move to a new weight class. Now that update has become a
reality.
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“‘El Matador’ has been my ally in every fight,” Topuria recently
wrote on X. “But next time, I’ll step into the
Octagon with a new identity.’”
During an interview with Mundo Deportivo, Topuria revealed that his new
nickname will be “La Leyenda,” which translates to “The Legend” in
English. Topuria was attending a ceremony in Toledo, Spain, where a
street was named in his honor.
“‘El Matador’ is something that has accompanied me throughout my
entire sporting career, throughout my entire trajectory, and it’s
something that’s led me to the new nickname,” Topuria said. “It’s
always what I say: You need to believe. You need to see to believe.
I believe it first, and then I see it. So the nickname that will
accompany me in my next fights is going to be ‘La Leyenda.’”
Topuria began his
UFC tenure with eight consecutive triumphs. After capturing
featherweight gold with a knockout of Alexander
Volkanovski at UFC 298, he defended the strap with a
third-round KO of Max
Holloway at UFC 308. It was announced that the
Georgian-Spaniard would vacate the belt ahead of UFC
314, where Volkanovski will now face Diego Lopes
for the vacant 145-pound title. An opponent for Topuria’s
lightweight debut has yet to be announced.