Ilia Topuria
Appearances
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
There's no point in putting time on it right now. Exactly. Once I will stop enjoying it, I will retire. So what makes you want to move up to 155 so bad? Because I really believe that I can be the current champion, Islam. I really think that he's a great champion. He does. You can't be a world champion by chance. You have to do things great. He's a beast. Yeah, he's a beast.
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
But I like the competition. And I don't like to be a bully and fight with people that I know 100% that I'm going to walk his ass. I like to fight with people that the fans think that it's going to be very competitive. That kind of expectation I like to create. So with Islam, I'm going to have that.
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
Doing again the rematch with people that I already fought, I don't think that I'm going to have the same kind of expectations, you know, for the fans. Yeah, I love Volk too.
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
But just as a fan, it's kind of like... I have to give him his credits also because you never know what's going to happen in the rematch.
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
i'm sure that i'm gonna knock him out once again if we fight again or i will submit him i will do the same things but at the same time you can't joke with that guy he's a legend right if that's what i mean the only the only thing he knows to do is fighting so i can't underestimate him at all because he's a beast like with max holloway i just knock him out
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
But maybe we fight again and you never know what's going to happen. Is there anyone else you'd want to fight at lightweight? I know you said you'd be willing to fight Oliveira. There are so many excited fights in the lightweight division. Even Armand now, I guess he's kind of... Yeah, Armand needs to build himself a little bit more, you know?
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
But at this point, just imagine a fight between me and I love that dog, Dustin Poirier. He's a fucking fighter. You know what I mean? You know that he goes in and he fights till he dies. You're going to have that guy in front of you fighting and try to take your head off. That's a very exciting fight for me and I think for the fans also. Islam is a great fight. Charles is a great fight.
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
Justin Gaethje is a great fight. I can mention you so many great fights that I could have in the lightweight division. The Islam fight would be a fucking super fight. Absolutely.
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
That's a great fight. That's why I want to do it. Why do you think the UFC doesn't want to make it happen? I don't think that they don't want to make it happen. It's in the works? Yeah, it's in the works. They are trying to figure out some things. So how do you beat Islam? Is Georgian wrestling better than Dagestani wrestling? You can't analyze the wrestling that way because you never know.
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
You see a Russian guy wrestling with an American guy and it can go... Either way, you know what I mean? But I have so many, so many things against Islam that he's going to have some hard time with me. And something he knows and we all know is that The only thing I need, it's one punch.
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
And you know for sure that I'm going to connect that one punch because I don't throw my punches like a crazy, a crazy, you know? I'm waiting for my moment and I apply a lot of technique behind that punch. You know, I move my head and I know where to throw those punches. And we all know that at some point I will connect that punch and everything will depend on
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
do you like being in the corner wow it's kind of weird you know because when i walk in in in the octagon when i'm fighting i feel like i have the control over everything but with my pride was so so weird because from the corner you can't do anything right whatever happens you have to accept it you know he wins he lose he gets knocked out or he knocks out So you feel tension all the time.
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
what god will decide if he wants to go if he wants to to send islam to sleep or not who knows that i know that didn't you say you want to submit him yeah I can also submit him. To be honest, I always say that I represent the new generation of mixed martial arts and what that means.
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
Before, you were seeing guys in MMA, they were good in striking and maybe in wrestling, but their ground game wasn't that good. Or you see a guy who has a phenomenal ground game, he has a phenomenal striking, but his wrestling sucks. In my case, I'm good everywhere. So you can take me everywhere and I'm going to feel comfortable. They used to say like, I'm going to take you to the deep water.
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
I was burned in the deep water. You know what I mean? Take me wherever you want to take me.
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
I don't know. That guy is so sick. He has some problems and he's inside war, you know? And at the same time, when he was starting in the mixed martial arts, he was an idol for all of us. You know, he was a great fighter representing good values.
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
He did a lot for the sport, but at some point he betrayed all the values that put him in that point. You know what I mean? Yeah. So he get crazy. He started to be disrespectful with everyone around him, with all the people in the US, with all the fighters, with everyone, you know, and at some point you fall, you know, the people comes against you.
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
they don't like that if they support you you have to you have to give them the same love back where do you think his downfall was starting to party like he's not he he wasn't a sportsman he taking drugs all that kind of you know what i mean because we all know that you're always going to have that kind of temptations, you know?
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
But if you are really a champion, a fucking legend, you can against everything. You have to have that control about the things, not the things that have to have the control about you.
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
I want to be more than Conor McGregor. you know what i mean uh the values he represents it's not the same values i represent so that's why i think i'm gonna be even bigger than him actually i'm bigger than him right now at this point i'm bigger than him maybe more people knows him but the way they know him i don't want anyone to know me that way right so maybe it takes me a little bit longer
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
And I'm very patient. I know that there's no elevators in life and slow is the fastest way to get where you want to be. You don't want to rush anything, right? I don't want to rush anything. It never pays off in the end.
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
Yeah, I have a different relationship now. Of course, as a champion, you can do things a little bit different. But at the same time, the people that understand about the business are there. They understand. Dana and Hunter understand about the business. I can have many ideas, but they had how many champions they had before me.
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
Is it more nervous fighting or being in the corner? Being in the corner, I was more nervous. Do you ever tell him some stuff and he just doesn't listen? No, I feel that he listens to me a lot like I do all the time when I'm fighting. I try to listen to him because I feel that... He knows me really well. He knows my inside world.
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
So they have so much experience that you can just go there and say, I want to do this. See or see. You want it or not, you can do it that way. Because they know how to run the business. They know how to build the stars.
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
Exactly. His hype was like momentanio. In the moment, he has a lot of hype, this and that, but the quality of the fighter he is, man, come on, please. Don't even compare me to that boom.
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
because we are on different levels and everyone can see that see it now that we are on different levels what do you think happened with him because he was kind of on like he was on he was very disrespectful to me to my country to all my people and he he just behaved like a a idiot you know he he started to talk about the war we had against russia and and that
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
He said something, now I understand why the Russians put the bombs in Georgia. And many kids died in that war. Many people died in that war. You know, not a lot of good things happened in the war. So when you start to joke about that kind of things, just make sure that we don't find each other anywhere because I'm going to take your fucking head off. You know what I mean?
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
He wants to build his hype laughing on people. And that's not the way I'm looking to build the hype.
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
In my case, it's real because I had press conference where I was respectful to my opponents because they were respectful to me. But when they try to go a different way, bro, I'm never looking for a problem. But if the problem comes to me, I say no fucking problem.
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
I don't know. It was so fun that someone is not accepting Kamala Harris because he wants to watch my fight against Max Holloway. That's fun. It's dope how much of just a fan Joe Rogan is that he would say that. And he said that, you know, he didn't have to say that. He would like close his mouth and don't say anything. But I love Joe Rogan. You ever going to go on Joe Rogan?
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
I think you should go on. If he invites me, why not? He's the best.
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
You can't refuse that invitation. Who's like your top three fighters of all time? The first one has to be Jon Jones. You have to give the credit to that man. Because to me, it's too fun when I see people comparing him with the Dagestani guys, even with Khabib, with Islam or that type. All the respect to all the champions. But for example, Khabib, he has how many? 14, 15 fights in the UFC.
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
We meet each other in Las Vegas. I had, I don't know, a small conversation with him, but he seems to be a very nice guy. He tried to help us many, many times. So I appreciate him to help me every time.
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
Exactly. He's still going. I don't know. For me, he's the number one. Number two, number two. Wow. That one is a tough question, actually. Maybe Anderson Silva. was goaded back in the day i don't want to leave anyone outside that you know because i love many of them and i respect and then they inspire me in different moments of my career number three who it would be number three number three
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
George St. Peter, yeah. He was my favorite. I'm from Canada, so he was, yeah.
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
He knows when I can't push my opponents, when I have to rest, recover my condition. So we have a special connection. What did you think of the Duplessis-Strickland fight? To be honest, I didn't watch it. No? No.
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
the ufc wants to make happen something the ufc wants it but it's acting jones is saying publicly that he you know he's kind of being like iffy online about it um but maybe that's just a negotiation tactic right and negotiation tactical that's the truth maybe this is what he wants to go go inside the octagon because at this point
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
he he don't need to fight anymore you know if if he fights he's honest like this is what i need to go inside that octagon and put the performance you you want from my side so this is what motivates me this is what i need to go in if you're willing to pay me just pay me if not god bless you We all good. If anyone's earned a fat payday, it's him, right? For how long he's been in the UFC?
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
I don't know for how many. He's almost 40, right? Yeah. And he became a world champion with 23. Crazy. So only... calculating since the day he become a world champion to now it's 17 years almost so yeah how do you how do you see that fight playing out bro I like Aspinall also he's a great fighter and he represents also a new generation he's a new blood but I don't know man
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
At the same time, I don't want to say anything because I know how it feels when someone gets a question about me when I was fighting, for example, with Max Holloway and they were asked, what do you think about this fight? I understand that they can't go against Max Holloway because it's very difficult to bet against someone like him, but they don't know my reality.
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
They don't know how much I'm working, how much I desire that victory and how much I'm willing to give to get it. So maybe we have the same case with Tom Aspinall. I don't know. It's like...
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
it's a tough one to call yeah you don't want to get i don't want to answer yeah because i respect both of them so much how happy for that you're at like with my rob and stuff that two georgian champs are so happy he's a machine he's so crazy at the same time he's hilarious that guy if i do the same kind of things As he does, you would say this guy is crazy. But on him, bro, it looks great.
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
Yeah, we were celebrating. We came out, he did all his interviews and then we went to celebrate a little bit. We were watching his fight. I don't know, we watched it for a hundred times.
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
I don't know. I love that guy. What did you make of his last performance?
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
Fucking machine. I love the performance he had the last time. He... He showed that he's the world champion. He's the best. I saw him enjoying inside the octagon because if you don't have that kind of control, which he had, you can do this kind of things and you can laugh on the guy when you take him down and you are not able to do that kind of things because you're so fucking nervous.
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
so he showed a different kind of level you know he he's the best were you surprised at his dominance in that fight at all this is what i what i was expecting from him i always knew that he was much better than than that guy that normal metal much better bro they you seem her up sometimes you seem her up you see him fighting and you think like
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
This guy is not going to take me down because his takedowns doesn't look like very technical. But when you do sparrings with him or you fight with him, everything changes. You know, his timing, the way he moves, the way he does it. There's a reason why he is the best in the world. I don't see anyone... It's going to be tough for someone to beat him, right?
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
But none of them have like a special cardio and special stamina. You know what I mean? The way they do it, it's like if you see fighting any of them, The thing they need when they go inside the octagon, in the first contact, they want to feel that they dominate you. And they start to build their confidence since that. Like, I can dominate you. Maybe you escape. We go in the striking again.
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
But I felt that I'm stronger than you. But if they feel in the first contact, in the first round, that they can control you, that it's very competitive, their head... Goes down. Yeah. So what, you think it's about beating them in the earlier rounds? This is what they try to do, to beat you in the earlier rounds, to feel that they can dominate you, that they are stronger than you.
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
This is what they try to do all the time. But when they realize that it's not like that, most of the time, they lose that kind of fights. All the competitive fights, they lose. All of them.
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
Or you see them dominating... everything, like take the people down, dominate them in the ground, or if you see a competitive fight, Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
So we had a space with all our close friends, with partners. So we celebrate with music. We bring a DJ from Spain. I don't know, just enjoying with the family.
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
Yeah, a little bit of everything. A little fun? Yeah. What's your go-to drink? Is it the wine? I love to drink wine. And in special moments like that, maybe I can drink some tequilas or beer. Not very often, but in that kind of situations, I do it because... Sometimes you have to enjoy also the life, you know, it's not always to being in that, that way to on diet. I don't drink.
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
I'm going to show you how to do it. you know, Thank you. Thank you. I'm going to show you how to do it. Thank you.
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
I don't do this on that. You have to enjoy it. You got to mix it up. Yeah, of course.
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
I wasn't surprised, to be honest, because I always knew it. I always knew that my time would come. But it's always very emotional when you are able to live that specific moment in your life, especially when you fight a guy like Max Holloway that never has been knocked out.
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
but i knew it i don't know i don't know where does that power come from from god he gives me that power because of course i i work hard i work very very very hard and i feel that i i don't only work the hard way i work the smart way also but i see also many many guys working really hard doing everything that they they can but they don't have this power so the conclusion is that
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
your mentality and how important is your mentality when it comes to everything that you're doing the only thing i do i base my values on what god is teaching us in the bible right so i try to do the all all the things that he he teach us i just try to to believe in myself because i always used to say this way that both uh fear and faith demand you to believe in something that you never saw and you choose and i always choose to believe in things that make me feel happy
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
So I was born in Germany. I have my brother and two sisters. So my parents decided to go back to Georgia because we... originally from Georgia. So we lived there for seven years. But in the first three years, my parents again have to leave us in Georgia and go back to Europe. Because in that moment, we didn't have a great situation in Georgia. Was there a war?
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
It was so emotional for me to see him making his debut, see him win. It was something that we dreamed since we were kids. So seeing it in the reality, it was something very emotional to me and very happy.
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
Russia was... The war started once my parent left us a year after or something like that in 2008. So when you are eight, nine years old and you're dealing with that kind of situation and you don't have your heroes, which are your parents with that age, it's a little bit difficult. But at this moment, I appreciate... everything that I lived because it creates the man I am today.
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
So wait, what was that like then? Who were you living with at the time when you were eight? With my brother and with my sister. And my grandma was taking care of us also and close family members. But without the parents, it's not the same, you know what I mean? So...
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
we had a difficult times but today i appreciate everything that that i lived because i wouldn't be here without that that experience and then you made it to spain when you were when we turned to when i was 15 years old finally we me and my brother we we went with my parents to spain and since since that moment we made the the gym where we training until today
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
and we meet the mixed martial arts i heard there's an interesting story with your mother with that i heard were you guys on a bus and she saw someone with cauliflower ear and then because at that at that time in spain they didn't have the culture of mixed martial arts at all no one knew anything about about that you weren't even training at this point at age 15. and we were doing the greek roman wrestling and we wanted to to kill with that discipline in spain also but they don't they don't have that sport also so either so
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
My mom saw in the street a man with a cauliflower ear. You can identify very fast a wrestler or a fighter. When you see that, you know not to fuck with that person. So my mom started to talk with that man and she told him like, I have two kids. They want to keep training. I don't know, maybe wrestling. And he said, I don't do wrestling, but I do Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
So take your kids and I will show you the gym. So when my mom came to home, she started to talk to us about the jujitsu, MMA and all that. And we didn't know anything at all. And I was like, I don't want to do anything with kimono because, you know, in wrestling, we don't use kimono.
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
and my dad started to talk also with us and he was like this is an amazing sport you know the graces look this video this and that and finally they convinced convinced us to go to the gym and
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
since the day we we step in we we didn't came out until now that's crazy so do you give your mom a lot of credit a lot of friends and who's this guy with cauliflower here we got to find him and maybe of course he's a very very close friend of mine uh now he's still still of course he's a great person how can i forget him
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
they really have that fighter spirit inside them. But at the same time, they didn't have the culture of the sport. So I want them to be more familiar with the sport because we have great talents also there. So at the same time, I don't know. My goal is not only inspire people in the sport. I want to inspire them in life and be a motivation, a role model for them, you know?
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
Some of them choose the way, the path on doing their things in the sport. Some of them wants to start with some business. Some of them wants to be a doctor in the future. I don't know. I just want to be a great example for them.
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
it's something that motivates me and gives a recognition to everything i'm doing right so it feels amazing when when does that fight happen at the bernaba hopefully i don't know in in 2025 but by the end of the year or maybe this year next year i hope so how does that make you feel when you just think about the possibility of that happening
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
It makes me feel... To give you chills or no? It makes me feel happy at the same time. I didn't fought in Spain, I don't know, since so many years ago, the last time I fought in Spain. So it will be something amazing going out there in front of all my people. I don't know, 80,000 people in Santiago Bernabéu with the mariachi song.
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
It's going to be something that it's going to stay in my memories for life. And... At the end of the day, what's life? It's about the moments we are able to create and then remember them.
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
And what's one thing you've learned from him? What I have learned from him, he was my idol since I was a kid. The way he was, like the character he has in the sport, like always fighting till the last second of the match, that inspired me a lot. So I was following his entire career.
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
and the day when i when i met him it was like something very cool you know that you you're watching someone would you like him and at some point he comes to support you i don't know crazy things has he ever given you like any advice or anything like that many of them to be honest i i i can't tell you anything specific that he told me but only spending time with him
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
it's nice you know it it's it gives you a lot of motivation yeah whatever he he does even if you do the same things you are able to to verify that you are doing the same thing as someone who is so big you know so you you you know that you are on the right path That's also a learning.
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
At the same time, it's something that I appreciate. Of course I do, but I always knew it. I don't know. I always believed that someday I would share the stages with them. I would share the conversations with them because I was doing everything that
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
was in my hands you know what i could do so i always had that faith that those days would come in my life yeah so since you've had that faith what do you see what do you see your legacy and what are your goals in the ufc and then also outside the ufc My goals in the UFC is to stay undefeated, to keep knocking people out. I don't go only in to just win, you know? I fight for the fans.
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
I want to entertain people. I want them to enjoy. Like when I go somewhere, I want people to offer me a great show. That's why I put my money there. So I want to do the same thing to all the fans. and be as big as I can. I want to go to the lightweight division now. If the UFC wants me to give me that opportunity, I will become a two-weight class award champion.
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Ilia Topuria | Ep. 147
And I want to keep doing things like that. And outside the cage, as I told you before, I want to motivate and inspire people. How many years do you think you have left in the UFC? Until I enjoy. Yeah, just to play by ear? Yeah. At this point, I enjoy it. I want to keep doing it. And it's a difficult question to answer when I want to retire. I don't know.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
I really know that I have the ability to shock the world. You're fight ready. You think he's fight ready to go up against you today? Him? Yeah. No. I finished him in the first round. Me, personally, I would ask him, like, what's your favorite submission? I'm going to submit you with that. I have to do it. Did you say you want to make more money than Ronaldo? I want to make more money than...
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
They just kind of call you and tell you, I got to fight for you. I got to fight for you. Okay. This is how it works. Of course, they have a conversation with you because they want you to feel also comfortable with the day, with the place, with the opponent, with everything. Got it. They figure out with you and you go after that. But at least what they do always with the champions is,
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
is that they give you at least 12 weeks of preparation. If you're a champion, they give you that 12-week respect. Yeah, because you need the training camp. You need to figure out how you're going to do it, how you're going to organize everything. You've got to move your whole team.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
life that they have like business wise it's not the best place spain spain but it's your favorite place no matter what like the quality of life that we have in spain you can find it anywhere in the world like for example in miami i love miami but we are recording yes we're recording Okay, so the quality of the food and everything, it's very different to Spain. Not close to Spain.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
I have two names in my mind right now and we focus all trainings in two names. It's Charles and Islam. In case if he says you're fighting Charles. Yeah, in case that he says that I got to fight Charles, I'm ready for that because I'm doing a lot of like we watching his fights, seeing his weaknesses, where he's doing like, I don't know, where he's dangerous.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
All that, we study him, the same thing with Islam. He saw Paul. He moves a little bit different. He tends to go for the takedowns. So we are preparing. I'm so excited. Me, if someone asked me, like, I would love to fight with Islam, that would be a great one because I really know that I have the ability to – to shock the world.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
Because I know that for me, it's gonna be like, I know that I'm gonna beat him, but for the world, it's gonna be like, just what happened. The same thing that happened with Walk, the same thing that happened with Max Holloway. No one ever knocked him out. No one did it. And it was like a surprise for everyone. But me personally, I always knew it.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
Before I walk in the octagon, I was like, thanks God to give me the opportunity to be the first one to knock him out. Where does the confidence come from? From hard work and dedication. from and from God, I think so. And I'm gonna sound a little bit repetitive, but I always prefer to think about to have the kind of thoughts that make me feel happy, that empowers me. Because I feel fear.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
Of course I do. But both of them, fear and faith, the magic that you never saw. I always... Prefer to believe in something that makes me feel happy. Fear. Yeah.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
Everyone does it. Everyone. How do you deal with it? How do you deal with it? I use it like from a positive way. I use it from like... I don't know. The first thing that happens where you are backstage, your mind used to take you to the octagon. And in reality, you are in the backstage. And I'm like, listen, right now I'm with my people, wrapping my hands, warm up.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
I don't know, whatever I'm doing, but I'm not fighting with anyone. So don't worry about anything. Just... save that energy because you are going to need that concentration, that focus inside the octagon. So if you are able to, don't let your mind to travel to the future, You are ahead of your opponents.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
Nobody else? Nobody else. I just go, I watch myself in the mirror, and I'm like, this is the person you have to beat. The person in the mirror. Yeah. This is the person you have to meet. This is the person you have to meet. Are you listening to any music or no? I don't... Like, whatever. Like, oh, I play the music. Someone from my team plays the music. I don't have any...
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
I don't know how to say it in English. Ritual? Supersticiones. Oh, supersticiones.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
No, no, no.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
No, not at all. Why not? That's interesting. Because I don't like to depend on anything. I'm like, you wake me up at 5. Four o'clock, you tell me that I got to fight with someone, I do it. I don't care. So that's why. It's like I don't need my shorts. If I don't have my shorts, I have a bad luck. Or if I'm not wearing this or he's not able to come to watch my fight or whatever.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
Not close to Spain. So the food is the best for you in Spain? The food, the product. Then the traffic. I spent an hour to come here. In Spain, this distance, I will be there, I don't know, in 30 minutes.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
I don't know. Nothing gets through. Nothing. I can walk like... I can go alone. Just imagine that my coaches can come with me, but my brother can come with me. No one. And I have to go alone. No problem. Can anybody get under your skin?
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
I think the only person is my wife, probably. She's the only person. No one else, I think.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
Yeah, but at the end of the day, he was playing basketball. Right. And I have enough of that energy that I want to go in and take his head off. You know, I'm fighting.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
Before the fight, no. I'm just telling to myself that I need my self-call to be calculated. This is how I need myself. Emotions underground. I don't need my emotions at that moment.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
Maybe I read it somewhere because I used to read a lot of books, but it was like I always had that kind of mentality, and also I prided that it was working for me in the fights. So all the time I go in, I'm like, my emotions are underground. I'm very calm.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
No ritual. I used to pray, of course. I used to pray, and I used to, yeah, I used to pray. This is what I do all the time. I wake up in the morning, I pray. And I feel thankful about everything that's happening to me for the opportunity. And I thank the gods before I'm getting the victory. I'm thanking to him, like, thank you for the victory. As a kid, did you watch something a lot?
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
As a kid, my coach in Greg Romo Wrestling, he used to say it like this, like, You win the medals in the training. You just go to collect them in the fight. So this is my mentality, I think. I work so hard. I know everything that I did, that I did everything that I could. And there's no way that I'm not going to walk out from that octagon with the victory. This is how I feel. Really?
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
The last two opponents I had, Wolk and Max Holloway. They both were very skillful. What was different about Max versus Wolk? What was the difference between Max and Walt? Good question. I never thought about that. What was the difference?
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
What was the difference? I felt both of them like the same way, fast, very calculated. Like there are smart people inside the octagon. They have that fight IQ. You know what I mean? Normally I used to go inside the octagon and I'm, I feel like, I'm the smartest guy. But with them, I felt that they were smart also.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
Because you can be very powerful, very fast, but if you don't have that mentality, you don't have that fight IQ. What does that mean, Elio? What does fight IQ mean? What does being smart in the ring mean? To use the technique at the right time, you know? May you have a lot of information. One thing is what you know, and the other thing is what you do with what you know. You know what I mean?
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
To use it at the right time. So that's for me the fact that when you need something and you use it at the right time, for example, I don't know, if I feel that I can beat someone with only jabs, I don't switch the strategy in the whole fight. I do jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs. I don't know how to explain it to you. It's a little bit difficult to explain from a fighter's perspective.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
Yeah, but basically it's to choose the right technique at the right time, and they were doing that. They know how to... I don't know how to say that. Humberto, can you text that to me? Take away the patience from you, you know? Because you go in, you're very patient, you're very patient, but there are some kind of fighters that have the ability to take you from your place, you know?
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
And to make you play day game. Who plays?
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
No. No one talked to me in the ring. Usually they don't have time to talk to me. Because I put so much pressure on them that they don't have the time. They don't have even time to breathe properly. What was it like fighting Bryce Mitchell? To be honest, he surprised me because he was the first person to take me down. And he had that proper technique for takedowns. But I don't know.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
I just felt that I break him mentally, physically, everywhere. He was known as a great grappler. I submit him. Like, what do you want me to do with you? He's like, I don't know, crazy guy. The earth is flat. And what? Okay, just suppose that the earth is flat and what we do with that information, bro? What the fuck are you talking about? So for the record, you don't think the earth is flat?
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
To be honest, I think that it's not flat because this is what they teach me since I was a kid. But even if it's flat, what it changed to me? What I do with that information? Okay, someone comes to me, the earth is flat. Okay, you convinced me. And what? What happens now?
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
I wanna serve the most amount of people that I can. I wanna serve, inspire, motivate people.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
100%.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
That's how I see it. Like what I do with that information. Like sometimes people want to convince you about something. It's like, okay, you're right. And what happens now? What I do with that? My life change. I get better. I make more money. I don't know what happens. Nothing. So what?
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
more relationship with friends and family and i'm more with with energy like my with feelings it depends how i feel with the with the person because i can have a lot of information for example about someone But then I met him in person and the feeling I have with him is completely different. So, yeah.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
I think that since the moment that I fought, I don't know, when I made two fights in the UFC, probably. After that, I started... After two fights in the UFC. After two fights in the UFC, I started feeling that people were reaching me out, calling me, texting me, wanting to meet me. Yeah, after two fights. Of course. Once you become a world champion, it's different. You defend your belt.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
It's different. You were the fighter of the year last year, 2024. I think that it was Pereira. They gave it to Pereira.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
Why do I see 2024 as fighter of the year? You. Because many people gave it to me, but they gave it to Alex Pereira also.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
Not friends. I met him in Australia. We meet each other for the first time there in Sydney. I went there to watch my brother fight. Yeah.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
Not always, but in this event specifically, may I watch it. But normally I watch a lot of fights because I have a promotion in Spain, and now I started to watch a lot of fights because I want to discover new talents.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
and so business you're thinking from the business side yeah got it okay so this card that's coming up which fight are you excited about this this uh weekend's card uh i'm excited i'm excited about uh we have in the fight car walk against diego lopez we have paddy pimblitt against mike chandler uh jai rodriguez is like either if he's fighting or not no one gives a
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
Bryce Mitchell, the same thing with John Silva. I don't know what to say. He's an upcoming fighter. And that fight, I don't know. Danny, you get the same thing.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
He needs to win. Who, Chandler? No, no, no, Paddy. He's fighting with a veteran. He needs to win. And hopefully he wins because May, who knows, May in the future we face each other. It could be a great fight. You and Paddy. Me and Paddy.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
He said some stupid shit about Georgia, about my country. He said something like, now I understand why Russia is throwing bombs to Georgia. And like, bro, you never live in a situation where your country had a war. I lived there in 2008. Don't joke with that.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
Thank you. Thank you.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
Thank you.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
If you are raising kids, you've got to take them to the school. You've got to take them to different activities. So if I have to spend between every activity an hour in the traffic, that's a lot of time for me. So at the end of the day, I've got to have to take something from them to optimize that time. So... I look at it from time-wise. And you're very active with your kids?
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
Are you very involved? My kid, my boy, he doesn't live with me. My girl, she's eight months old, but we are planning everything now. Where are we going to live? Where are we going to rise to? How are we going to do it? So I'm planning. I'm 20 years old. And you're just getting started. I'm getting started.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
Thank you. Thank you.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
Thank you. Thank you.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
Everyone. Why is that? And how are you going to do it? You win the medals in the training. You just go to collect them in the fight. That's what Michael would talk about. Yeah, but at the end of the day, he was playing basketball. Now I'm fighting.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
Okay, don't say Canelo because I wouldn't fight him because... He's somebody you look up to. Yeah, he inspired me so much. At some point, I said I would fight him. No, no, no, I wouldn't. If I prepare for six months, like only boxing, I don't do anything about wrestling, about, I don't know, knees, elbows, grappling, whatever. Only boxing? Bro, put me whoever you want in front of me.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
Whoever, whoever. And I hear a lot of guys talking about like boxers. No, Ilya, he has a good boxing before MMA, but he has nothing to do with me in the boxing ring. I'm like, listen, you don't have anything to do with me outside, inside, whatever you want. Like what you want to do. Even if you want to play a chess match, I beat you. Why do you think that? Why do you believe that?
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
Because I know how good I am in boxing. I train every day boxing, every day. That's part of my life. I spar with pro boxers. I learn boxing. I don't know. I consider myself that I can box with anyone. Just give me six months. Only boxing preparation. I'm not even telling you like three because I need to switch so many things that I do it because of MMA, like the stance, the movement.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
It's a little bit different for the boxing of MMA than for boxing, boxing.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
It's not like, take me out from the equation. I don't think that I saw anyone in MMA that I was like, he has a great boxing career. No one. It doesn't matter from... Conor? You see, he was one of those, but even Conor, he had a great boxing for MMA. Very, I don't know, MMA stance. In boxing, you can't go like that because you are going to suffer. But he had better boxing than a lot of people.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
yeah but max you know boxing is about simple moments you can do so much moments and switch the standards uh switch the stands all the time that's not boxing in boxing you have to be like very disciplined all the time under very protected you have to select all your combinations you have to move your head
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
I think he's retired. You think he's retired? Yeah, I think so. He's not going to come back. What do you think happened to him? You think it's the money and the success? I think that he doesn't have the motivation anymore. He done great things in the sport, but he doesn't have the motivation. He got, I think, a lot of money. He's spending also a lot of money. So I don't know.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
And you have to be very good to administrate your energy, you know, because you have 12 rounds. And that's a completely different movie.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
This is what I told you. You ask me, I feel that I have the advantage in everything. This is what I truly believe you... Me personally, I would ask him, like, what's your favorite submission? Whatever. I don't know. Dark show. I'm going to submit you with that.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
I take him close to Khabib. I will submit him closer to Khabib. You'll submit him in front of Khabib? Yeah. I'd take him. Khabib used to take people and he'd take them down and talk to Dana. I would do it to Khabib. I would take him, bah. And then talk to Khabib. Talk to Khabib. Khabib, I have to do it. What would you tell him? No, I wasn't. I wasn't.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
Like, all the respect, but this is how I felt. I felt that I submit him with the D'Arce. Like, which one is your favorite? D'Arce. So this part, you're not joking. Whatever he tells you, you agree to it.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
This one, I'm not joking. Like, I truly believe that I submit him with the D'Arce or whatever. I don't know. Tell me, which one's your favorite? Don't tell me a hell hook or some bullshit submissions that, I don't know.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
And if he says that... Yeah, I go for that. No problem. It's going to be even more entertaining for me. Yeah. The people didn't realize that my background... comes from wrestling, from the ground game. Actually, I grew up with wrestling and with BJJ. And I developed my skills when I was 20 years old in boxing game. But my best skills, yeah, are on the ground.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
It is. It is. But that's why God's everywhere. He's everywhere. God's everywhere.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
That's why I told you we were the first people to go into the gym. We were taking our phones, watching the videos, I don't know, drills in BJJ, for example. To take someone's back. And we were drilling that the whole day, all the drilling. Single legs, double legs, I don't know, the cage work, boxing, kickboxing, elbows, knees, I don't know, whatever.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
I don't know him personally. I don't know him. You guys have never met? Never.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
How can we develop our cardio or strength or power or whatever? I was like so obsessed with everything. I was working all day every day. That was my obsession all the time.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
at that point become very difficult to find a fight for me because in spain at that point we didn't even had any events you know so i was like listen i have to do something because no one is going to come to me and touch my dog how would you understand 18 okay so 10 years ago yeah 18 okay so 18 2015 yeah
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
It's UFC, it's... Conor and John Jones, Joseph Pierre, all, yeah. Those, I think.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
Okay, got it. So, I'm like... I have to do something. I need a plan. Demetrius Johnson. Yeah. So you need a plan. So I started to talk to myself. I'm like, what can I do? And at that point, Gustafsson, Alexander Gustafsson, was fighting for the belt against John Jones. And that guy was training in Sweden in All-Stars Gym at that time. And that was the most recognized like gym in Europe.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
And I'm like, I have to go there because I'm sure that he's managers or someone is going to- In Sweden, in Stockholm. So I'm like, I need to go there because I know that someone is going to see me. And the only thing I need is I need the opportunity. I need a fight. I need to prove my skills, right?
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
Then I had the second problem that I didn't have enough money to travel because you need money to go from Spain to Sweden and stay there, I don't know, for two weeks, three weeks, whatever. So I did, I don't know, crazy things when I was 18 years old. I went to that place.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
I went to my first training, I finished the training, and the guy who was representing everyone at that time, and actually he's the manager of Kamzat also, at this time Kamzat Shimaev, he came to me and he was like, do you have someone that is representing you? And I'm like, no. Who did he see you train? Who did he see you spar with? That guy.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
Yeah, this guy saw me in the training with everyone in the mat. Oh, but there's not a fight that he saw you. He's just watching you on the mat. Exactly. He saw me training with everyone.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
I think we did a little bit of boxing. We mixed it up. We did something in the ground. We did something in the striking. And once I finished the training, he came to me and he asked me, like, do you have a manager? I'm like, no. Do you want me to represent you? And I'm like, this is why I came here. And in three weeks... He called me, no, in one week he called me like, I have a fight for you.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
And I started my journey there and the rest is history. Who was your first fight? I started to fight in Finland, my first international fight. Who was it with? It was Mika, I don't remember his... Can you look this up? I'm actually really curious. So this is... Watch that fight. I finished him in the first round.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
Then after that one, in three and a half weeks, he called me and he gave me the fight for the Cage Warriors World Championship. So this is not UFC yet? No, no, no, no, no. This is not UFC. Look, no. Mika, there's Mika. I had four fights and I went to Sweden. And he gave me that fight. Mika Hamalainen.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
Yeah.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
After that fight, he called me in three and a half weeks or four weeks. Look, I fought April 28th. Six weeks later. Yeah, something like that. Then I fought June 16th for the Cage Warriors World Championship. Then I was signed by Brave. I did two fights, and I get the call from the UFC.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
party drinking beers what I did in the last two weeks I trained twice a day I don't know I'm an active fighter I defend my belt a couple of months ago when was the last time he fought he fought I don't know three years ago four years ago He's not in shape.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
Yeah, I get the call. Oh, that's COVID. Yeah, that's COVID. I was sick. And they called me and they told me, do you want to fight in the UFC in eight days? And I'm like, of course. I had to cut like 12 kilos. Kilos. Kilos. I don't know how much it's like, 25 pounds. Yeah, that's a lot. It's a lot. In eight days, that's a lot. Holy shit. I had to fight at 4 p.m.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
local time in Abu Dhabi because they were like... 26 pounds you had to lose at this weight? Yeah, in eight days.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
It's like dehydration. That's tough. That's a lot on that body. That's a lot. I'm 245, if I lose 26 pounds is a lot, but. I had to spend a day in the hospital because the UFC is asking you for a lot of. Medical. Medicals. Then I had to go, I spent a day to get my visa. I don't know, I had in reality five days. So crazy.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
The Jai Herbert? Yes. That has a huge story behind that. I have a huge story behind that fight because I was supposed to fight in January against Mozart of Leuven. He pulled out from the fight. Then I came back to home and they called me. But in reality, I was prepared. I was prepared. But it was a different weight class. I went up to 155. That fight is not in my weight class. It's in lightweight.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
So that's not 145.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
you always have a choose got it and then after that I fall with your friend rice Mitchell and then Josh yeah we wish him best of the lucky you being sincere what you're being sincere or you're joking no no no no yeah I wish him all the best I hope the best wins yeah what a story Everything started from Sweden in reality. Wow. You went to Sweden. This is what I used to say to everyone.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
If you want to have something that you never had, you have to do things that you never did. Move your ass.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
I don't follow that sport, but who is the number one for you?
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
28.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
If you go to a different picture, Rob, go to images. And let me ask you, do you really think that they only drink whey proteins to get this big?
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
It's not even a healthy life.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
Hopefully, hopefully. You're waiting for that phone call, huh? I'm waiting. I'm waiting. I'm waiting. I'm very excited, to be honest. Either if it's Charles or Islam, it's going to be a huge one. And I know that the fans are going to enjoy it a lot.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
Great ground game and striking nothing special for me. In the ground, he's dangerous. He has the most submissions in the UFC history, I think so. Him? Yeah, I think so. He's a dangerous guy in the ground, but I think that he's the kind of guy that when he feels that you are more powerful, he gives up. He gives up like fast.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
My answer is going to be always me. Every day, all day, I'm going to beat that guy. No matter when and where. But if you ask him, he's going to tell you probably the same. So you know how it works. This is a sport. No one's going to give up.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
I don't think that he's the kind of fighter where he finds like some... Adversity. How do you say that? Adversary? Yeah, adversary that he keeps going, keeps going, keeps going. No, he's like, he gives up. Ten losses. Ten. It's not one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
The one that's first place right now behind... I think that he needs to build himself a little bit more, but if the UFC tells me that... You're good with that as well. Yeah, it's for the belt. You'll take anything right now as long as you're going to get the chance.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
No.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
We Georgians have a great relationship with Armenians. Yeah. I have a lot of friends.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
Armenians.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
They all are our neighbors.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
Even if he wants to take the money and all that, I don't know. I'm against it. to kill the people, always. I'm always going to vote for the peace, always. So I don't know that deep about who, but something that I know from my history, from my livings, are that they are, the Russians are,
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
Putin, let's say like the politicians that run Russia because nothing against the people, regular people from Russia. I'm talking about the politicians. They don't give a damn about anyone. Yeah. In Georgia, I was living in 2008. I saw what they were doing to my people. So... Russians, Russians. Russians, yeah, Russians. I don't know. Dangerous people. Dangerous people. Interesting.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
Yeah, of course. Of course. He inspired a lot of fighters. He changed the sport. He did so many great things for the sport. You can't say like anything different about that. But he like little by little, he changed his values. He changed everything. Like right now, what does he represent? I always used to say like drugs, alcohol, bad lifestyle. But who gives a fuck?
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
And I think that you can't trust at all in Russians. And I repeat, I'm not talking about the regular people. I'm talking about the politicians. It's It's crazy, I don't know.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
They're from... Dagestan. Dagestan. That's part of, they are Russians. Right. They are Russian. And when they start to attack any place in the world, the first people they send to the war is like Russians, Chechnyans, the people they have, you're not going to see any Russian Russian in a war. Always going to see the people they have. Call yourself a Russian, but wait for my call.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
Why do you think that is? Because they use them. Of course, they use them. They give them a position, a place. But at some point, maybe I'm going to ask you to do something for me. That's how it works everywhere in the world. You do something for someone, you want something back. This is how it works. It's crazy. I don't know. What are your thoughts from here, from the United States?
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
What do you think about what's going on in Ukraine?
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
I think that you can't judge a whole country because of one person. I don't disagree. No, I don't disagree. I think you're right. That goes to Iran. Because we don't like Zelensky, we are not supporting the Ukrainians, and we are going to say that the Russians are not the... Que invaden. How do you say that in English? Que invaden. Invadores. Invadores. Humberto, can you say that to me?
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
I don't know if I'm even saying correctly. Invaders. Invaders. Invaders. They are the invaders. 100% they are the invaders. Right. Do you think the opposite, that they are not?
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
Do you really think that if Putin wants to join NATO, he couldn't do that? Yeah, because they said... So why he's not a part of NATO? You think they would want him to join NATO? Of course they don't want it.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
If they want Putin to join NATO, why not? You think NATO wants Putin to join NATO? At this point... I wish that no. I wish that no, because I don't want to have... Listen, the history my family has with Russia, I'm like, with the people that runs that country, it's like, I don't give a damn about them, you know? I'm all against Putin.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
Okay, and what do you want to tell me?
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
Okay.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
The Rockefellers? No.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
Of course. Of course. I always try to develop my skills. I always try to have more abilities because at the end of the day, you skills make you rich, right? Not the money. Because if you don't have the skills, you don't have the right mentality, you are poor. So I all the time try to develop my skills and my abilities.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
So you believe that they do it because of the business? Of course. Okay. Okay. Not Putin, Putin is here. Putin believes. I think that it goes a little bit more far than only sell weapons. For who though, for Putin? Yeah, for Putin and for the United States and for everyone that has the weapons to sell.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
Yeah, but I'm not very agree with that because I don't think that he is looking only for the weapons, you know what I mean? How many people dies in the war? I don't know, 200,000? How much weapons they need? I don't know. How much money is that in total? How much money did they spend in the weapons in the war with Ukraine?
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
A little pimple. A little pimple?
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
Uh, okay. Let's switch that a little bit. It's not, it's not like I want to be better than someone. It's like if someone could do it, I want to do it also. And if no one did it, I want to be the first one to do it. So this is the mental, it's not to look up to some, uh, to look down to someone. Right. It's not because of that.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
Thank you. Thank you.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
Thank you.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
It's, I want to experience that, that, that also how it feels to be the number one guy.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
Thank you. Thank you.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
You're waiting for that phone call, huh? I'm waiting. I'm very excited, to be honest. Sport is sport. We athletes, I respect all of that. But there are lines that you can't cross.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
I will read this book.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
So if Islam fights in Russia, you wouldn't fight there? I wouldn't fight in Russia. Why is that? Because there's so much place in the world that I could fight where I would fight in Russia. I would love to fight in the United States. But not in Russia. Not in Russia. Actually, the only place I would fight is in the United States or in Spain. Got it.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
I don't want it, but if the destiny wants me to go or I have to go for some reasons, I would go, but not fighting, not putting a show in Russia and working there. I don't know. You're so interesting, bro.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
I don't know. Maybe sometimes it happens to me also that I switch my mentality. Sometimes I switch my thoughts. Maybe, but at this point right now, you're asking me, this is my answer. I don't know. Right now I wouldn't fight in Russia. Okay.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
It's not only fight-wise. It's also business-wise. That's why I try to develop all the time my skills, you know, because at some point I'm going to retire and I'm going to make a living from something else. Got it. How much longer do you think you'll be fighting? You're 28 now. Till I enjoy it, to be honest. Before I used to be like, maybe when I'm 30 or 32.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
Let's leave it there. I don't like that conversation. I don't know where I said it, and it became viral that I said it. In reality, I don't care about that. You know what I mean? I said it, but God bless everyone. Peace for everyone. A place for everyone. I agree.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
You're competitive, which is okay. Always, always. I was born like that. Thank you very much. It's been my pleasure.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
Truly enjoyed it. I learned a lot of things. My man.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
But now, till I enjoy, I will be active.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
I think 32.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
Exactly. I have a new motivation, new division. I have a lot of guys there, so why not?
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
I have watched some of them. I watched with Henry, yeah.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
Yeah.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
He's saying that I don't deserve it. But he's saying from a fighter's perspective. But as a promoter, it works a little bit different. So now you're thinking Dana. Yeah.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
That will be a making a step back, I think.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
I think so also. Look, Henry Cejudo, you watch him in the video. He moved up. He fought for the second belt. Conor, he fought for the second belt. George St. Pierre, he fought for the second belt. I can mention you so many names that fought for that second belt. Why not me? that had that opportunity to fight for the next weight class world championship for the belt.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
So right now with where you're at, are you wanting your next to be that? I'm sure that that's going to happen. I'm fighting for the belt. Okay. So right now you gave the belt back at 140. I gave it because I didn't want to hold the division. Right. This is what I did. I could hold it for a year, year and a half, but I didn't because at the end...
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
I knew that I wouldn't fight again in 145, but I could have the position where I would say, like, listen, I'm holding the belt until you give me the chance to fight for the next weight class belt. But I'm like, I'm locating the belt because they gave me their word. That was all. Easy. Who is the ranking right now in 155? The number one is Charles Oliveira. And the champion is Islam.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
My handshake is better than anything I ever saw. It's right here.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
I don't know who is the number two.
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
There's no way that I have to fight to the number one contender. I have to fight directly for the belt. How soon do you think that would happen? Personally, I don't know. I hope in summer, maybe in September. I don't know. Whenever it happens, it's going to be. How does it normally happen?
PBD Podcast
"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia | PBD Podcast | Ep. 566
It never works like that. They call you, they tell you like, I need you in this day, in this place.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
He came to Spain also to help me once when I had the training come. I was supposed to fight with Moser. He came to help me. Crazy. The same exactly. We were like finishing the training. He was going for a run. He was going actually to his house running. Yeah, there's no shortcuts. No, there's no shortcuts. No shortcuts.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
I was so happy for him this Saturday because he really deserved to get that title back.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
You won. You defended. I won. I defended. Right now I have a completely different challenge in front of me. I wish him nothing but the best and to everyone. Like, I wish the best wins all the time. That's great. Yeah.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
Yeah, but at the same time, if you go to the next weight class, you are playing with a disadvantage because the guy in the next division is cutting a lot of weight. So if you don't do that, at the end of the day, you walk inside the octagon and you are the smaller guy.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
What about Paddy Pimblitt, though? He did a great job.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
But for me, it's like I'm going to be completely honest with you. For me, Chandler, he never was an extraordinary fighter. He was like average level of fighter. Who did he beat in the UFC?
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
He's a good fighter. Very entertaining fighter.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
He goes inside that octagon and he fights... But, yeah.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
So he beat Dan Hooker and Tony Ferguson when he was almost four years old.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
Crazy fights. Yeah, but at the end of the day, you see wars. It's a very competitive fight. You see almost a bar fight. You see two guys in the middle of the octagon exchanging punches, but you don't see technique. You don't see skills. You see a great fight because as a fan, it's very entertaining to watch fights like that.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
But if you really think about it, it's like you don't see skills in that fight. You don't see someone trying to take you down, control you, some great submissions, great transitions. I don't know, it's striking. You see a guy that he's looking for a combination. He's looking for his moment, creating spaces. You don't see, like, I don't know. I see what you're saying.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
Exactly. Yeah. I never would recommend to someone, watch this guy and learn something.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
Yeah, but there are two types of champions for me. There are champions who prepare themselves to win, and there are the other ones who prepare themselves to dominate. I prepare myself not to win because I know that I'm going to win. I want to win in fashion. I want to dominate. I want more people. I want people to be entertained.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
I want people to be like, wow, I'm happy that I spent the money this Saturday night going to watch this guy. This is what I want.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
All the time. I want the people to be entertained all the time. Like... When actually I was... I started with the MMA. I was recording myself all the sparrings. And after that, I was re-watching my sparring. I was like, will I pay my money to watch this? What do I have to change in my game to be more entertained? And this is how I was looking at myself all the time.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
I was very critical with myself. And this is how I develop and develop and develop. And all the time I go inside the octagon, I don't go there just to win. You know what I mean? I want everyone to be like, wow, what he just did. How he did it. He was the greatest of all time and he made him look easy. This is what I want. I want to change the game.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
I want you to say to your friend, watch this guy and learn something.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
But also, you don't think that it's a part of the show?
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
That's what he did. You would change also the time range? Like, oh, you would leave three rounds of five minutes with one minute rest?
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
You wouldn't like to see at some point the world championships in mixed martial arts. Like, for example, let's say the seven best fighters from the United States in every weight class against seven best fighters from, I don't know, from China or from Russia.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
The best flyweight against the best flyweight from the United States. And you do that, and you have seven fights because you have seven weight divisions. And if you win four weight divisions, that country won. Yeah. That would be fun also.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
Great fighters, but at the end of the day... You know that you have all the best fighters, the best collection of fighters in the UFC.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
What happens is that I think that in one championship, most of the time you used to fight with strikers. In the UFC, you don't know who you're going to face next. Maybe he's a wrestler. Maybe you're going to fight Demian Maia, who wants to fight you on the ground. Maybe you fight Alex Pereira. You don't fucking know. So you have to be good everywhere, and you have to be prepared for everything.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
I would do something with the drug test. If I go to your home to make the drug test, I put you in the scale. If you walk around 8% or 10% over your weight, I would obligate you to go in the next weight class. Okay.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
In one championship, maybe you are good at striking, and you can be a world champion.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
You know something about soccer? No. Yeah, I know a little bit about it. How they do like the Champions League, they have like, for example, let's say the Real Madrid, they have a team. That's why I would – what I would do is like I would create a team against another team. For example, I have Real Madrid.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
I signed like the best seven fighters in the world, whoever I want in different weight classes. And you have, for example, Barcelona. you sign the seven best fighters in the world, around the world, you train them in one place, you do like all the strategy, and we meet each other, we do a competition like a Champions League. And we do like the whole year calendar and the best wins.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
At the end, we do like the finals and we give them the space to recover. We create like a competition between teams, not that individual people. You know what I mean? Yes. So I would do something like that.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
That's right. In soccer, you have guys that in your position, you always have two or three guys. That if you are injured, you have another guy that can change you, switch you, you know, between the rounds even. In soccer, sometimes it happens. Someone gets injured in a stadium and they can switch them.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
Just to give you an example, for example, if you're fighting 100 kilograms, I'm going to say 10 kilograms, and I go to your house, I do the drug test, I put you on the scale, and your weight is 110 kilograms, I will force you to go to the next weight class.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
Again, you are like focused on individuals. You are not focused on teams because no one is going to care who is going to fight from the flyweight division, who is going to be your representative from the flyweight division or from the lightweight division. I'm like, Maybe I bring you Islam that I have him in my team or also I could have Charles Oliveira in the same team.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
Or maybe I bring Charles Oliveira because I think that against your team, the guy you have in the lightweight division, Charles does it better.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
And he has been a great example for so many upcoming guys, like for the new generation. Yes. I don't know why guys like him have to end up in the jail for something like that. Exactly.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
You can't even talk to the kids about something like that. You know what I mean? Yeah. I hear so many crazy things about that topic.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
We hope that they're going to think it again and they're going to give him the freedom he deserves.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
I don't really know the real reason behind that. But I would love to talk to Dana and ask him these questions also because it's kind of
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
That's why. Yeah. Because I always thought, like, why they don't bring that guy to the UFC? Because it's going to be so fun for the fans.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
Actually, do you think he's going to come back, Connor?
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
So right now he actually has a great opponent, Mike Chandler. He could fight him. Right, right.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
They could fight. Because if they put him against Paddy, I think Paddy beats him easy now.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
No, on the feet, he's a motherfucker. I know that. He can knock out, like, everyone.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
If it does, depending. If it does. You think that if someone puts steroids in his body, he never comes back as a – as his normal body.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
No, he looked old, actually. He looked like his body was relaxed.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
So you think that at this point there are guys in the UFC that are taking steroids?
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
I don't know because at this point I feel that they are so strict.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
But at the same time, the way Cod takes something out from you, that's crazy. It's like putting a dog inside the room for 20 days without any food, and you open the door. and you put him in a different room full of food, it's like the same thing. When I'm cutting the weight, I'm a different person.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
They did some drug test in Dagestan. They test Khabib, for example, in Dagestan? No. I'm sure. I'm sure they must have. And what if someone landed from USADA?
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
So you can trust on if they come or not.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
In my case, I don't like that because I wouldn't feel good with myself. Right. I'm going to feel like I'm cheating. Right. I don't deserve the win because I'm cheating. I'm a cheater. I can have that thought about myself. All the time when I walk inside the Octagon, I feel that I didn't cheat and I deserve the win. And that's why I'm going to win.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
I know some camps also that they use steroids. Yeah, for sure. But yeah, for me... You can have all the muscles in the world, but if you are not mentally strong, because that's a so specific moment when you are in the backstage, you need your mind so badly. You need it more than your body sometimes.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
Because, as I told you, you can have all the muscles in the world, but you need this muscle as strong as possible, you know?
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
That you are not what you in reality are saying that you are.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
I feel that I'm like, my mind goes different, my thought process is different, everything is so different at that moment. I'm not so kind when I'm cutting weight. Yeah, more focused, dialed in. Exactly.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
That's a tough one. I don't want to see myself in that situation ever. That's a champion's mindset. Yeah.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
Yeah, I'm a God believer, and my mindset is like, of course I want to win. I prepare myself to win. But if he destroys my plans, it's because maybe my plans could destroy me. So I don't want to have anything because I want to have it. If he decides it, if God decides to give it to me, I accept it, I will do everything to get it because I desire it from all my heart.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
And if he says that if I desire it, I have the faith, I will get it. So this is.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
I read a lot of books. I try to read at least 30 minutes a day, but it's every day, every day. What you do in your daily habits, it's what makes the difference, right? Because we can decide our future, but we can decide our habits, and our habits decide our future. Yes. Yeah. So, like, what kind of stuff do you read? I read more, like, I read a lot of books.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
I love reading books of self-development books. Also, how can I tell you? Yeah. Yeah, this is the most of the books I read, self-development books. I read biographies of the people that I like. For example, Donald Trump, Warren Buffett. I read that kind of people. Businessmen? Yeah, I try to.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
Yeah. Why do you read businessmen's biographies? Because at the end of the day, right now I'm in sports, but at some point I'm going to retire. I have to make a living from something, right? Because I'm not going to be fighting my whole life, and I don't want it even. So, yeah, I want to prepare myself. If you want to have an extraordinary life, you have to be an extraordinary person, right? Yes.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
And I'm trying to become an extraordinary person.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
28. Till I enjoy. I don't know how many fights. Maybe till 32, 34.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
Yeah. I don't know. Till I enjoy. Right now I'm enjoying. I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
I don't know. Right now I want to become a lightweight world champion. I want to hold that belt too. So I don't know what's going to happen then. If I'm going to keep motivated, it's kind of difficult. This is a challenge.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
fight game fight game is so hard so hard because you have to go in and shake someone's head off and you can't you can't be that soft guy you know what I mean like that kind guy you have to be you gotta have that testosterone up you gotta be vicious exactly yeah you gotta be technical you gotta be smart but you also have to be vicious and at the same time everyone from my family is involved in my career you know at some point maybe I will end up
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
do different things maybe some businesses like now i'm doing different things and i'm enjoying it also so you're doing different things outside of fighting yeah i have a promotion in spain right now oh i'm mma promotion mma promotion what's it called whoa whoa and the goal with whoa is to to because as you mentioned when you say whoa how you spelling that uh way of the warrior oh wow yeah
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
I'm going to tell you in kilos. Okay. I walk around 80, 82. What is that, Jamie?
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
So from Spain to get to the UFC before was so difficult. I had to do so many crazy things to get to the UFC. But right now, we create Woe. And actually, we are in the UFC Fight Pass. Everyone can get in that promotion fight. If you have the skills, if you are ready, someone's going to see you, and they're going to sign you in the UFC.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
And I think, you know, they had kind of said... How many guys we see fighting between each other that they used to train before?
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
100%. I wish they... I tried to tell him that this weekend.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
Anyways, if they give me the fight with Charles, it's going to be a good one.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
I would like to fight with Islam. That's for sure. I would like to fight him.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
I wouldn't fight for a number one contender fight.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
I don't care if Islam decides that he doesn't want to fight me. I don't care. I sit till you're going to have to fight me, okay? You say that you are the world champion, you're going to keep dominating the division, all that. I'm here. You can't keep avoiding me all the time. So you would just sit on the sidelines rather than fight someone else? I don't think that they're going to do that.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
I don't think they would put me on a sideline because... They asked me to... I would kick the bell because I told them that I wouldn't fight in 145 again. But I get the promise that I would fight for Tyler in my next fight. So how much time you will stop me and...
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
Of course, if they give that chance to everyone, why not to me? They gave it to Henry Cejudo, they gave it to Conor McGregor, they gave it to George Sapir, they gave it to Jones, they gave it to everyone. And I proved that I deserve that shot. As you said, I knock out... Two of the all-time greats. Two of the all-time greats.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
to the greats, Wolk, who was dominating everyone in 145 division, and Max Holloway. Great fighters, both of them.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
And the last fight he had was in 155. Right. Against Justin Gaethje, who also fought for the title. Yep. So.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
I would put Justin Gaethje against Paddy Pimblitt, me against Islam. Once I pass him, I get the title, and you put me against Paddy because I think that he's going to— You think Paddy's going to beat Justin Gaethje? Easy. Wow. Really easy?
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
I don't know in what way he walks around, but he's a huge guy also. And Kamsa, when he was fighting in 170, he was big also. He was almost killing himself.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
What everyone likes is to dominate people and to win as soon as possible. If you have the ability to submit someone as soon as you can, you would do it.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
And I don't think that he's the type of guy that takes care of his body all the time. And he's like very strict with his health. I think he slept... more at day than at night. Oh, you think so? Did he party? I think so.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
They put the camera on him on the last pay-per-view and he looked like he was so high.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
He doesn't seem to be that guy that drinks a lot.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
Yeah. If they give the opportunity to, I don't know, to guys like, I don't know what, 40 years old, like Arlovsky, you can have so many names that they fought at 40 years age. Why not Conor?
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
He switched how many weight classes? He started from 170, he went to light heavyweight, and then he ended up fighting in the heavyweight division, right?
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
No. No. Good for you. Do you think it's going to be excited if I beat Islam and then I give the chance to Conor?
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
No, no, no. Come on, come on, come on. After this one, I'm going to get some calls. You know how the UFC is. They are very specific. Don't say anything to no one.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
You can tell everybody. Only a couple of million people are listening. No one's going to notice. It'll slip right by. Yeah, if they offer me a fight against Conor right now, We'll see. Why not? Why not? Why not? I wouldn't say no.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
That would be a great one. But what excites me more is the fight with Patty.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
Yeah, that fight excites me even more. And if they... could put that fight in Spain, in the Bernabeu Stadium. I know that Dana doesn't like to put the events in the stadium, but that's the only stadium in the world that they can close the roof. Oh, okay. Yeah. And this prepare for that kind of... How many people? 80,000.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
I might have to go to Spain for that. And a lot of people could travel from England to Spain. Oh, yeah. And that happens very often.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
It has to be in Spain time, but I think that with the negotiations they are having with ESPN and I don't know which platform they are going to put the UFC events. they're going to ask for space for four or five events in Europe in the prime time. For Europe.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
Europe still has to be a virgin market. You know what I mean? Yes. You've got 500 million people in Europe. It's more than the United States, even.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
you know something similar happened to me also i started fighting in the bantamweight division really yeah before the ufc like in cage warriors when i was fighting in the cage wars i actually missed the weight also when i was was fighting for the belt i was i was fighting at that time in the bantamweight division then i i keep fighting in the featherweight and now i'm in the lightweight i hope i i don't end up fighting in the welterweight how old were you when you first started fighting
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
That will be a massive one. In Spain? In Spain.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
Yeah, he said something about Georgia. Oh, he said something about your country? Yeah. What did he say? He said, like, now I understand why the Russians are bombing Georgia or something, like putting bombs in Georgia. Whoa. Whoa. Don't joke with that. You can joke about me. Say whatever you want to say about me. Whatever. He's a mushroom. He is this. He is that, that, that, that.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
Don't talk about war because you don't know how is it. Right. That's a crazy thing to say.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
Oh, wow. He said that on Twitter. Maybe he was too high, too drunk.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
Yeah, but he fucks people up like Michael Chandler. But when he faced a real fight, who did he face? Well, he hasn't faced anyone that good yet.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
And Charles Oliveira, this is what I was telling you before. When you got 10 loses in your record, that's not 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. That's 10. When you're walking with a guy that has 10 loses... The level of confidence is completely different. It's completely different than when you walk in with a guy that is undefeated. He's a dangerous guy.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
In the striking, in the ground game, everywhere you look at him, he's a dangerous guy. He never takes the loose. That's a different mentality. You've got to have to kill him to give up. He's not going to even give up. You've got to have to kill him. In the case of Charles, if he finds some adversity,
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
He's going to go to the ground, he's going to sit, and he's going to be waiting until you end up the fight. This is what I think, this is what I feel, this is what I see.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
Because if you put him against me, he needs to die and be burned again.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
My God. For sure. He was a dangerous guy in 145. He was so big. He was big, dangerous. Yeah. He had that knockout power. Smart. Yeah. Yeah.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
An MMA, you're asking? When did you first start martial arts? With four years old, my dad put me with my brother in judo. Then we went to Georgia. We kept practicing with the Greco-Roman wrestling. And then we moved to Spain when I was 15 years old. And completely by chance, we find a gym and we started training the MMA, the mixed martial arts. Totally by chance? Totally by chance. Wow.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
I think he walks around in 185. So he lost 40 pounds before he fought?
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
He fought also at the welterweight division, right?
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
You know what I mean? I really think that at some point he's going to come back because I don't think that he wants to leave the sport with a defeat. Right. That's what I don't think. I think that he's going to come back, try to get the win, and then retire in the octagon. Well, I'd like to see that.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
It would be good for him, for his family, for everyone. For everyone. But at that time point, he's going to stop. He's got a lot of legal problems, too.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
I mean, if these people think that their country's being invaded by migrants... I asked some people from Ireland, like, what are the odds that Conor becomes the president? They told me, like, hmm...
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
His body is fucked. His toe is fucked. His chin is fucked. His body is fucked. Wow. With that much parties and drugs and all that, you're going to have to pay that price at some point. Yeah. And you are paying the price with your health.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
Which is the dumbest thing you can do in your entire life. It is. It is. Especially for an athlete. Exactly. Yeah. He also suffered a lot with the weight cuts. That's a big damage for your body. That's also one of the reasons why I changed the weight class. Because I realized that my health is the most important thing in my life.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
So were you a mixed martial arts fan at all? I didn't know anything about the mixed martial arts. I didn't know anything about the BJJ, the ground game, any fucking thing. Wow. So we went to Spain and we wanted to keep with the same discipline as we were doing in Georgia with the Greco-Roman wrestling, but they don't have the culture of that sport.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
You can have everything in this life, but if you are not healthy, you don't have anything. Yeah, you know, you're...
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
You sometimes feel that you're really going to die. I wasn't able to sleep in 48 hours at all because I was so dehydrated. My body was so, like, skinny, and I was dreaming with water, with food, with everything. My social media and Reels, everything was about the food. Food, food, food, food, food, food. Everything was about food. At that moment, you don't give a fuck about anything material.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
Okay. Basically, I started weight cut since the first day I started the training camp, which is 12 weeks. Really? Yeah. I'm on like very strict diet and I have only one cheat meal.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
a week on saturday on wednesday whenever i choose it i have just one cheat meal and at the same time you have to perform at the highest level you have to train as a all the time and you have like a thousand eight hundred calories in your body and you burn four four thousand calories wow so you are wasting so much energy but you aren't getting back
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
very low so that fucks with your mind that fucks with your mind and you don't feel happiness you feel like stress depressed you don't find the happiness in anything they could bring you all the money in the world but you don't give a fuck at that moment in about anything material so you're doing it all through camp but when you get to fight week what do you what do you weigh at we do the the water load
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
I start on Sunday with eight liters and I don't have carbohydrates, I don't have any sodium, salts and all that. Do you drink distilled water? Stilled water, yeah. Distilled, do you know what I'm saying? No, no, no, no. Just normal water. Okay. I'm not having carbohydrates, sodiums, and fibers. You say fibers?
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
Fibers? Yeah, fiber. Yeah. I only have fat and proteins in very small portions. And I drink eight liters on Sunday, then eight again on Monday. Six. On Thursday, Wednesday, I drink four, I think. And then on Thursday, I don't drink anything till Friday, till the wait-ins.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
And before the wait-ins, I start the dehydration. Like we do one session in the morning. And I have to lose almost from two to three kilos. And the rest I have to lose at night because I always like to go to the bed on weight. I don't like to wake up in the morning and have to cut the last part in the morning on Friday morning.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
So we were a little bit sad, you know, because we wanted that sport. My brother was really, really good on that. So my mom was working and he saw a man with the cauliflower ears. She went to him and she asked him, like, what are you doing? Because my kids want to... to do wrestling, do you train in some gym or something? And he said, no, I'm doing the BJJ.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
I did it twice in my career. It was once in Las Vegas. I was supposed to fight with – I was fighting with Damon Jackson and I had like still six kills or something like that. That's a lot of weight to cut. And the guy who was taking care of my nutrition, he called us and he told me, drink wine. Drink half a bottle of wine. I'm like, you sure? Yes, he told me.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
Because if you drink a liter of wine, you're going to wake up the next day, if you don't put anything else in your body, with two liters less.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
Yeah, because the alcohol, it's going to provocate dehydration. I did it, and it works. And after that, I did it in my next fight. But then I was like, I don't feel good. I don't feel good doing this in the wake up. This is kind of crazy. It's fun. It's fun because everyone wants to, I don't know, everyone is almost dying that night. I was like partying with my team. Yeah.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
So skinny drinking wine. I'm like, what the fuck are we doing? And after one day, I have to face a monster inside the octagon.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
So I used to drink the electrolytes until I don't start to pee. I don't put any food in my body. I drink almost for three, four hours in small portions. Right now, we are so lucky that we have the Performance Institute. We have great nutritionists in that program that help us to do it from the right way. So I start drinking half liter of electrolytes.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
That was the hardest part of the fight game for me. I wasn't enjoying all the last couple of fights that I had because it's like, I had to become more professional in the weight cut than in a fight game, you know? And it was taking a lot of time and energy from me, and I'm like, my dream is to become a world champion.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
For example, let's say for 20 minutes, I have to drink that. I can't drink more. Then when that 20 minutes pass, I have to drink the other bottle and like that progressively.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
Most likely carbohydrates. I don't use to eat any proteins because it doesn't help you at all to have a great performance inside the octagon, right? Because the protein doesn't give you any... how to say, glucosa? Glucose, yeah. Glucose that your body needs at that time. Everything you need, it's electrolytes and carbohydrates. That's all you need, not even fibers.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
Yeah, pasta. How good does that taste after all that time, bro? Amazing. Amazing. You could cook the pasta for me that day. I don't know how good you cook, but it would be amazing. Amazing. I don't care about whatever. So you've gone so long without carbohydrates. I have like almost a week and a half without carbohydrates and I'm struggling for 12 weeks because I have only one cheat meal.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
So once I finish the cheat meal, I know that in one week I'm not going to have another cheat meal. So I'm going to have to eat whatever they tell me to eat. Like I wake up, I know that I'm going to have two eggs with one slice of bread, and I'm going to have to train I don't know how much in the morning.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
And then in the afternoon, I'm going to have to train again, and I'm going to have the same food all the time. And the good thing about that is that my wife – she she was like a very important part and my last training comes because he made my my diet more fun, you know? I didn't have to repeat the food all the time because when I was in charge of that, just imagine what I was eating.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
All the time the same. All the time the same. Just the same boring food.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
The same boring food because I didn't even have, like, the opportunities that I have right now. Right now, I have a chef. I have... I set up my home with everything. Everything is so comfortable. But before... I had to cook for myself, go to the supermarket, doing everything by myself. And it was tough.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
Bring your kids and I'm gonna show you the gym. She came to home and my dad and my mom, they started to convince us. Like, there's a gym, they are practicing like jujitsu, MMA, all the sports. And I was like, but what the fuck is this? I don't know what's this. And my dad started to show me the videos of the Gracies. He told me, like, this is one of the best sports in the world right now.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
100%. You are going to see me at 155 that I'm going to touch someone and I'm going to take his lights out. I don't need to touch his chin. I just touch his head and it will explode. I feel so powerful at that weight class. So powerful, so stable in the ground. Do you want to wrestle? Let's wrestle. No problem. I had the gas tank for five days, not five rounds.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
It depends. It depends. Some of them, yes. Some of them, no. Because I think there are guys fighting at 145 that... they could fight in 135 because they are smaller.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
But at the same time, he was a world champion.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
And one of the best. May he would cut the weight at 135 and he wouldn't succeed at this level.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
And they have more information about the nutrition. We got more help.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
from the performance institute as I told you the UFC performance institute is incredible I remember when they first opened it I was a little skeptical I'm like who's gonna use this what is the big deal and then I went there I was like oh okay crazy this is amazing without them you wouldn't see many of the fights that we have seen a lot of people would miss the weight a lot of people
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
So outside the training camp I try to develop my skills in every discipline like I try to To not mix it up. I don't trade MMA at all. I do boxing classes Wrestling classes. I try to learn every discipline Separate why do you do that? because when the training camp comes and I try to mix it up and polish everything that I have been able to learn till that moment. You know what I mean?
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
Everything that worked for me in the wrestling and boxing, in the places where I felt comfortable, that's why. I want to develop all the time my knowledge. I want to get better all the time. And I can get better if I only go and train MMA and I only drill the same things all the time. My head is getting stuck. I need to learn new techniques because I think that...
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
I have much more to learn in every discipline. Like in BJJ, you never end up learning. All the time you learn new things. You see new things. You want to try it. And it takes some time. That technique works for you when you're rolling with someone, for example, right? Right. So, yeah, one thing is what you know and the other is what you do with what you know.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
You are going to, guys, love it, this and that. And at that day, we went to the gym, and I fell in love since the first second.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
So the thing about me is like you have to decide what kind of style do you want to have. Do you want to fight from the guard? How do you say? Guard. Guard? Yeah. Do you want to pass the guard? There are different styles, right? Right. But at some point, I was fighting all the time from the guard. I was doing the beating bolos, baby bolos, everything.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
Because I needed to feel what the people feels when I'm passing the guard. You know what I mean? So the same thing with boxing, for example. Someone has a defensive style. Someone has aggressive style, but from distance. Someone needs to cut the distance and work more in the body. So I don't know. It's like... it's so difficult to explain to you.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
All his big shots were coming with the right hand. He's the type of guy that ends up every combination with the right hand. So everything I had to do, it's all the time, I didn't have to exchange the punches with him. I had to let him throw me all the punches, roll his right hand, and then start with my combinations. And this is what I really did. I was hurting him with the calf kicks,
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
then i was going for my combinations and long combinations all the time in mma no one works the long combination combinations no one they always used to do one two one two three but no one does one two three three four five six you know and like the john herbert fight exactly usually you're getting two punches everyone blocks two punches but after the second one they put their hands down again.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
It's great, of course. My recommendation for everyone is if you want to have a career in MMA, you should start with wrestling. Because for me personally, because this is my personal experience, that it's much easier to learn in the future the boxing than start with boxing and learn the wrestling. Really? For me, yes. I think so. And I saw that in many people.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
Then is when I go again, like one, two, one, two, three, four, five, boom. You are not waiting for that. And if I change the levels and I go in the head, in the body, calf kicks, I go for the takedowns. I mix it up, you get crazy.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
Yeah, it is. It's a God-given thing. God-given thing, 100%. I always had that power. I remember myself without much technique, but I was connecting the punches and putting guys to sleep in the trainings. And I wasn't that skillful guy.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
Of course. And I have to be able to find the moment. I don't have to just throw it and believe that I have the power. If I connect it, I put you to sleep. No, it's not if I. I'm going to connect you that punch. I'm going to work for that, and I'm going to find that specific moment to put your lights out.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
And I know with everyone, even in 155, I know that I'm going to be able to find that moment where I'm going to be able to connect that one punch or two or three punches. Because sometimes it's not only one. I'm able to combine punches. Sometimes you think that I'm going for your head and I'm going for my main combination. is to go to the body. And I go with that liver shot. And that hurts also.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
Oh, yeah. Yeah. And maybe I don't knock you out, but it takes a lot of cardio from you, a lot of movement. You start doubting yourself. You're getting like, wow, if he connects me with this punch in the chin, I'm done. And you're starting to doubt, and then the doubts kill you at the end. It's like little by little, little by little.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
No one usually used to attack the body in the UFC. I don't know why. It's such a beautiful technique to go with. go and work the body, not only the head. Everyone goes for the head. But there are also weaknesses in the human being's body, which is the body. Especially with those little MMA gloves.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
But it comes from Muay Thai. It comes from kickboxing.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
Right. You know what I mean? Because it hurts so much. Yeah, it hurts. It distracts you. You don't only have to think about the hands. You have to think about... Also about the kicks.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
And at the same time, he had that muscle memory.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
But when I started, I was like, okay, I'm very good with the wrestling. I can take people down. I can control them. I have a great ground game. But what if I go to the highest competition and I find some adversities? I have to be able to fight in the striking also. So I have to develop my game in the striking. And I start from that. And I start with my brother.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
yeah no? how come? no I don't know I see I see him he's the type of guy that you don't even need to take him down he goes to the ground by himself I don't know. He's like very spectacular. The way he fights and the striking and the kicks he throws and all that. I don't know. I'm not a big fan of him. I'm a fan of Wolk and Max Holloway.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
Actually, they were the smartest guys that I ever faced inside the octagon. I felt that they were smart. They had that fight IQ.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
He didn't look healthy at 45. He gets crazy for the title shot. He was like... Take the gold. Yeah.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
For what reason? for glory he already has the glory yeah one more glory before the lights fade yeah yeah i think john's a conqueror i think he is i think he can't sit back he's the best of of all time no one can say say the the opposite of that he he's the best look the guy developed a spinning back kick at 36.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
We were like the first people to go inside the gym and the last ones to leave it. So we were studying every day, all day, like so obsessed. We were watching like all the videos of Julio Cesar Chavez, of Canelo, all that, practicing all the techniques and then putting in interaction, the sparrings and all that. And I was like finding my style, what that I really like to do.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
And they showed me a video three days ago, four days ago. John, before the fight with Stipe, he was practicing that kick at the day of the fight. Yes. And he said something like, this is the kick. I'm going to knock him out with this kick. Yeah. And the guy showed me the video. That's crazy. Well, John's fight IQ is insane. Insane. Insane. Insane. He's a smart guy.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
I don't want to say that he doesn't have any chance because everyone has it. One punch can change everything inside the octagon. Of course, we everyone think that Jon Jon is going to get it, but you can't count him out at all, the Tom Aspinall, but I don't think that he's going to come back, me personally.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
Yeah, but at the same time, you don't know how he's going to look at the fourth and fifth round.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
So for him, you know, it's... But Jon Jones is special. He's special. He is special. And he has that fight IQ. He's not that type of guy that... He walks in and, for example, I don't know, Francis Ningano. You know that he got that one-punch power, but he doesn't have the same level of fight IQ as Joan Jones.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
You know what I mean? With Joan, if he feels that you are dangerous in the striking, he's going to grab your legs, try to mow you a little bit in the ground. Then if you go in the second round with him in the striking, you're going to be tired. He also beats the fuck out of your knees.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
He's a bad guy. He wants to hurt you. He's trying to fuck you up. He doesn't care to go with the elbow, with the knee.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
So I was the first guy to get into the top 15, the top 10, the top five, and then the world champion. We had a guy in Spain who fought in the UFC. I don't know if you remember him. Enrique Wasabi.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
Do you think that he was the most dangerous guy in the ground?
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
He's doing something very interesting there with the... With the butterfly.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
He did the Ultimate Fighter. Then we have another guy also, Joel Alvarez. He's doing a great job also. But before that, we didn't have anyone in the UFC yet.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
The other day also something happened in the car with Dan Iga.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
I think he would win the fight anyways, but he didn't have to stop the fight.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
The Robbie Lawler against Ben Askren. Oh, yeah, that was the worst one.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
I want to end up this chapter that I have that I started in 145, and now it's time to really enjoy it, and I'm very excited about that. I already have one fight in 155. Jai Herbert.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
That's true. It's terrible. It's hard to be a referee.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
Some judges. The judging, yeah. That's also something that drives me crazy. It's like...
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
I made three fights in amateur. And then I started with a professional game. I did four fights in Spain. And at some point, it was so difficult to find a fight for me that I had to start to travel in the European territory to get a fight. Yeah, and everything started from that.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
It's not like they never fought. They not even never trained. Right. Exactly. Most of them. That's the problem.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
Let me ask you something. What do you think was the decay of success of the UFC? Like, it was Dana White, it was the matchmakers, it was the fighters, it was the promotion.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
Yeah. That's nuts, man. That's why I say he's the best. He's the GOAT. He's the GOAT. I don't know how they don't put him as the number one pound for pounds. He's the number one pound for pounds.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
It's not like, I don't know. I never was a big fan of him. No? No. Never. First of all, when you call yourself a Mickey Mouse. Mighty. Mighty Mouse. So I always thought that he was a Mickey Mouse. I'm like, bro, how the fuck are you calling yourself a Mickey Mouse? No. He was a good fighter. He was a good fighter. He was a very technical fighter. He dominated the whole division.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
So I don't know. I don't know what was the reason, to be honest, to came this far. I don't know.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
There's a guy coming up in 125. He fought in the last pay-per-view in London. His last name is Kawana in the 125. He's going to be a problem in that division. He's a very skillful fighter.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
you know that's a cool program also Dana White Contender Series that's something cool because they have some story behind them before they get to the UFC and that's cool and actually they make a good matchmaker matchmaking also for that fight I prefer that I like to see sometimes Dana White Contender Series all within some fight nights yeah you get to see well that's where we found Sugar Sean O'Malley you get to see guys I prefer that to the Ultimate Fighter
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
so these young fighters that are coming up they have a higher level than before yeah a higher level to aspire to that's true now like the sport is growing that the talents are better than before yeah because the sport has developed so much that right now you have so much experience you can learn so much about the game like even in youtube you go on youtube you can learn everything by yourself
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
This is what I was saying all the time. Now it's time for the new generation. What's the new generation? That if you want to be the best, you have to be the best in everywhere the fight takes the place. In the ground, in the wrestling, in the striking, you have to be good everywhere because that's how the sport is developing right now.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
Because before you were good only in wrestling, you would take people down and no problem, you could become a world champion. Right now, so tough, so tough. The competition all the time is higher and higher and higher. And there's more knowledge in the sport.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
The production. Oh, yeah, everything. Everything.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
But UK is so special because you saw the sport growing since nothing. And you saw so many great fights in front of you. Yeah, I'm very lucky, man. I feel very fortunate. What about you? Do you have a plan where you want to retire or you are just enjoying and you love what you're doing? Because I think that it's a, I don't know, you are enjoying a lot.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
The same thing. There was something inside me that made me the person who I am today.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
So how old were you when you started training or you had some relationship with the sport?
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
Something crazy about you is when I hear you explaining some positions, I'm like... This guy has to know how to fight, how to do it, because the way he is explaining it, I couldn't be able to explain it. And I'm a world champion. I know the game, but you explain it way better than anyone else. I think that you put 10 world champions together, you still explain it much better than all of us.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
Yeah, since the first day. So my mindset always was the same, exactly the same as I have right now. I'm like, if someone did it, I also can do it. And if no one did it, I can be the first one to do it. This is the mindset I always had. It's like, yeah. I think that the champions, they are not born.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
I promise you. We can see your passion every time. Like even right now I'm here, I feel your passion. It's not like I said, I feel your passion. passionate about what you think, and that's something that I admire people like you.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
23 years yeah and then before that I did it two years before that so it's 25 years total and when was the moment maybe I'm going like too deep but I wanted to ask you this like when was the moment when you feel like I'm succeeding in life I feel that I'm having success and what's for you actually success like how do you describe it
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
I do like... As I told you, Spanx maybe in boxing. But before, I used to go more crazy than now. Because before I had more ego, I wanted to prove myself. I can knock you out. I can submit you. I can do this. But once you're winning fights, you're growing as a person, you're like, I don't need to prove anything here in the gym. I know what I'm able to do in the competition.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
They are made also because you can burn in an extraordinary situation, but you can end up so bad, you know, and the opposite also. You can burn in a, I don't know, crazy situation and end up in a paradise.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
It's the day when I have to fight. The fight, that's the day when I get paid and that's it. I'm not going to damage anyone no more because sometimes you knock people out and then you go back home and you feel bad. You're like... I could not doing it. Right. And he's suffering right now. I sent so much people to the hospital. So much people to the hospital.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
So much damage that right now I'm like, no, no, no. Sometimes people comes to me like, let's spar. I'm like, I recommend you to no.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
Exactly. They don't know how to lose. If you top out, no problem. You get better. I don't put myself in this position.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
Like every week, every Sunday, I sit down and I do my schedule by myself. On Monday, I'm going to do boxing a day from this hour to this. Then I'm going to do afternoon TV too. And how do you decide what you're going to do and when? It depends on how I feel, what I want to do. What you want to work on. And what I want to work on.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
and what I feel like I have to develop something, what I wanna do, what do I feel in reality. It's not like all the time I'm gonna do this because I have to do it. No, I don't have to do anything. I choose to do it because I enjoy it
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
every time i go to training i enjoy it i don't do it because i feel forced sometimes in training camp yes i feel forced because i feel tired i don't have food in my body i don't have any energy and i have to do it because i'm forced but outside the training camp i enjoy it even if i retire tomorrow i would keep training like that because that's something that i enjoy and you said something very interesting before that like right now i'm
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
In the moment of my life where everything I do, I do it because I enjoy it. I don't do anything to make anyone happy. I don't live a life dreaming to have another one. I just enjoy the moment I'm living right now.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
I'm sure there's many people come to you like, Joe, tell me the secret.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
There are no secret. There's no bottom for the elevator. Exactly. Everything in life, you get step by step. The slow is the fastest way to get where you want to be.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
I met him in Sydney. I went with my brother because he made his UFC debut. And, yeah, he was kind of quiet. Yeah, he's intense.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
In everything. Some people think that you accomplish something and that's going to make you happy. That's bullshit.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
Everyone is showing you the best part of their life. No one is going to show you how they are struggling, the problems they are facing on a daily basis. I mean, like, no one is going to show you that. No one is going to show you, look, I have a pimple here in my face. No, I'm going to use a filter to...
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
They want to be famous and they think that money makes them rich. And your skills make you rich, not the money. If you don't have the skills and you don't have the mindset, you're gonna keep poor all the time.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
Yeah. But in reality, they don't have any ability. They don't have nothing to enjoy with. Right.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
Yeah, that's what it is. People, most of them, they didn't understand what's behind A fighting game. It's not like only violence. You have to prepare yourself. You have to be smart. You have to work smarter than the other guy you're going to face. There's so much factors that it's going to play out that day. It's so much sacrifices that someone has to make before getting inside that octagon.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
It's not only fighting. It's more than that. I don't know. I don't... I love that. Most of the people before, they used to see fighting as something very violent in Spain. They hate it. Right now, it's becoming bigger and bigger and bigger and they're starting to love that. And I saw that since the day I started because I used to say to the people like 10 years ago in Spain, what are you doing?
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
I'm fighting. Ah, don't do that. Yeah. Start learning something. Start studying. I'm like, I'm studying. Everyone chooses a career in his life. Someone wants to be a doctor. Someone wants to be a constructor. Someone wants to be this or that. I want to be a fighter. Yeah. And I have to learn to be a fighter also.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
And I'm going to tell you something about Murab that surprised me. That maybe you see him in the mat and he's not the most special guy, the most skillful guy in the room. But I don't know what happens to him when he gets inside that octagon. Wow, that man is a fucking machine. He's a fucking machine. Right now you ask me who I love to watch fight, that's my rap. I would take my money.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
When he's fighting in the pay-per-view right now, at this point I'm like, bro, take my money.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
Because this is what I exactly think that happens to Omar, because you see Merab from outside, like you are sitting and you are seeing him training or fighting and you're like, he's not going to be able to take me down. He's not going to be able to do that to me. And then you get inside that octagon with him and everything changes. Yeah.
The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #166 with Ilia Topuria
It's like you have a machine in front of you who has like nonstop.