Aleksandre, brother of Ilia Topuria, beat Volkanovski's pupil in his debut at the UFC 312. Photo: Reproduction/Twitter/UFC News
O UFC 312, which took place this past Saturday (8), featured one of the most anticipated octagon debuts in recent times: Alexander Topuria, older brother of the organization's featherweight champion (up to 65,7 kg). In Sydney, Australia, the rookie bantamweight (up to 61,2 kg) defeated Colby Thicknesse, a pupil of the former champion Alexander Volkanovsky, after a unanimous decision by the judges.
What Ilia Topuria What Aleksandre 'El Conquistador' has managed to accomplish in the span of four years with the UFC has been nothing short of remarkable. His undefeated streak, which led to the featherweight title, allowed his brother to do the same and sign with the organization, despite not having a particularly impressive track record on paper. Now, Aleksandre 'El Conquistador' has a lot of expectations riding on his shoulders because he was signed based on his accomplishments and Ilia's stamp of approval. And this pressure the extra could be detrimental to the 29-year-old fighter, according to the veteran Josh thomson.
See too
The former UFC fighter turned analyst spoke about this during a recent episode of his podcast 'Weighing In', alongside 'Big' John McCarthy. According to Josh thomson, comparisons to Ilia could hinder the rise of the UFC's new signing.
“He’s going to get compared to his brother a lot, which is fair because they’re brothers, obviously, but the way he fights, I don’t know if, I just want to know how it’s going to affect him, you know what I’m saying?” he asked.
Thomson explained how Aleksandre has implemented a similar boxing style to what we saw from 'El Matador' in his eight-fight run with the organisation. His biggest concern is whether this means he will always be overshadowed by his brother as fans begin to expect the same level of success from the recent addition to the roster.
“I hope he has thick skin because the comparison is going to happen soon, if it hasn’t already, when this media thing comes out tomorrow and I’m here comparing them in terms of fighting style, but their fighting style is not the same. They look similar, but they’re different fighters. Different fighters, but that’s good, it’s just a matter of him being able to separate himself,” he concluded.
Alexander Topuria may not have immediately announced himself as a top contender in the bantamweight division, but he still ticked a lot of boxes with his performance at UFC 312. He had vision when Thicknesse started to have a little more success in the exchange, taking the fight to the ground with a beautiful 'suplex' to seal the win and remained patient even when his opponent was injured. However, this was also a UFC debut against a short-minute replacement after not fighting since May 2023.
Coincidence or not, Ilia Topuria also went to the scoreboards in his UFC debut, defeating Youssef Zalal by unanimous decision in 2020, so this is unlikely to end the momentum of Aleksandre, who still has plenty of time to establish himself in the bantamweight division.
Josh thomson
Former Strikeforce champion, Josh thomson made comments about brother of Ilia Topuria. Photo: Esther Lin/Strikeforce
Now 46 years old, Josh thomson fought for the UFC from 2003 to 2015 and built a record of 20 wins and eight losses in MMA. His last fight in the Ultimate was a decision loss against Tony Ferguson, who is also no longer part of the organization today. Known as 'The Punk', Thomson was once the Strikeforce lightweight champion (up to 70,3kg) and was competing in the category in Bellator, before the promotion announced its end in early 2025.
You need login To comment.