Ilia Topuria He once again stole the show outside the octagon by creating another unusual moment on social media. The current undisputed lightweight champion (up to 70,3 kg) sent a message with a rose especially for... Justin gaethje, his opponent in the main fight of the UFC White House, scheduled for June 14th in Washington DC (USA), further increasing the anticipation for the title unification bout.
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In a video posted on his Instagram profile, Topuria appears alongside his dog, Perlita, and jokingly asks the animal to bring a rose to his rival before the fight. The gesture, despite its lighthearted tone, carries a well-known symbolism in the fighter's career, who often uses the flower as a gesture of respect after his fights.
“Perlita, we’re going to Miami today, but first we need to take a little rose for Justin (Gaethje)… (after the dog fetches the rose) Alright, Perlita, now we can go,” she said. Ilia Topuria on video.
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The "little rose," in fact, has become a kind of trademark of 'El Matador'. Inspired by the Spanish tradition of bullfighting, Topuria usually leaves a flower in the octagon at the end of his fights, symbolizing the end of a battle and paying homage to his defeated opponent.
Confident! Ilia Topuria ignores Gaethje and adds a victory to her record even before the fight.
Topuria at the UFC press conference. Photo: Reproduction/X/UFC
Besides the playful rose gesture, the fighter also demonstrates extreme confidence for the duel. By releasing the official poster of the fight against the American on social media, the Georgian-Spanish fighter anticipated the result and already added one more victory to his record, updating his undefeated streak from 17 to 18 wins, even before entering the octagon at the White House.
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Read More about: Ilia Topuria, Justin gaethje, UFC White House
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