Ilia Topuria's mother reveals that street fights were common during the champion's youth

Ilia Topuria in victory over A. Volkanovski. Photo: Reproduction/Twitter @UFCNews

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The victories of Ilia Topuria inside the octagon have transformed his career and the lives of many people close to the fighter. Thus, his mother, Inga Topuria, recently published the book 'Mother & Ilia', in which she tells her story living in Abkhazia (a region of Georgia occupied by Russia) and that of her sons, Ilia and Aleksandre, who is also an MMA fighter. From the accounts, it is possible to conclude that for the boys, fighting began long before they became professionals.

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According to the biography, it was very common for boys to get involved in street fights during their early childhood/adolescence in Georgia. According to Inga, fighting was a way to prevent other boys from stealing.

I'm reading the book “Mother & Ilia” which is dedicated to the story of Ilia Topuria's mother, Inga, who is from Abkhazia, a region of Georgia occupied by Russia.

There is a part of the story about Ilia and his brother, Aleksandre, fighting in the streets of Rustavi, Georgia. I… pic.twitter.com/X1lxbx6jKA

— Giorgi Kokiashvili (@iHeartGeorgius1) October 30, 2024

“It wasn’t unusual, it was a daily routine. Whenever they were on the streets, they were fighting. Imagine: several boys would show up… they would come and say they wanted your hat or your belt. There were three ways – give up, run away and fight. Ilia and Aleksandre always preferred to fight and, at the end of the day, they always had their hat and belt on,” he said.

For women, their attitude in participating in these conflicts went beyond simply maintaining their respective properties. It was a way of commanding respect within the community.

“It wasn’t about the things. It was about securing and defending their place on the streets… The path to their biggest belts started with holding their own ordinary belts on the streets of Rustavi,” he concluded.

When Ilia was 15, the family moved to Alicante, Spain, so they settled there, obtained Spanish citizenship and have lived there ever since.

Ilia and Aleksandre Topuria

Undefeated in 16 professional fights, Ilia Topuria is the current UFC featherweight champion (up to 65,7 kg), as well as being one of the most popular fighters on the entire roster. With consecutive victories over Alexander Volkanovsky e Max Holloway, the Georgian/Spanish player is enjoying one of the best starts to his reign in the organization's history.

Aleksandre, the older brother of 'El Matador', has a record of five wins and only one loss, with all of his victories coming by knockout in the first round. He is expected to make his UFC debut in 2024.

Aleksandre and Ilia Topuria. Photo: Instagram/Alexander Topuria.