The last name tops is the protagonist this week for Ilia’s fight against Holloway next Saturday, October 26. But, Ilia never goes alone, there is always a supporting actor with him, a protagonist in the shadows. Alexander, he El Matador’s older brother, It is also one of the pillars on which the Hispanic-Georgian athlete has built his success. If you look at the photographs that Ilia publishes, he never appears alone, his team always appears, training or celebrating victories, and his older brother always has a prominent place. You should know about Aleksandre that he is only one year older, since he was born on January 28, 1996, and has assumed the role of advisor and sparring partner for his brother during his years of preparation and promotion in the UFC. But Aleksandre is also an athlete and, since the end of 2023, the UFC has two Topuria among its fighters.
Ilia has such a connection with her brother that she has publicly shared praise for him. Alexanderand has recognized the importance that Álex, ‘The Conqueror’, has in his life. “As a child I never needed a superhero because I was lucky to have the best by my side,” Ilia wrote on his social networks on the day of his brother’s last birthday. However, in parallel with his work on his brother’s team, Aleksandre has developed a professional career as a fighter since he arrived when he was barely 15 years at the Climent Club of Alicante, the gym led by Jorge and Agustín Climent that the two Topuria brothers have not abandoned since.
The surname Topuria has two famous people who do not take a step without each other. So much so that they are inseparable companions in training, confidences, fears, joys… Both debuted in 2014 in MMA. It was in Barcelona and under the gaze of Arnold Schwarzeneggerwho organized the tournament in which the Topuria brothers shone. The “Conqueror”, as Aleksandre is known, was passionate about judo until, together with his brother, comes into contact with Jorge and Agustín Climent. The partnership had just begun and the poison of MMA got into his body.
Who is Aleksandre Topuria?
Aleksandre Topuria was born on January 28, 1996 in Georgia and is much more than an MMA fighter. Aleksandre is the older brother and a fundamental pillar in the rise of his brother, Ilia, to the top of the UFC. Together, they have shared a sporting journey that spans various disciplines, from judo to Greco-Roman wrestling, and finally, MMA and boxing. A path in which they have always been allies and training partnersso much so that even They debuted in official fights at the same time in 2015.
However, Aleksandre’s career took a bit of a bump early in 2015, with a defeat which led him to reflect on his career. However, despite this setback, he focused on improve your technique and provide unconditional support for Ilia in his career. In that sense, Ilia has always highlighted the importance of Aleksandre in his team, being his training partner and adapting as sparring according to the needs of each combat. Thus, he returned to the octagons in 2021 with a victory by KO in the first round against Luca Tenorio, and a year later he also knocked down Alberto Ibáñez.
Brother, friend and mentor
The eldest of the brothers appears in all the important moments of Ilia Topuria’s career. In fact, there is no photo in which Ilia celebrates a victory that Alex is not in. It must be remembered that since ‘El Matador’ began his rise to the MMA elite, Alex has assumed a role of mentor, coach and sparring partnereven sacrificing his own professional career inside the cage. “One day, my brother and I had a conversation. Together we made the decision that I would help him in his career. If I have to put aside my journey to help him and get where we want to go, “Of course I will.” declared Aleksandre in the Movistar+ documentary.
Both brothers began in this world through Greco-Roman wrestling in their country of origin, Georgia from which, years later, they would move to Spain with their parents. In Alicante both would end up stopping at the Climent Cluba gym that introduced them to mixed martial arts thanks to the teachings of two other brothers, Jorge and Agustín, their coaches, who at the beginning of the century had been ‘exiled’ from Argentina in search of new opportunities.
The voice of wisdom
Now, with an Ilia who dominates the UFC and seeks to establish hegemony, ‘El Conquistador’ is the fundamental piece of his corner’s puzzle. The reason is that It is the voice that Ilia hears in critical momentswhen the pressure is maximum and each decision can define the result. Aleksandre’s support, therefore, is emotional, strategic and technical. But, How do you reach that level of trust? It has simply been forged over years of training together, sharing not only the physical effort but also a common vision of what they want to achieve in sport. In fact, no one was surprised that the first thing Ilia did after knocking out Volkanovski at UFC 298 and becoming world champion was to go hug his brother.
From judo to Greco-Roman wrestling
Like his brother, with whom he also shares a taste for fitted luxury tailoring and motorsport, Álex Topuria began his sporting life as a child in the world of judo. It was during his earliest childhood, when the family lived in Germany.
Upon their family’s return to Georgia, the two brothers focused their training on Greco-Roman wrestlinga sport that, unlike what happens in Spain, is very popular in this area of Eastern Europe. Not in vain, “chidaoba”, an ancient form of martial art widespread in Georgia, is Intangible Heritage of Humanity by Unesco. But, with the transfer of Ilia and Aleksandre’s parents, Zaza and Igna Topuria, the two brothers found their place in the Climent Club of Alicante. And it was in this gym where they made the definitive leap from Greco-Roman wrestling to mixed martial artsa discipline to which they both dedicate themselves professionally, always under the umbrella and guidance of the Climent Club team.
