Outside Source
Ilia Topuria has the art of the KO down to a science. | Getty/UFC
Ilia Topuria has a surgical approach to knocking out his opponents.
Topuria is a feared knockout artist who puts his opponents to sleep with timing and precision. The newly UFCcrowned lightweight champion recently revealed his strategy for knocking out his opponents. Topuria claims that most fighters have depleted gas tanks midway through a three-round fight. According to “El Matador,” it is crucial to preserve one’s energy in the first half of the fight while also pressing forward. Topuria believes he can have his way with his opponents if he can save his energy for the latter half of the fight.
Topuria: You’re Really Fighting Time, Not Your Opponent
“What you’re really fighting is time, not your opponent,” Topuria told TheGrefg. “Time would take everyone out. If you’re going three rounds of three minutes, you’ll see that after just a round and a half, your opponent [is] going to be done. If during that round and a half you’re able to keep pushing in a way that you’re also managing your energy, not using up your whole arsenal but it still looks like you’re walking forward — saving yourself for that last minute and a half, then when he can’t take it anymore, you’ll do whatever you want to him.”
Topuria has finished 15 of 17 pro wins, seven of them via knockout. The undefeated Georgian Spaniard won the featherweight title by knocking out Alexander Volkanovski last year. Topuria defended his title against Max Holloway by knocking out the former champ for the first time in his career. Topuria subsequently moved up to lightweight and won the vacant title by knocking out Charles Oliveira last month.
💥👀Ilia Topuria tells how he knocks out his opponent:
“What you’re really fighting. is time, not your opponent. Time would take everyone out… You’ll see that after just a round and a half, your opponent going to be done.
If during that round and a half you’re able to keep… pic.twitter.com/xRmCml7OLI
— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) July 15, 2025
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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