SUMMARY
- Georgian-Spaniard UFC featherweight fighter Ilia Topuria is set to face Alexander Volkanvski,
- Prior to fights, Topuria drinks a large quantity of wine, approximately half a liter, to induce dehydration.
All eyes will be on Georgian-Spaniard martial artist Ilia Topuria when he squares off against UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanvski in the featherweight main event on Sunday, February 17. Topuria, who has a record of 14-0-0, will make sure to return Volkanvski’s revelation. It comes after the Australian stated that he is level ahead of the Georgian.
Topuria, who is known for his aggressive fighting style and powerful striking, will leave no stone unturned against the current featherweight champion. And as Topuria looks forward to making the most of one of his biggest nights, fans have started wondering about his walk-around weight.
Ilia Topuria 144.5 lbs. main event is official #UFC298 pic.twitter.com/euUOSJCsiA
— Carlos Contreras Legaspi 🦁 (@CCLegaspi) February 16, 2024
According to reports, Topuria has a walk-around weight of around 170–175 pounds. However, a massive difference in terms of his weight comes to light just before his big fight. His walk-around weight is considered significantly higher than his fight weight in the featherweight division.
The 27-year-old cut down almost 25–30 pounds before his fight. Topuria is currently weighing 145 pounds because of his mega event against Volkancski. But fans have often wondered how the Georgian-Spaniard cuts down 25 pounds before every fight. Well, Topuria himself has revealed his insane weight-cut routine.
Ilia Topuria reveals his weight-cut routine
During an interview last year, Topuria revealed the bizarre routine that he follows prior to every fight. As per the 27-year-old, he drinks wine in large quantities before fights, which eventually helps him lose weight through dehydration.
Labeling the routine as his tradition, he said, “So the thing is that when I drink half a liter of wine, and you know that on Thursday it’s a very hard night for every fighter because it’s a day before the eigh-ins, So it’s hard to sleep, and it’s hard to rest, but I drink half a liter of wine. I get very buzzed, very buzzed, and I have such a great time with everyone.”
“It’s like we change the atmosphere, you know? We don’t think about the fighting; we just celebrate, and I go to sleep like a baby. I wake up the next morning with two pounds less because of the dehydration, so everything plays out really well for me,” added the Georgian.
Topuria drinks wine while he cuts weight. Alpha sigma Chad vibes. pic.twitter.com/sderYcxEZM
— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) June 23, 2023
As bizarre and unconventional as it may sound, Topuria’s stats don’t reflect his tradition. Known as the ‘El-Matador,‘ Toporia has an impressive record of winning 14 professional MMA fights, including six in the UFC. His incredible performance puts him third in the UFC featherweight rankings. Toporia’s last victory came against Josh Emmett on June 24, 2023, where his total strikes after five rounds was 171 out of 365 compared to Emmet’s 89 out of 309.
What is Alex Volkanovski’s walk-around weight?
Alex Volkanovski is Considered one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world of mixed martial arts. The current UFC featherweight champion loses more weight than his upcoming competitor, Ilia Topuria, before the mega-fight.
To make himself eligible to compete in the 145-pound division, Volkanovski goes through immense training, which includes grappling, boxing and freestyle fighting to cut weights. As per reports, the Australian cuts down almost 35 pounds before every fight. Volkanovski has a walk-around weight of 180 pounds.