Ilia Topuria parents: Here's everything you need to know about 'El Matador's' family

UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria carries a rich familial backstory that has profoundly influenced his journey in mixed martial arts. The Georgian-Spanish fighter owes much of his success to his parents and this article explores their life trajectory.

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Who are Ilia Topuria's parents?

Born in Halle, Germany, to Georgian parents Zaza and InGa Topuria, Ilia's life took a defining turn at the age of 15 when his family relocated to Spain due to economic circumstances.

Details of Topuria's parents' professions or personal interests are not available in the public domain. However, in a 2022 interview with MMA Fighting, 'El Matador' stated that his father wrestled in his younger days and was inclined towards mixed martial arts.

This move proved instrumental in shaping Ilia's future. In Alicante, Spain, he discovered his passion for mixed martial arts at the Climent Club. The training facility nurtured his talent, honing his skills and setting him on the path towards becoming 'El Matador,' the moniker he's earned for his aggressive fighting style.

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Ilia Topuria's father supported his decision to drop out of school and pursue MMA

Ilia Topuria started training in martial arts at four years of age, which helped him understand different aspects of combat sports and get better. While speaking to Ariel Helwani in a January 2022 interview, Topuria said that his father encouraged him to learn martial arts.

'El Matador' also said that he could get ahead in the sport because his father allowed him to drop out of school and make MMA his primary goal in life:

"I left the school when I was 15 years old. When I was 15 years old, I went with my brother to talk to my father and we told him, 'Hey dad, we don't want to go to school anymore but we really want to train and we want to go, like, all day everyday in the gym and we're gonna train.' My dream was to fight in the UFC."

He added:

"My father told me, like, 'If you're really going to train all the time, like you tell me, you have my approval.' That's one of the reasons why I made my UFC debut at such a young age."

Check out Ilia Topuria's comments below (9:00):

Topuria's decision to pursue MMA has been a remarkable success story so far. Having started in the UFC as a dominant grappler, Topuria earned the reputation for being one of the most fearsome strikers in the weight class.

He won the featherweight title with a devastating second-round KO of long-reigning champion Alexander Volkanovski earlier this year. The 27-year-old now stands at the precipice of a great achievement as he prepares to take on Max Holloway at UFC 308 on Oct. 26.

Jose Aldo, Volkanovski, and Holloway are widely regarded as the consensus greatest featherweight champions of all time. If Topuria beats Holloway on Oct. 26, it will be another feather in his cap.