Scouting Report: Ilia Topuria

Lev PisarskyJun 22, 2023

Ilia Topuria

Born: Jan. 21, 1997 (Age: 26) in Halle Westfalen, Germany
Division: Featherweight
Height: 5’8”
Reach: 69”
Record: 13-0 (5-0 UFC)
Association: Climent Club
Stage of Career: Pre-Prime

Summary: Question marks remain, and there are a few definite weaknesses from which Topuria suffers. However, at age 26, he has already established himself as a world-class fighter who excels at both striking and grappling. Topuria eschews kicks in favor of dangerous boxing-based standup. His punches are all crisp and technical, and he strings them together in beautiful combinations. Despite his lack of height, he calls upon an effective, hard jab with which he can connect repeatedly. Topuria also features a tremendous left hook—a sudden, textbook shot he has used to hurt opponents to the head and body. With that said, he carries true knockout power in his right hand, especially the overhand. Topuria also pairs solid takedowns with devastating ground-and-pound, with fast, accurate hammerfists, punches and elbows. While he remains selective in using them, he has good submission skills, too. Cardio should be considered a concern for Topuria, who looked tired and lost the only third round he has experienced in the UFC. Defensively, he utilizes nice footwork and explosive, well-timed retreats, but he has a few bad habits and lacks head movement. Those concerns aside, Topuria finds himself firmly entrenched in the Top 10 and looks like a genuine future title contender at 145 pounds.

STRIKING

• Stance: Orthodox.
• Hand Speed: Average.
• Jab: Technical, fairly sudden and impactful, though not especially fast. He consistently out-jabs much taller, longer fighters.
• Cross: While he does not utilize it much and it lacks speed, it is technical and carries true knockout power. He crushed Damon Jackson with it.
• Left Hook: An accurate, technical shot with a tight arc and plenty of rotation. Offers big power. Topuria can also go to the body with it beautifully.
• Overhand Right: Displays outstanding, technical arc, solid accuracy and genuine knockout power. He flattened Jai Herbert with it.
• Uppercuts: Throws them impressively from either hand. The left features sound technique and accuracy, but it can be telegraphed. The right is superior, with similar properties and more power.
• Solitary Striker or Volume Puncher: Fires punches in bunches and does so in gorgeous, tight combinations.
• Favorite Combination(s): Loves to throw the left hook into an overhand right or right cross—a brutal sequence that wrecked Jackson and Herbert.
• Leg Kicks: Rarely uses them.
• Body Kicks: Almost never throws them.
• Head Kicks: Seldom utilizes them.
• Chains Kicks to Punches: No.

Topuria’s striking is relegated to his boxing, as he almost never throws kicks. However, he excels in that regard. He sets up everything with an outstanding jab he can pump out repeatedly. Beyond that, his left hook serves as a major weapon. It is a tight, technical and highly accurate punch with which he can authoritatively target the head and body. Topuria throws an array of exquisite combinations that opponents often struggle to defend. He also has some nice uppercuts at his disposal, but he carries legitimate one-punch knockout power in his right hand. While the cross can be slow, it can also be devastating if it lands. The overhand is superior, as he throws it with textbook arc, accuracy and fight-changing power. Topuria uses excellent footwork and can explode backwards in retreat, but his limited head movement means opponents can trouble him with combinations. He will likely need to improve his defense if he wants to seriously contend for a UFC championship.

CLINCH

• Physical Strength: Immensely powerful at 145 pounds and even looked quite strong in his one UFC appearance as a lightweight.
• Technique: Positions himself well to shoot for takedowns.
• Knees: Rarely uses them, preferring to hunt for takedowns instead.
• Elbows: Rarely uses them, preferring to hunt for takedowns instead.
• Defense Against Knees/Elbows: He has proven to be susceptible to knees at range, as Herbert showed. However, Topuria usually pushes off in the clinch and shoots for a takedown, making him a difficult target for either weapon.

Topuria generally only concerns himself with pursuing takedowns in the clinch, so it should come as little surprise that he excels in that area. He has some vulnerability to knees, especially at range, as he sometimes dips his head predictably.

GRAPPLING

• Wrestling from a Shot: Features a technical, strong shot, though not especially fast or explosive.
• Wrestling in the Clinch: He can chain wrestle effectively and uses his strength more in this area, with an especially effective double-leg pick-up and slam.
• Takedown Defense: While he has not yet faced a great wrestler, he has not shown any issues shutting down efforts to take him down.
• Ability to Return to Feet: An unknown because he has never been taken down in the UFC.
• Submissions: Topuria executed a number of them prior to joining the UFC, though he did so against a much lower caliber of fighter.
• Defense/Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu from the Bottom: He has not yet found himself there in the UFC.
• Top Control: Topuria employs heavy pressure and can push over opponents who attempt to build a base. However, he gives some space when he uncorks his ground-and-pound, providing opportunities for hip escapes.
• Ground-and-Pound: A devastating component, with fast, accurate punches and hammerfists, especially from the right side. Ryan Hall fell prey to it. Topuria can also use sudden elbows and an excellent ability to attack with body-head combinations.

Topuria is a sound grappler, though he is not as tested there as he is in the striking department. He can secure takedowns but often chooses to strike instead. His top control comes with outstanding ground-and-pound that features fast, accurate punches and hammerfists, along with damaging, technical elbows. The right hand is of particular concern for opponents. Topuria has some submissions in his back pocket, but he wisely prefers to maintain position and inflict damage. No one has been able to take him down and keep him down in the UFC, so there are some question marks regarding his bottom-position defense.

INTANGIBLES

• Athleticism/General Physical Strength: Undeniably powerful and dynamic.
• Cardio: Jury remains out. He looked strong and energetic while fighting at a high pace for two rounds in his UFC debut, then grew downright winded before losing the third. However, that was nearly three years ago, and it seems likely he addressed any issues.
• Chin: He was floored and badly hurt by a Herbert head kick, but he has weathered other significant connections.
• Recuperative Powers: All signs point to them being excellent. He regained his bearings after being felled by Herbert and managed to panic wrestle until he was out of danger.
• Intelligence: Topuria is effective at mixing up his striking and grappling, and he sets up his combinations and power punches well. More importantly, he has shown consistent improvement from fight to fight.