Ilia Topuria on Learning from Canelo, MMA Boxing vs. Pure Boxing, and Submitting Makhachev

Canelo's Influence on Fighting Style

• 🥊 Canelo Alvarez is cited as a favorite athlete and a significant inspiration for Ilia Topuria and his brother.
• 💡 Topuria and his brother would study Canelo's training footage, attempting to copy his technical skills and incorporate them into their own fighting style.
• 🤝 Despite the inspiration, Topuria has never met or trained with Canelo.

Boxing Prowess in MMA

• 🗣️ Topuria believes his boxing abilities are superior to most MMA fighters, even claiming he could beat professional boxers with six months of dedicated boxing training.
• ⚠️ He distinguishes between pure boxing and MMA boxing, noting that MMA requires different stances and movements, which can be a disadvantage in pure boxing.
• 🚫 Topuria dismisses Max Holloway's claim of having the best standup in MMA, stating that no one in MMA possesses truly great boxing technique.

Ground Game and Submission Prowess

• 🧠 Topuria emphasizes that his background is in wrestling and ground game, with his best skills being on the mat.
• 🎯 He confidently states he can submit Islam Makhachev, even in front of Khabib Nurmagomedov.
• 💬 Topuria expresses a desire to ask Makhachev about his favorite submission and then submit him with it, viewing it as an entertaining prospect.

Unconventional Training and Belief

• 📱 Topuria and his brother learned by watching YouTube videos of drills and techniques, practicing them extensively.
• 🚫 They developed their skills without direct coaching from professional UFC fighters or boxers.
• 💪 His obsession with training and self-development, working all day, every day, fueled his rise.
• 🙏 Topuria attributes his success and belief to faith and God's presence, even when his unconventional path seems unusual.