UFC featherweight world champion Ilia Topuria has obtained Spanish nationality. This was confirmed this Tuesday by the spokesperson for Pedro Sánchez’s executive, Pilar Alegría, in the intervention after the Council of Ministers.
“He is a world-renowned fighter in mixed martial arts who has been training in our country since 2012. He is an example of improvement, perseverance and work. For this reason, today the Council of Ministers has approved the granting of the Spanish nationality to Topuria,” said the Minister of Education and Sports.
The president of the government, when the Georgian-born wrestler was received at the Moncloa Palace on February 27, had already promised the Georgia-born wrestler that his wish to have a Spanish DNI would soon come true.
Topuria became the first Spanish fighter to win a UFC title after defeating the Australian Alexander Volkanovski by KO on February 18 at the Honda Center in Anaheim (California).
Topuria has meant a “revolution” in a sport that in Spain only has 800 licenses, but that triumphs in audiences among digital natives. But, what is behind Topuria? Will his reign be short-lived or will he have followers in the future? The youth audience on Tik Tok and the short duration of the event invite reflection and sociological analysis.
According to Google Trends, a tool that shows the most popular search terms, Topuria gave a 100 out of 100; maximum value in Spain, in the hours before, after and during the fight itself. His name took over the news. Also on social networks, with TikTok as the leading platform, and on Eurosport, the platform that broadcast, in its application and after paying a subscription, the fight.
“What he has done with this World Cup is perfectly comparable in terms of media impact, impact on social networks and visits on the web to a Tennis Grand Slam. On television, from 1:00 to 2:00 AM we gave a special program prior to the event and we had 23,000 viewers, which on pay television is an incredible number,” Fernando Ruiz, director of Eurosport, reveals to EFE.
The keys to Ilia Topuria’s great impact: a sport of constant inputs, short duration, rivalries, characters with unusual statements and recognized champions. “The UFC are very fast fights, five rounds that can end at any moment; At any moment there can be a KO. That makes people excited to see it. And young people are very Topurian because, to me, they remind me a little of Cristiano Ronaldo. He says things that may shock people, but he follows through; and he is a guy who has spectacular charisma,” Fernando Ruiz summarizes about why Ilia Topuria triumphs.
