Ilia Topuria Changes Nickname to 'La Leyenda' Ahead of Lightweight Debut

Ilia Topuria hinted that a change in moniker would accompany his move to a new weight class. Now that update has become a reality.

“‘El Matador’ has been my ally in every fight,” Topuria recently wrote on X. “But next time, I’ll step into the Octagon with a new identity.’”

During an interview with Mundo Deportivo, Topuria revealed that his new nickname will be “La Leyenda,” which translates to “The Legend” in English. Topuria was attending a ceremony in Toledo, Spain, where a street was named in his honor.

“‘El Matador’ is something that has accompanied me throughout my entire sporting career, throughout my entire trajectory, and it’s something that’s led me to the new nickname,” Topuria said. “It’s always what I say: You need to believe. You need to see to believe. I believe it first, and then I see it. So the nickname that will accompany me in my next fights is going to be ‘La Leyenda.’”

Topuria began his UFC tenure with eight consecutive triumphs. After capturing featherweight gold with a knockout of Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298, he defended the strap with a third-round KO of Max Holloway at UFC 308. It was announced that the Georgian-Spaniard would vacate the belt ahead of UFC 314, where Volkanovski will now face Diego Lopes for the vacant 145-pound title. An opponent for Topuria’s lightweight debut has yet to be announced.