Ilia Topuria's 'secret strength' exposed by Jorge Masvidal after 'El Matador' moves to 155 pounds

Spanish MMA fighter Ilia Topuria is currently the undisputed champion of the UFC featherweight division. Since the beginning of his UFC career, Topuria has decisively defeated every opponent he has faced in the 145 lbs category.

Notably, he has won his last few matches by knockout. While many are curious about the source of his strength, Jorge Masvidal has revealed the secret.

Ilia Topuria and Jorge Masvidal do not train in the same gym. According to the former UFC fighter, they have shared one or two training sessions. Keeping that in mind, in a recent podcast episode of the JAXXON Podcast, Masvidal delved into a discussion about Topuria. During that, the former UFC fighter seemingly revealed that the Spaniard's bone density is quite thick.

I've trained with him numerous times. You know when you go with somebody that just like, dense? It's not even that they're throwing hard, you're just working out. You can feel like this dude. His bones were extra f**king 50-pounds that everybody else… This guy hits like a 170-pound and he's 145 [pounds]… This guy could crack.

Jorge Masvidal via JAXXON Podcast

Masvidal pointed out that Topuria strikes with the power of a welterweight fighter, despite competing in the featherweight division. For quite some time, Topuria has been exuding confidence and has expressed his desire to compete in a higher-weight class. Currently, the UFC community is abuzz with the prospect of Topuria potentially fighting the UFC lightweight champion, Islam Makhachev.

FS Video

The Dagestani fighter remains confident and unfazed by the potential threats posed by Topuria. As a result, Makhachev and his team are currently dismissing any possible scenarios that could lead to a clash between them.

They believe that the UFC featherweight champion does not deserve to be considered for double champion status at this time. One of the main reasons for this belief is that Makhachev feels Topuria has yet to fully clear his division.

Jorge Masvidal reveals the name of one featherweight fighter who can defeat Ilia Topuria

Ilia Topuria, known as 'El Matador,' became the UFC featherweight champion after defeating Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298. So far, the Spaniard has participated in only one title defense in the 145-pound division. While he dominated and defeated Max Holloway in that match, there are still many potential contenders in the division.

Can Movsar Evloev be a threat to Ilia Topuria perfect record? (Image via Imago)

Diego Lopes and Movsar Evloev are two emerging fighters who are eagerly looking forward to a title fight opportunity. Notably, one of these fighters has raised the confidence of former UFC fighter Jorge Masvidal. As such, Masvidal believes that there is still one promising superstar in the featherweight division who can defeat Topuria.

I love both these guys. I love Ilia, and I love Movsar. Movsar is the complete opposite in many ways because he can wrestle, man. This dude can wrestle. He's undefeated in the UFC and has great wins. He is the type of guy you would think you need to beat a guy like Ilia. Don't stand with him, because obviously, he's got some secret sauce in his hands. Take this dude down, control him, and maybe Movsar is the guy to do it.

Jorge Masvidal via JAXXON podcast

Apart from double champ aspirations, Topuria has other reasons for wanting to move to the UFC lightweight division. Notably, the UFC featherweight champion is currently finding it difficult to manage the weight-cutting procedures in his division. As a result, he aims to compete in the 155-pound division and take on the formidable challenges posed by fighters like Islam Makhachev.

Jorge Masvidal via JAXXON Podcast Jorge Masvidal via JAXXON podcast

(673 Articles Published)

Nilaav is a writer at FirstSportz with a deep-rooted passion for combat sports. From a young age, he has been captivated by the excitement of athletic competition, which now influences his writing and provide readers a front row seat to every action. Nilaav aims to communicate in a simple manner so that his target audience can easily comprehend and relate to the content. As he focuses on enhancing his writing skills, Nilaav is committed to offering a new perspective to the field of sports journalism.