UFC featherweight Ilia Topuria has been caught on camera engaging in fisticuffs at a Spanish bar — though it appears, based on the recently released video, that the other party may have provoked the fighter.
Topuria can be seen in a short video clip circulating on social media initially ignoring a shove from an unnamed figure, before the man finally evokes a reaction from the Georgian fighter, who resides in Spain.
The video is dated January 4, 2023.
Dude saw Ilia Topuria and said ‘Yeah I’ll mess with that guy’ 🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/BqT1un8kgy
— Eddie Law 👊 (@ELaw32) January 4, 2023
While initial reports identified the unnamed individual as pop singer Omar Montes, that does not appear to be the case. As Harry Davies of The Mirror first noted, Montes does appear in the video, but was not involved in the altercation.
Montes is reportedly a friend of Topuria.
The scuffle was broken up after Topuria had thrown about three right hands, with all three appearing to land on the unnamed individual. The undefeated featherweight, of Georgian and Spanish descent, has not publicly commented on the matter. The fighter did not respond to a request for comment from Cageside Press.
Topuria last competed at UFC 282 in December, serving up the first loss of Bryce Mitchell’s MMA career. Since joining the UFC in 2020, Topuria has posted a 5-0 record with four finishes, and has earned Performance of the Night bonuses in his last two outings.
This is not the first time Topuria has gotten into it outside the octagon. At UFC London last March, Topuria engaged in a highly-publicized confrontation with U.K. star Paddy Pimblett, which ended with Pimblett throwing a bottle of hand sanitizer at the Georgian.
Topuria does not currently have a fight booked.
