"I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia

Summary

Podcast Summary: PBD Podcast - "I'll Submit Him" – Ilia Topuria CALLS OUT Islam Makhachev, OPENS UP On Putin & Russia

Release Date: April 11, 2025
Host: Patrick Bet-David (PBD Podcast)
Guest: Ilia Topuria, UFC Lightweight Champion

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1. Introduction to Ilia Topuria

Ilia Topuria, the undefeated UFC Lightweight Champion, joins Patrick Bet-David to discuss his career aspirations, personal life, and his perspectives on current geopolitical events. The conversation delves deep into his motivation to challenge Islam Makhachev, his training regimen, and his views on Russia and the Ukraine conflict.

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2. Ambition to Fight Islam Makhachev

Topuria's Confidence and Readiness

Ilia Topuria expresses unwavering confidence in his ability to defeat Islam Makhachev, emphasizing his current peak performance.

• [07:04] Patrick Bet-David: "You're fight ready. You think he's fight ready to go up against you today?"
• [07:09] Ilia Topuria: "No, I don't think so."

He highlights the disparity in their recent training commitments, suggesting that Makhachev may not be as prepared as he is.

• [07:46] Ilia Topuria: "He's not in shape."

Desire for a Title Defense

Topuria aspires to defend his belt vigorously, stating his readiness to take on top contenders without the necessity of fighting number one contenders first.

• [16:57] Ilia Topuria: "There's no way that I have to fight the number one contender. I have to fight directly for the belt."

Potential Pay-Per-View Success

He anticipates that a fight against Makhachev would be one of the biggest pay-per-view events due to the personal and regional tensions involved.

• [14:51] Patrick Bet-David: "If there is a fight with you and Islam, that could be one of the biggest pay-per-views if that takes place."
• [73:23] Ilia Topuria: "I'm waiting, I'm waiting. I'm very excited."

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3. Training and Career Development

Early Beginnings and Training Philosophy

Ilia shares his journey from wrestling in Georgia to transitioning into MMA in Spain, emphasizing self-driven training and skill development.

• [44:30] Ilia Topuria: "I discover MMA and fell in love since the first second."

Training Regimen and Mental Preparation

He discusses his meticulous training approach, focusing on both physical conditioning and strategic planning for upcoming fights.

• [18:42] Patrick Bet-David: "Are you, is your current training a regular training or is your current training, specific training targeted for your next fight?"
• [18:52] Ilia Topuria: "I have two names in my mind right now. We are preparing."

Mindset and Handling Pressure

Topuria elaborates on his mental strategies to maintain focus and control emotions during fights, advocating for a calculated and fearless approach.

• [20:12] Ilia Topuria: "I always prefer to think about thoughts that make me feel happy, that empower me."
• [24:14] Ilia Topuria: "This is the person you have to beat."

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4. Personal Life and Family

Balancing Career and Family

Ilia discusses his relationship with his children, emphasizing the importance of planning and time management to balance his demanding career and family responsibilities.

• [05:22] Ilia Topuria: "My son doesn't live with me. My girl is eight months old, and we're planning everything."

Relationship with His Brother

He highlights the close bond with his brother, who serves as his mentor and primary coach, playing a pivotal role in his training and fight preparations.

• [47:22] Ilia Topuria: "At some point, he became my head coach. He helps me a lot."

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5. Views on Politics: Russia and Ukraine Conflict

Critical Stance on Russian Politicians

Ilia shares his personal history with the 2008 conflict in Georgia, expressing distrust and disdain towards Russian politicians while differentiating them from the general Russian populace.

• [76:29] Ilia Topuria: "I'm against killing people always. I vote for peace. Russians, politicians, dangerous people."
• [78:43] Ilia Topuria: "You can judge a whole country because of one person."

Perspective on Ukraine

He acknowledges the complexity of the Ukraine situation but emphasizes his support for peace over conflict.

• [77:56] Ilia Topuria: "I always vote for peace."

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6. Comparisons with Other Fighters

Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Ilia Topuria

Topuria respects Khabib but maintains his confidence in being able to defeat him, highlighting both fighters' commitment and training philosophies.

• [56:51] Patrick Bet-David: "He's trained and coached by Khabib who never lost."
• [58:37] Ilia Topuria: "I can submit him closer to Khabib. I will submit him with his favorite submission."

Charles Oliveira and Other Contenders

He analyzes other fighters like Charles Oliveira, acknowledging their strengths while asserting his own superiority in various aspects.

• [74:04] Ilia Topuria: "Charles has a great ground game and striking. But when he feels he's more powerful, he gives up fast."
• [73:49] Ilia Topuria: "I like him. He has submissions, but he gives up like fast."

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7. Business and Future Plans

Ambitions Beyond Fighting

Ilia expresses his desire to build a business empire alongside his fighting career, aiming to maximize his earnings and secure his future post-retirement.

• [09:55] Ilia Topuria: "It's not only fight-wise, it's also business-wise. I'm developing my skills and abilities."

Vision for the Future

He envisions himself as one of the highest-paid athletes, seeking high-profile fights that draw significant attention and financial rewards.

• [10:05] Ilia Topuria: "If someone can do it, I want to do it too. I want to be the first one to do it."

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8. Handling Adversity and Setbacks

Resilience in the Ring

Topuria recounts experiences where he overcame tough opponents and unexpected challenges, such as stepping up on short notice to fight Jai Herbert.

• [67:20] Ilia Topuria: "I had to cut 12 kilos in eight days for that fight. It was crazy."

Use of Fear and Faith

He discusses his approach to fear, utilizing it as motivation rather than allowing it to hinder his performance.

• [20:54] Ilia Topuria: "Fear and faith demand you to believe that you never cease."

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9. Social Media and Public Perception

Interactions with Other Athletes

Ilia addresses controversies, such as confrontations with Paddy Pimblett, asserting that professional respect should prevail over personal disputes.

• [38:18] Ilia Topuria: "He said some stupid things about my country. You can't joke with that."

Impact of Online Criticism

He emphasizes the importance of maintaining focus amidst online negativity, prioritizing his goals over detractors.

• [89:50] Ilia Topuria: "Sometimes you try to go to the top with people that don't want to see you at the top."

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10. Closing Remarks and Future Outlook

Patrick Bet-David concludes the episode by expressing admiration for Ilia's dedication and excitement for his future fights, particularly the highly anticipated match against Islam Makhachev.

• [108:52] Patrick Bet-David: "I can't wait to see the fight. And I can't wait to be there when you guys fight."

Ilia reaffirms his commitment to peace while maintaining his competitive spirit, leaving listeners eager for his upcoming endeavors inside and outside the octagon.

• [109:18] Ilia Topuria: "Let's live it. Peace for everyone."

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Notable Quotes

• [01:05] Ilia Topuria: "No, I finished him in the first round."
• [05:22] Ilia Topuria: "My son doesn't live with me. My girl is eight months old, and we're planning everything."
• [20:12] Ilia Topuria: "I always prefer to think about thoughts that make me feel happy, that empower me."
• [56:51] Patrick Bet-David: "He's trained and coached by Khabib who never lost."
• [67:20] Ilia Topuria: "I had to cut 12 kilos in eight days for that fight. It was crazy."
• [108:52] Patrick Bet-David: "I can't wait to see the fight. And I can't wait to be there when you guys fight."

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Conclusion

In this engaging episode of the PBD Podcast, Ilia Topuria provides an insightful look into the mindset of a top-tier UFC fighter. From his strategic ambition to challenge Islam Makhachev to his personal philosophies on training, family, and geopolitical issues, Topuria showcases a blend of confidence, resilience, and thoughtful consideration of the broader world. Listeners gain a comprehensive understanding of what drives Ilia both inside and outside the octagon, setting the stage for his forthcoming battles and future endeavors.

Transcript

[Patrick Bet-David]

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[Ilia Topuria]

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[Patrick Bet-David]

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[Ilia Topuria]

I really know that I have the ability to. To shock the world.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Look, by driving. I think he's ready to go up against you today.

[Ilia Topuria]

Him?

[Patrick Bet-David]

Yeah.

[Ilia Topuria]

No, I finished him in the first round. Me personally, I would ask him, like, what's your favorite submission? I'm gonna submit you with that. I have to do it.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Did you say you want to make more money than Ronaldo?

[Ilia Topuria]

I want to make more money than everyone.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Why is that and how are you going to do it?

[Ilia Topuria]

You win the medals in the training, you just go to collect them in the. In the fight.

[Patrick Bet-David]

That's what Michael would talk about.

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah, but at the end of the day, he was playing basketball. No, I'm fighting.

[Patrick Bet-David]

What do you think about Zelensky, Putin? There's how the world sees it. But then you're in the region, they see your face is saying something, though.

[Ilia Topuria]

Look how fun he looks. Little Pimple.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Little Pimple.

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah, probably Pimple Pimblet.

[Patrick Bet-David]

You're waiting for that phone call, huh?

[Ilia Topuria]

I'm waiting. I'm very excited, to be honest. Sport is sport. We athletes. I respect all of that. But there are lines that you can't cross.

[Patrick Bet-David]

It's that power. Wow. He's still down. He's still out cold. Adam, what's your point? The future looks bright. My handshake is better than anything I ever saw.

[Ilia Topuria]

It's right here.

[Patrick Bet-David]

You are a one of one. My son's right.

[Ilia Topuria]

That they have like, business wise, it's not the best place to Spain. Spain.

[Patrick Bet-David]

But it's your favorite place no matter what.

[Ilia Topuria]

Like the quality of life that we have in Spain, you can find it anywhere in the world. Like for example, in Miami. I love Miami. But we are Recording?

[Patrick Bet-David]

Yes, we're recording.

[Ilia Topuria]

Okay, so the quality, the quality of the food and everything, it's very different.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Not close to Spain.

[Ilia Topuria]

Not close to Spain.

[Patrick Bet-David]

So the food is the best for you in Spain.

[Ilia Topuria]

The fod the product, then the traffic. I spent an hour to come here. I would be in, in Spain. This distance. You, you, you. I will be there like I don't know, in 30 minutes. So how, how much time we spend do you spend here in the traffic? That's quality of life. Like food traffic. I don't know, everything's so expensive. You can, you can make a lot of money.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Are you very detailed? Like, are you a very detailed guy? Like, you know, personality wise in business, you know, when you try to profile somebody, you're recruiting somebody. Like, let me see what personality this person is. Extremely analytical, extremely structured, organized. Like you had a little bit of thing, you had to go clean it up with the shirt, right? Extremely action oriented. Let's go out. What are we gonna do? Let's beat them, let's. Competitive, you know, and in relationship, very good with people, right? You care about the relationship and all that stuff. Are you more analytical, structured, systematized, action oriented, competitive or more relationship with friends and family?

[Ilia Topuria]

More relationship with friends and family. I'm more with, with energy, like my, with feelings. It depends how I feel with the, with the person because I can have a lot of information, for example, about someone, but then I met him in person and the feeling I have with him is completely different, you know. So.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Yeah, very interesting. I asked that because, you know, when you're saying quality of life to, to think quality of life of the conversation we're having, you have to be analytical a little bit to pay attention to the details. To say. It took me one hour to come up, but it would have been 30 minutes where I live, you know, you.

[Ilia Topuria]

Guys, I have two kids. If you, if you are rising a kids, you gotta take them to the school, you gotta take them to different activities. So if I have to spend between every activities an hour in the traffic, that's a lot of time for me. So I, at the end of the day, I, I gotta have to take something from them to optimize that time. So I look at it from time, time wise, very.

[Patrick Bet-David]

And you're very active with your kids. Are you very involved?

[Ilia Topuria]

My kid, my boy, he, he doesn't live with, with me. My girl, she's eight months months old. But we are like planning everything now. Like, where are we gonna lay, where we gonna rise them, how we gonna do It. So I'm planning. I'm 20 years old and.

[Patrick Bet-David]

And you're just getting started.

[Ilia Topuria]

You know when I'm getting started?

[Patrick Bet-David]

You're just getting started. So you're, you're what, you're 16 0. You, you won the 145 after winning against Volk, which wasn't, you know, the fight was fireworks.

[Ilia Topuria]

Did you watch the fight?

[Patrick Bet-David]

Of course, yeah.

[Ilia Topuria]

It's fireworks.

[Patrick Bet-David]

And then afterwards you give up the belt to go to the legendary 155. Right. Where everybody, that's like the weight, everybody knows it's the category to be. I don't even know if, if you look up, Rob, who are the top five biggest fight? 5, 4, 5. It's all the lightweight, right? Yeah, it is all lightweight. Because it's Connor Khabib. I think it's Connor.

[Ilia Topuria]

It's. I think he's retired.

[Patrick Bet-David]

You think he's retired?

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah, I think so. He's not gonna come back.

[Patrick Bet-David]

What do you think happened to him? You think it's the money and the success?

[Ilia Topuria]

I think that he doesn't have the motivation anymore. He, he, he done a great things in the sport, but he doesn't have the motivation. He, he got, I think, a lot of money. He's spending also a lot of money. So. I don't know, I don't know him personally. I don't know him.

[Patrick Bet-David]

You guys have never met?

[Ilia Topuria]

Never.

[Patrick Bet-David]

So there's no relationship?

[Ilia Topuria]

No.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Because he said some stuff about you and you've said some stuff about him.

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah. But nothing good.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Yeah, nothing. Nothing good. So if, if right now you guys were to fight, like right now. Right now, let's just say in two weeks, he gets a call.

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah.

[Patrick Bet-David]

And a fight happens. You're fight ready. You think he's fight ready to go up against you today?

[Ilia Topuria]

Him?

[Patrick Bet-David]

Yeah.

[Ilia Topuria]

No, I don't think so. What, what he did in the last two weeks, party, drinking beers. What I did in the last two, two weeks, I trained twice a day. I don't know. I'm an active fighter. I defend my, my belt. A couple of months ago. When was the last time he fought? He fought. I don't know, three years ago, four years ago. He's not in shape.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Your peak like right now. You, you. Some would even say you're not even at your peak yet.

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Because you're still getting better, right? You're. You're 28. How old are you?

[Ilia Topuria]

20, 28.

[Patrick Bet-David]

28 years old. So some of these guys, they peaked at 32, 33, 31. That's the age right. You're at 28, your peak versus counter. Speak. Who wins that fight at 155?

[Ilia Topuria]

Let's just say my answer is going to be always me. Every day, all day, I'm going to bet that guy no matter when and where. But if you ask him, he's going to tell you probably the same. So you know how it works. This is sport no one's going to give up.

[Patrick Bet-David]

When you were coming up, was he somebody you looked up to? Where you're like, you know, was Connor your guy? Were you a fan of his when you were coming up as a young fighter?

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah, of course. Of course. He inspired a lot of fighters. He changed the sport. He did so many great things for, for the sport. You can say like anything different about, about that. But he, he, he like little by little, he, he changed his, his values. He changed everything. Like right now, what, what does he represent? I always used to say, like drugs, alcohol, but who gives a fuck?

[Patrick Bet-David]

Do you, do you watch closely to make sure you like as you're going through it, are you also watching? And very detailed on the decisions you're making to see how you're living? Because you're watching. Okay, this is what this guy did, right? That's what this guy did wrong. Are you studying everybody to see what for yourself, to be protected up?

[Ilia Topuria]

Of course. Of course. I always try to develop my skills. I always try to have more abilities because at the end of the day, you, skills make you rich, right? Not the money. Because if you don't have the skills, you don't have the right mentality. You are poor. So I all the time try to develop my skills and my abilities.

[Patrick Bet-David]

And when, when going with someone like you, because I think you said one time you said you want to make. Did you say you want to make more money than Ronaldo? I think you said you want to make more money than Ronaldo.

[Ilia Topuria]

I want to make more money than everyone.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Why is that and how are you going to do it?

[Ilia Topuria]

Okay, let's switch that a little bit. It's not, it's not like I want to be better than someone. It's like if someone could do it, I want to do it also.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Got it.

[Ilia Topuria]

And if no one did it, I want to be the first one to do it. So this is the mental. It's not to look up to some, to look down to someone, right? It's not because of that. It's. I want to experience that, that also how it feels to be the, the number one guy. Well, why not, right?

[Patrick Bet-David]

You're saying pay wise.

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Do you have a strategy on how you want to do it? Have you thought about it? Have you thought about what method you're going to have? Because I looked at the pay on what you've got. Earlier we were talking to the guys and when I look at this, your first fight, I don't know if it's your first fight, but one of your first fights that you made 38,500, October 10, 2020, then you made 50K, then 75, then 90, then you made 154 with Bryce Mitchell, one of your good friends. And then. And then you made 200,000 with Josh Emmett. Then you made 532 fighter of the year 2024 with Volk. And then you made 2.44 million with Holloway. So roughly courier earnings 3.5 million. And you know, this is, this is a very good trajectory if this is a stock. This. There's some real good things around the corner for you. Right? Fight wise.

[Ilia Topuria]

It's not only fight wise, it's. It's also a business wise. That's why I try to develop all the time my. My skills. You know what I'm at. Because at some point I'm gonna retire and I'm gonna make a living from.

[Patrick Bet-David]

From something else.

[Ilia Topuria]

Something else.

[Patrick Bet-David]

How much longer you think you'll be fighting? You're 28 now.

[Ilia Topuria]

Till I enjoy it, to be honest. Before I used to be like, maybe when I. I'm 30 or 32. But now till I enjoy, I will be. Will be active.

[Patrick Bet-David]

How old was Khabib when he retired?

[Ilia Topuria]

I think 32.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Was he 32? 32. Yeah, you're right. 32. September 20th, 1988, when he retired. Interesting. But right now you're enjoying it. You see yourself going for a few more years.

[Ilia Topuria]

Exactly.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Okay.

[Ilia Topuria]

Now I have a new motivation, new division. I have a lot of guys there, so why not?

[Patrick Bet-David]

What's, what's the what's. Because I watched. I had Khabib on. I don't know when it was. I did an interview with Khabib four years ago. Could have been three years ago. Maybe four or five years ago. Probably four years ago. See, pull up the date, Rob, to see when this is. What is the date on this here? August 1st, 21st, 2023. Okay. I thought it was a lot longer than that. So this, that's Rob year and a half ago. Y. Soon to be two years. Okay. I had him on and I watched. There's a clip, Rob, if you have the clip of Khabib being asked about you and he's asking a question about whether you're ready. And I'm sure you've seen this yourself. I'm sure you've seen the comments that he made. I don't know if you've seen it or not. If you haven't, Rob, I want to text it over to you. There's an interview. He's being asked about whether you're ready to fight, you know, whether you've earned the right to fight for the number one spot. Have you seen this clip yet of Khabib talking about you or no?

[Ilia Topuria]

I have watched some of them. I watch with Henry.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Yeah, you've seen this. Okay, play this clip for the audience. If they haven't seen it, go for it. He said, you know what, I want.

[Ilia Topuria]

To go up to 155 pounds, fight.

[Patrick Bet-David]

The number one contender and then if.

[Ilia Topuria]

He wins that, then he fights Islam.

[Patrick Bet-David]

I think that's good, brother.

[Ilia Topuria]

I think he deserves think if you move up and we beat somebody like Dustin Porier or Charles Oliveira, he's next. Why not? Because there is nobody.

[Patrick Bet-David]

So you don't think right now Ilia deserves a shot at 155 pounds without.

[Ilia Topuria]

Fighting in 155 without. No, I don't agree. Because Islam already give chance and people talk bad about like, oh, he fight two time with Volkanovski. But the UFC push this fight and this fight was good in first fight. But why Islam have to give three times chance for 145 champion? Why it's not fair for 155 pounds.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Right, right. But.

[Ilia Topuria]

But if he move up and he beat somebody like Charles.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Al, of course.

[Ilia Topuria]

You know what I think? Yeah, I think he can beat him.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Yeah, I like Charles, but I think so too. No, I think.

[Ilia Topuria]

I think Il can. He's saying that I don't deserve it, but he's saying from a fighter's perspective, but as a promoter, it works a little bit different.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Yes. So now you're thinking Dana. Yeah, got it. So you think Dana would be excited about you fighting Dustin or Charles? I don't think so.

[Ilia Topuria]

I don't think so.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Right.

[Ilia Topuria]

That will be. I'm making a step back. I think.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Yeah, I understand what he's saying, but I tell you who I want to see as a fan. I'm talking purely as a fan.

[Ilia Topuria]

Okay.

[Patrick Bet-David]

If there is the fight with you and Islam, that could be one of the biggest pay per views if that takes place.

[Ilia Topuria]

I think so. Also, look, Henry Sahulo, you watch him in the video, he Moved up. He fought, he fought for the second belt. Conor, he fought for the second belt. George St. Pierre, he fought for the second belt. You have, I can like mention you so many names that fall for that second belt. Why, why not me that had that opportunity to fight for the next weight class world championship for the belt.

[Patrick Bet-David]

So right now with where you're at, are you, are you wanting your next to be that.

[Ilia Topuria]

I'm sure that that's going to happen. I'm fighting for the belt.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Okay, so, so right now you gave the belt back at one point.

[Ilia Topuria]

I gave it because I didn't want it to hold the division.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Right.

[Ilia Topuria]

This is what I did. I could hold it for a year, year and a half, but I didn't because at the end I, I knew it that I wouldn't fight again in 145. But I could have the position where I would say like, listen, I'm holding the belt till you give me the chance to fight for the, for, for the next weight class belt. But I'm like, I'm okay in the belt because they gave me the award. That was all easy.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Who is the ranking right now in 155?

[Ilia Topuria]

The number one is Charles Oliveira and the, the champion is Islam. I don't know who is the, the number two.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Can you look at that rap? I'm curious now because I is Charles is number. Oh, Armand is number two Armor number two. So would you fight an Armand before you go, like let's just say Dana says I want you to fight Armand before you fight Islam. Would you entertain that?

[Ilia Topuria]

He wouldn't, he wouldn't tell me that.

[Patrick Bet-David]

He wouldn't tell you? No, Dana would say Islam.

[Ilia Topuria]

He would say for the belt.

[Patrick Bet-David]

He would say for the belt. Yeah, I think so as well. Because you're undefeated.

[Ilia Topuria]

Of course.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Yeah.

[Ilia Topuria]

There's no way that I have to fight to, to the number one contender. I have to fight directly for the bell.

[Patrick Bet-David]

How soon do you think that would happen?

[Ilia Topuria]

Personally? I don't know. I hope in summer, maybe in September. I don't know. Whenever it happens it's going to be.

[Patrick Bet-David]

How does it normally happen? I'm not in your world. Do you, do you, do you normally make the call and tell Dana or do you kind of do the podcast and kind of find a way that the video makes it to Dana? For does he call you and tell you.

[Ilia Topuria]

Never works like that. They call you, they, they tell you like, I need you in this day, in this place.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Do you have a warning or no, they just kind of call you and tell you I got to fight for you.

[Ilia Topuria]

I got to fight for you.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Okay.

[Ilia Topuria]

This is how it works. Of course they, they like have a conversation with you because they want you to feel also comfortable with the day, with the plays with, with the opponent, with, with everything.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Got it?

[Ilia Topuria]

They, they figure out with you and you go after that. But at least what, what they do always with the champions is that they give you at least 12 weeks of preparation.

[Patrick Bet-David]

You know, if you're a champion, they give you that 12 week respect.

[Ilia Topuria]

Yep. Yeah. Because you need a training camp. You need to figure out you. How you're gonna do it, how you're gonna organize you everything. I don't know, you gotta move your whole team.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Let me, let me ask this question for someone like you, you give me the idea. You're very meticulous, you're very detailed. Are you, is your current training a regular training or is your current training, specific training targeted for your next fight? Being Islam? Like psychologically in your mind, are you, you're already there.

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah. I have two names in my mind right now. And, and we focus all trainings in two names. It's Charles. Charles and Islam.

[Patrick Bet-David]

In case if he says you're fighting Charles.

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah. In case that he's, he says that I'm, I gotta fight Charles. I'm ready for that because I'm, I'm doing a lot of like we watching his fights, seeing his weaknesses, where he's doing like I don't know where he's dangerous, all that. We study him. The same thing with Islam. He saw Paul, he moves a little bit different. He tends to go for the takedowns. So we are preparing. I'm so excited. That's why me if someone asked me like I would love to fight with, with Islam, that will be a great one. Because I really know that I have the, the ability to, to shock the world because I know that for me it's going to be like, I know that I, I'm gonna beat him, but for the world it's gonna be like just what happened? The same thing that happened with with Walk. The same thing that happened with Max Holloway. No one never knocked him out. No one did it. And it was like a surprise for, for everyone but me personally. I always knew it. You always, before I walk in the octagon, I was like 10, thanks God to give me the opportunity to be the first one to knock him out.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Where does the confidence come from?

[Ilia Topuria]

From hard work and dedication from and from God. I think so. And I'm gonna sound A little bit repetitive, but I always prefer to think about. To have the kind of thoughts that make me feel happy, that empowers me because I feel fear. Fear. Of course I do. But both of them, fear and faith demand you to believe that you never solve. I always prefer to believe in something that makes me feel happy.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Fear.

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah, fear.

[Patrick Bet-David]

So you feel fear while you're going into the rink or at that point you're not.

[Ilia Topuria]

When you are in backstage, you feel.

[Patrick Bet-David]

That you feel fear backstage?

[Ilia Topuria]

Of course.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Adrenaline, right?

[Ilia Topuria]

Of course you do. Everyone does it.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Everyone. How do you deal with it? How do you deal with it?

[Ilia Topuria]

I. I use it like from a positive way. I use it from, like, I don't know, the first thing that happens where you are in backstage. You. You might. Your mind used to take you to. To the octagon. And in reality, you are in the backstage. And I'm like, listen, right now I'm with. With my people, wrapping my hands warm up. I don't know whatever I'm doing, but I'm not fighting with. With anyone. So don't worry about anything. Just save that energy because you are going to need that, that concentration, that focus inside the octagon. So if you are able to, don't let your mind to travel to the future. You are ahead of. Of your opponents.

[Patrick Bet-David]

When you're backstage and your anxiety goes, is there anybody you want around you that brings you down?

[Ilia Topuria]

No.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Or is it like your brother calms you down? Is it a coach that calms you down? You just want to be left alone to yourself to have the conversations in your mind. Yourself, myself, Nobody else?

[Ilia Topuria]

Nobody else. I just go. I watch myself in the mirror and I'm like, this is the person you.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Have to beat the person in the mirror?

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah.

[Patrick Bet-David]

This person?

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah, this is the person.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Are you listening to any music or. No.

[Ilia Topuria]

I don't like, whatever. Like, oh, I play the music. Someone from my team plays the music. I don't have any. I don't know how to say it in English. Ritual superstitiones.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Oh, superstitiones. Got it. You're not superstitious.

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah.

[Patrick Bet-David]

You're not at all.

[Ilia Topuria]

Not at all.

[Patrick Bet-David]

So you will step on a line. You won't step over a line. You're not. If you touch something, you won't have to touch it three times.

[Ilia Topuria]

Exactly.

[Patrick Bet-David]

You're not like that at all.

[Ilia Topuria]

No, no, no, no.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Really?

[Ilia Topuria]

No. Not at all.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Why not? It's interesting.

[Ilia Topuria]

Because I don't like to. To depend on anything. I'm like, you wake me up at 4 o'clock, you tell me that I got a fight with someone. I do it. I don't care. So that's why it's like, I don't need my shorts. If I don't have my shorts, I have a bad luck. Or if I'm not wearing this or he's not able to come to watch my fight or whatever. Not.

[Patrick Bet-David]

You're that ice cold. Nothing mentally. You're that ice cold. They call that ice cold. That's great.

[Ilia Topuria]

I don't know.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Nothing gets through.

[Ilia Topuria]

Nothing. I can walk. Like, I can go alone. Like, just imagine that my coaches can come with me, but my brother can come with me. No one. And I have to go alone. No problem.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Can anybody get under your skin? Does anybody get under your skin? You know what that means? Like, you know what I'm saying? Like somebody that knows to say something that triggers. They see your face is saying something, though.

[Ilia Topuria]

I think the only person is my wife. Probably. She's the only person. No one else, I think.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Seriously.

[Ilia Topuria]

I think so.

[Patrick Bet-David]

That's very good.

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah.

[Patrick Bet-David]

You know, because you know that that is. That is a. A big strength of. A lot of great ones were like that. Some of it wanted it. Some people wanted, like Michael Jordan's. Was he. He wanted you to say something to him.

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah.

[Patrick Bet-David]

And then he would convince himself that you said something about him really bad and then he wanted to kill you. That's what Michael would talk about, you know.

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah. But at the end, end of the day he was playing basketball.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Right.

[Ilia Topuria]

And I have enough of that energy that I want to. I want to go in and take his head off, you know, I'm fighting.

[Patrick Bet-David]

What are you telling yourself when you're looking at your opponent? Are you telling anything yourself about the opponent right before the fight or. No.

[Ilia Topuria]

Before the fight. No, I'm just telling to myself that I need myself called to be calculated. This is how I need myself. Emotions underground. I don't need my emotions at that moment.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Who taught you this? Who shared this with you? Is it a mentor, a coach, somebody? That book or brother or family or. No, it's just you.

[Ilia Topuria]

Maybe I read it somewhere because I used to read a lot of books, but it was like I always had that kind of mentality. And also I proved it, that it was working for me in the fights. So all the time I go in, I'm like, my emotions are under zero underground control. Very calm.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Yeah. Because, you know, when you. When you think about rituals, right? Like you're saying superstitious. I remember back in the days. Diego Sanchez, I don't know if you remember. He's one of my favorite guys to watch. Yes, yes, yes. And he was just fire, young, exciting. Ali used to predict rounds. I'm going to beat you in this round, right? Tyson used to look at the person in the eyes until the person looked away, like he wanted to kind of do that. Tyson Fury would sing after the fight, and he would like to sing for the fighters. Manny Pacquiao would take ice showers, ice cold showers, and pray before the fight. There was another guy, Lioto or something, Lyoto Machado, where he would drink urine before a fight. I don't know if you've heard this or this or not. Very weird stuff that you think about before fights. You don't have no rituals like that.

[Ilia Topuria]

No ritual. I used to pray, of course. I used to pray and I used to. Yeah, I used to pray. This what I do all the time. I wake up in the morning, I pray and I feel thankful about everything that's happening to me for the opportunity. And I thank the gods before I'm getting the victory. I'm thinking to him, like, thank you for the victory.

[Patrick Bet-David]

As a kid, did you watch something a lot like, are you. You know, do you link your mindset to, like, a Rocky? Did you watch Gladiator? Were you a movie person? Did you watch somebody as a fighter coming up? Did you aspire to be somebody? Did you look up to someone?

[Ilia Topuria]

What was it for you as a kid? My coach in Greg Rommel wrestling, he used to say it like this. Like you. You were. You win the medals in the training. You just go to collect them in the. In the fight. So this, like, my mentality? I think so. I work so hard. I know everything that I did, that I did everything that I could, and there's no way that I'm not going to walk out from that octagon with the victory. This how I feel, really.

[Patrick Bet-David]

What's the one fight where you got a call for a fight, I think it was two weeks out, where you got kicked on the side. Who. Who was that? The. The.

[Ilia Topuria]

Jai Herbert.

[Patrick Bet-David]

That's right. Jai Herbert. And I think even Rogan talks about this, where he explains where you got kicked and, you know, and then everybody's like, oh, my God, this thing's done with. And then boom, boom, boom, it's over with. Yeah, right. Your opponents, who you've gone up against, who have you fought, where you sat there and when they hit you, obviously, let's just say he's one of them who Hits you where you felt the pain or you saw their technical skills to say, this guy's legit, this guy's very capable. Your opponents, people you've gone against.

[Ilia Topuria]

The last two opponents I had, Walk and Max Holloway, they both were very skillful.

[Patrick Bet-David]

What was different about Max versus Volk?

[Ilia Topuria]

What was the difference between Max and Wall? Good question. I never thought about that. What was the difference? I don't know. What was the difference? I felt both of them like the same way. Fast, very calculated, like they are smart people. Inside the Octagon, they have that fight iq, you know what I mean? Normally I used to go inside the octagon and I'm. I feel that I'm the smartest guy. But with them, I felt that they were smart also because you can be very powerful, very fast. But if you don't have that mentality, if you don't have that fight iq.

[Patrick Bet-David]

What does that mean? What does fight IQ mean? What does being smart in the room.

[Ilia Topuria]

To use the technique at the right time? You know, may you. You have a lot of information. One, one thing is what you know, and the other thing is what you do with what you know. You know what I mean? To use it at the right time. So that, that's for me, the fact that you, when you need something and you use it at the right time. For example, I don't know if I feel that I can beat someone with only jabs, I go and I, I don't switch the strategy in, in the whole fight. I do jobs, jobs, jobs. I don't know how to explain to you. It's. It's a little bit difficult to, to explain from, from a fighter's perspective. Yeah. But basically it's to choose the right technique at the right time. And they way were doing that. They know how to. I don't know how to say how to say that.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Humberto, can you text that to me?

[Ilia Topuria]

Take away the patience from you, you know, because you go in, you're very. Patience, you wear patience. But there are some kind of fighters that have the ability to, to take you from, from your place, you know, and to make you play day game.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Who did you fight that would talk to you and try to play mind games? Did anybody talk to you in the ring?

[Ilia Topuria]

No, no one talked to me in the ring. Usually they don't have time to talk to me because I put so much pressure on them that they don't have the time. They don't have even time to, to breed, probably.

[Patrick Bet-David]

What was it like fighting Bryce Mitchell? I was Never really a runner the way I see running is a gift. Especially when you have stage four cancer. I'm Ann. I'm running the Boston Marathon presented by bank of America. I run for Dana Farber Cancer Institute to give people like me a chance to thrive in life even with cancer. Join bank of America and helping Anne's cause. Give if you can@b of a.com support what would you like the power to do? References to charitable organizations is not endorsement by bank of America Corporation. Copyright 2025 Spring Fest and EGO Days are here at Lowe's right now. Get a free select EGO 56 volt battery with purchase of a select trimmer, blower or mower kit. Plus shop today for new and exclusive items you need for your lawn. So get ready for spring with the latest in innovation from ego, the number one rated brand in cordless outdoor power. Only at Lowe's we help you save. Offer valid through 4 2. Selection varies by location while supplies last.

[Ilia Topuria]

Ah, to be honest, he surprised me because he was the first person to take me down and he had that like, proper technique for. For takedowns. But then, I don't know, I just felt that I break him, like mentally, physically, everywhere. He. He was known as a great grappler. I submit him, like, what you want me to do with you? He's like, I don't know. Crazy guy. The earth is flat and what. Okay, just suppose that the earth is flat and what we do with that information, bro, the you talking about?

[Patrick Bet-David]

So for the record, you don't think they're this flat?

[Ilia Topuria]

To be honest, I think that it's not flat because this is what they teach me since I was a kid. But even if it's flat, what. What it changed to me, what I do with that information. Okay. Someone comes to me, the. The earth is flat. Okay, you convinced me. And what. What happens now?

[Patrick Bet-David]

What. What are you interested in? What other things are you interested in outside of fighting?

[Ilia Topuria]

I wanna. I wanna serve the most amount of people that I can. I wanna. Yeah, serve, Inspire, motivate people.

[Patrick Bet-David]

You know, again, I. I ask that because right after you say what is it to me to know about whether the earth is flat or not? What am I gonna. It's. It's the way I hear it is. I don't need additional information in my brain. I just need to focus on the stuff that I need to study that's going to get my life to the next level. Everything else.

[Ilia Topuria]

Exactly.

[Patrick Bet-David]

I don't need any distractions. Is that kind of how you see it?

[Ilia Topuria]

100. This is how I say it. Like, what I do with what with that information. Like, sometimes, sometimes people want to convince you about something. It's like, okay, you write and what. What happens now, What I do with that? My life change. I get better, I make more money. I don't know what happens. Nothing. So what?

[Patrick Bet-David]

It's true, though. It's true to stay locked in, and it's not easy to stay locked in. Athletes. Are there any athletes that you now have a relationship with that they're high level athletes, competitors from different sports, Soccer, football? Do any one of them. Did any one of them call you? And if. Yes, when did that happen? What was the first fight where people said, this guy's special?

[Ilia Topuria]

I think that since the moment that I fought, I don't know, I. When I made two fights in the ufc, probably, yeah, after that, I. I started. After two fights, after two fights in the ufc, I started feeling that people was reaching me out, like calling me, texting me, wanted to meet me. Yeah. After two fights. Of course, once you become a world champion, it's different. You defend your butt. It's different.

[Patrick Bet-David]

You were the fighter of the year last year, 2024.

[Ilia Topuria]

I think that it was Pereira. They gave it to Pereira.

[Patrick Bet-David]

They gave it to Pereira?

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Why do I see 2024 says fighter of the year? You.

[Ilia Topuria]

Because many people gave it to me, but they gave it to Alex Pereira also.

[Patrick Bet-David]

One or tie? Who's. Oh, they gave it to both of you. Oh, they give it to both of you? Yeah, I got it. Okay. And there's a picture of the two of you guys together.

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah.

[Patrick Bet-David]

So you guys, you guys are friends? You guys have a relationship?

[Ilia Topuria]

Not friends. I met him in Australia. We meet each other for first time there in Sydney. I went there to watch my. My brother fight. Yeah.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Do you watch the sport yourself? Like, are you also interested in watching the sport and how other people do or like this weekend, Miami is fight. You know, there's going to be UFC fight here. Are you somebody that's interested in how other people will perform?

[Ilia Topuria]

A. Not always, but in this event specifically, may I watch it? But normally I watch a lot of fights because I have a promotion in Spain and now I started to. To watch a lot of fights because I. I want to discover new talents.

[Patrick Bet-David]

And so business, you're thinking from the business side. Yeah, got it. Okay, so this card that's coming up, which fight are you excited about this, this weekend's card?

[Ilia Topuria]

I'm excited. I'm excited about. We have in the fight car Walk against Diego Lopez. We have Paddy Pimblett against Mike Chandler. Jai Rodriguez is like either if he's fighting or not. No one gives a Bryce Mitchell. The same thing with John Silva. I don't know what to say. He's up upcoming fighter and that fight, I don't know. Danny get the same thing.

[Patrick Bet-David]

So which. Which one of them go. Go back up top, Rob. So the pally one, Patty Chandler should be exciting.

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah. He needs to win.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Who? Chandler?

[Ilia Topuria]

No, no, no, Paddy, He's. He's fighting with. With a veteran. You know, he needs to win. And hopefully he. He went. He wins because May. Who knows, May, in the future, we. We face each other, it could be a great fight.

[Patrick Bet-David]

You and Pat.

[Ilia Topuria]

I'm looking forward for. For that fight.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Did some. Was it something happened with you and Patty or. Yeah, something happened with you guys? Right. What was that all about? I saw the video.

[Ilia Topuria]

He said some stupid. About Georgia, about. About my country said something like, now I understand why Russia is throwing bombs to Georgia. And like, bro, you never live in a situation where you. Your country had a war. I lived there in 2008. Don't joke with that.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Got it. So that's what the context was about.

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah.

[Patrick Bet-David]

And what prompted him to say something like that?

[Ilia Topuria]

I don't know. To be honest. I don't know.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Wow. You know, he said that to your face or he said that on.

[Ilia Topuria]

No, he said that on Twitter.

[Patrick Bet-David]

I was like, got it. And then you went and you guys were at the same event and you ran into each other.

[Ilia Topuria]

Exactly.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Oh, I got.

[Ilia Topuria]

I saw him and I went to after him, like, boom.

[Patrick Bet-David]

And it wasn't promotional. It was. It was. It was very real raw. Because it's not like it's a fight you guys are promoting together.

[Ilia Topuria]

How can you say this kind of stupid? You know what I mean? You can joke. Sport is sport. We athletes. I respect all of that. But there are lines that you can't cross. You know, the people's lives are involved in this joke. You can't do that.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Where is this at? Where is this location?

[Ilia Topuria]

London.

[Patrick Bet-David]

This is in London. How long ago? Oh, this was a while back. This is three years ago.

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah, three years ago.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Got it.

[Ilia Topuria]

So hopefully, hopefully, he puts himself in the spot where we can share the octagon one day, and he's going to realize.

[Patrick Bet-David]

So you want to fight him?

[Ilia Topuria]

I want to fight him. Of course I want it. Of course. While I'm active. Fire if he. We right now, we are in the same way division. Yeah, look how fat he looks.

[Patrick Bet-David]

But he does that quite often, right? He puts on the weight and he trims down. He puts on the weight and he trims down.

[Ilia Topuria]

Pimple.

[Patrick Bet-David]

That's part of his little pimple. Little pimple.

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah. Party pimple. Pimblet. Yeah. He gets so fudge. I don't know. Anti athletic. And to be honest, I don't know what to tell you. If he's a good fighter, he's not a good fighter. Some sometimes he. His fight sucks. Sometimes he does something that looks good. Some, I don't know. He's a very average, average level of fighter, let's say like that.

[Patrick Bet-David]

So. So you think the fight. Oh, wow. I. Is that AI or is that real, right?

[Ilia Topuria]

No, no, that's real. He gets fuds.

[Patrick Bet-David]

There's no way that's a. I do. I don't. I don't click on the picture, Rob. I mean, I knew he put on weight, but that's a lot of weight right there.

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Oh, wow. That looks like a real photo. That's. That's not his brother or like a relative or. That's him. No, no, no, I'm not being funny. Can you see if that's actually him, Rob?

[Ilia Topuria]

Ugly as.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Wow, that is. That's unbelievable. Yeah, I mean, you know, there was a bodybuilder, his name is Kevin lebron Levroni. One of the greatest physiques in bodybuilding ever, to me, I think is a top five physique of all time. He used to just completely get skinny. This is his physique, by the way. One of the greatest bodybuilders of all time, back in the days, in the 90s. He plays second place multiple times. He should have won a couple of them. Never ended up winning one.

[Ilia Topuria]

He gets big also.

[Patrick Bet-David]

He gets super big, then it gets super small, and then look what would happen. And then he gets super big and it would get super small. But a different kind of a. This is the opposite of what Patty's doing. Very different story with what Patty's doing, but it was a massive body transformation.

[Ilia Topuria]

It is, yeah.

[Patrick Bet-David]

So other weight classes, when it comes down to fighters, who do you like to watch? Is there anyone you like to watch? Like, did you like to watch, you know, Jon Jones? Are you. Who were. Who were some of the guys you personally like to watch fight.

[Ilia Topuria]

Let'S say, like, that I would pay a pay per view for to watch someone fight right now. I don't know who it. It will be. Merab. I love him. Watch what? What watch. I love watching him fight. His last fight. Unbelievable. Unbelievable. You gotta watch that fight. Did you watch it?

[Patrick Bet-David]

Who was it with?

[Ilia Topuria]

With. With the cousin of. Of Khabib.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Abdul Rob. Can you pull up the fight? I watch his fights. So whoever he fought, I probably.

[Ilia Topuria]

Omar Normado. That fight was amazing. I watched that fight I don't know how many times. I love.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Really?

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Can you see who he fought last? I'm curious now.

[Ilia Topuria]

No, he fought Umar Numa Ramelo. Yeah. And he's fighting now again, the rematch against Sean O'Malley.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Yeah, of course. I watch this.

[Ilia Topuria]

That was a great fight.

[Patrick Bet-David]

That was a great fight. Yeah. Yeah. You. You wonder. So for you, you say you, you're selective on who you would pay to watch fight. Pay per view.

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah.

[Patrick Bet-David]

So your style coming up, what, what makes you as a fighter different than your peers? You started training very early, if I'm not mistaken. I think you started training at 5 years old wrestling Greco.

[Ilia Topuria]

I start with. You got it. Then we move from Germany to Georgia. We start with, with the Greco Roman wrestling. Then with. When I was 15 years old, we moved to Spain and finally we. We start with. With MMA, with the mix of martial arts.

[Patrick Bet-David]

At 15 years old, you're living where. You're living in Georgia.

[Ilia Topuria]

At 15, I was living in Georgia and we moved to Spain.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Okay, so what was the culture of where you were living? Was it a fight culture? Was there a lot of people that fought or. No, you were part of a very small.

[Ilia Topuria]

No one.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Oh, really?

[Ilia Topuria]

No one. If you would say to someone 10 years ago in Spain that you were doing MMA, they would look at you and like kids, take a book, read something, live that crazy, crazy thing.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Don't go that route.

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah. So.

[Patrick Bet-David]

So. So who did you train with in Spain at 15, 16 years old?

[Ilia Topuria]

I find actually my mom find completely by chance a gym where we start training, me and my brother, because we wanted to keep with it with the, with the Greco man wrestling, but they didn't have the culture of that sport. So by chance we find this gym and we. We meet the sport. I didn't even know what Jiu Jitsu was, what MMA was. I didn't know anything about the. That. That word. So we discovered and I fell in love since the first second.

[Patrick Bet-David]

What's the age difference between you and your brother?

[Ilia Topuria]

One year. He's older.

[Patrick Bet-David]

He's older?

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Would he bully you as a kid?

[Ilia Topuria]

If he was a bully?

[Patrick Bet-David]

Did he bully you as a kid? Did it push you around?

[Ilia Topuria]

No, no, no. Never.

[Patrick Bet-David]

You guys were close?

[Ilia Topuria]

Close, close. We fought a lot with each other like every brother. But he never bullied me.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Okay, but you guys would fight a lot. So up until what age? Because if you guys are training together, there's advantage. If both brothers are like, you know, there's a. Can you pull up his brother's picture, if you don't mind, Rob? There's. There's advantage. There's this guy named Lavar Ball. Lavar Ball. Is that the father's name, Rob? Is it Lavar Ball? I believe so, yes. Lavar. Lavar and his three sons, they all play basketball.

[Ilia Topuria]

Okay.

[Patrick Bet-David]

All three of them. And you have the oldest makes it in the NBA. I think you have the second one almost made it. And the third one, I think youngest one is Lonzo Alonzo is probably the best one out of the three. The youngest one.

[Ilia Topuria]

Okay.

[Patrick Bet-David]

And. But they were all basketball players.

[Ilia Topuria]

Don't say that. Don't compare. Never ever brothers between each other's. They hate it.

[Patrick Bet-David]

They hate it. But you know why I asked this question? I don't ask it. From the standpoint, the older brother typically helps the younger brother become better at whatever they do. They play a role of a mentor.

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah.

[Patrick Bet-David]

What's. What's the dynamics of you and your brother? What's your relationship like?

[Ilia Topuria]

Same.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Okay.

[Ilia Topuria]

At. At some point he became my, my, my like head coach. He was in charge of all my trainings. Yeah, he was like kind of my mentor at some point. Yeah, he helped me a lot. And of course it's a huge advantage to have a brother doing the same thing with you. We were going in the morning, the first people to go in the gym and the last ones to live it.

[Patrick Bet-David]

At what point did the two of you guys build a reputation? Like, listen, don't mess with the Toporia brothers. At what age was their reputation?

[Ilia Topuria]

They gonna hate it. I think like since the first day. I don't know. Since the, the first year. Since the moment where whenever we. We were going, the people were meeting us. It's not like don't miss with them because they are, I don't know, they gonna you up.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Yeah.

[Ilia Topuria]

Not because of that. We got people we have great relationship with, with the people. It's not because we are aggressive. You know what I mean? I know how to trade people and I trade people how I. I like to be treat. Treated.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Did. Did any kids at a young age try you guys that maybe didn't know that they tested you and then they had to learn that you guys know how to fight or. Not a lot.

[Ilia Topuria]

It happens only, only once, like a random fight in the street. But I Don't remember a lot of them. It's funny you say in Georgie. I was fighting every day in the streets. Yeah. In the school. In the school, I was like, people were picking.

[Patrick Bet-David]

You were starting the fights or they were starting to fight?

[Ilia Topuria]

To be honest, I always had problems with people that were bully with the week. You know, I hated that since I was a kid. So I always had problems with people that was bully wear bully with others.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Who's the biggest guy you ever took down?

[Ilia Topuria]

The biggest guy.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Like the biggest guy that tested you at a bar, at a, you know.

[Ilia Topuria]

In trainings. It happens to me many, many, many times. Like when I was 15 years old, a lot of big guys, like security guys that were, that they were working in, like, securities, they were coming to the gym, and when the time was coming for sparring, my coach was like, okay, go with Ilya. They were looking to me like, no, but he's too smart. Go with him. And I'm like, now you're going to find out. And after that, I was, I was going to that nightclub. They were like, coming.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Respect.

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah, respect.

[Patrick Bet-David]

How old were you when you were going to the nightclub?

[Ilia Topuria]

I'm not going to repeat that.

[Patrick Bet-David]

You just wait.

[Ilia Topuria]

I'm not going to to repeat that.

[Patrick Bet-David]

That is funny. So you, you and your brother were, you know, super tight till today. Very close.

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah, very close.

[Patrick Bet-David]

And when you have the big fights, is he always in the corner with you? Always, always, always, always.

[Ilia Topuria]

He's the main man.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Got it?

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Nowadays, more than ever, the brand you wear reflects and represent who you are. So for us, if you wear a Future Looks Bright hat or a valuetainment gear, you're telling the world. I'm optimistic. I'm excited about what's going to be happening. But you're a free thinker. You question things, you like, debate. And by the way, last year, 120,000 people got a piece of Future Looks Bright geared with valuetainment. We have so many new things. The cufflinks are here. New Future Looks Bright. This is my favorite, the green one. Just yesterday, somebody placed an order for a hundred of these. If you watch the PBD podcast, you got a bunch to choose from. White ones, black ones. If you, if you smoke cigars and you come to our cigar lounge, we have this high quality lighter cutter and a holder for the cigars. We got sweaters with the valuetainment logo on it. We got mugs. We got a bunch of different things. But if you believe the Future Looks Bright, if you follow our content and what we represent with valuetainment with PVD podcast. Go to vtmerch.com and by the way, if you order right now, there's going to be a special VT gift insight just for you. So again, go to vtmerch.com place your order. Tell the world that you believe the future looks bright. Have you guys spent any time with Nate and Nick Diaz or. No.

[Ilia Topuria]

Never.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Never.

[Ilia Topuria]

No.

[Patrick Bet-David]

What do you think about those guys?

[Ilia Topuria]

I like them. The car, the character they represent in the sport. I always like it.

[Patrick Bet-David]

They were so much fun to watch.

[Ilia Topuria]

So much fun to watch. They always provide a show for the.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Fans in the most unique way. But they would do it.

[Ilia Topuria]

You can't copy that.

[Patrick Bet-David]

No, you can't.

[Ilia Topuria]

They are special.

[Patrick Bet-David]

They are very special. Who were your favorite fighters coming up? Like, favorite. I know we talk about Connor, we talk Diaz, but who were some of your favorite fights? You and your brother, you're like, oh, this guy's good. I like watching this guy.

[Ilia Topuria]

We like from MMA or anything. Anything we liked a lot. Canelo. Canelo was. And it's one of my favorite athletes. Yeah, I learned so much from him.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Why Canelo? Technical skills.

[Ilia Topuria]

Technical skills. I learned. Like, we were watching his videos, his training footage, like, everything, and we were trying to copy that, to repeat that. He inspired us a lot.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Have you ever met him or. No.

[Ilia Topuria]

No, never.

[Patrick Bet-David]

So you guys have never trained?

[Ilia Topuria]

Never. Hopefully one day I met him in person.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Wow. Elia, let me ask you, like, in. In the specific boxing side, right? Like, when they ask him, they're like, hey, Jake, Paul, you know, fighting against Canelo, to Canelo, it's like, you know, it's a very different world. Is your technical abilities in boxing?

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah, stand up.

[Patrick Bet-David]

How good do you think you stand technical abilities with somebody that's a professional boxer?

[Ilia Topuria]

Okay, don't say Canelo, because I wouldn't fight him, because he's somebody you look up to.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Yeah, yeah.

[Ilia Topuria]

He inspired me so much at some point, that's. I said, like, I would fight. No, I wouldn't. If I prepare for six months, like, only boxing, I don't do anything about wrestling, about, I don't know, knees, elbows, grappling, whatever. Only boxing, bro. Put me whoever you want in front of me. Whoever, whoever. And I hear a lot of guys talking about, like, boxers. No, Ilia, he. He has a good box. Boxing before mma. But he has nothing to do with me in. In. In. In the boxing ring, I'm like, listen, you don't have anything to do with me. Outside, inside, whatever you want. Like what you want to do even. Even if you want to play a chess match. I beat you.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Why do you think that? Why do you believe that?

[Ilia Topuria]

Because I know how good I am in boxing. I train every day. Boxing every day. That's part of my life. I spar with, with pro, pro boxers, I learn boxing. I, I like, I don't know, I consider myself that I can box with, with anyone. Just give me six months only boxing preparation. I'm not even telling you like three because I needed to switch so many things that I do it because of mma. Like the stands. The moment is a little bit different for the boxing of MMA than for boxing. Boxing, for pure boxing.

[Patrick Bet-David]

And by the way, for the long. I mean, Max Holloway's was known, you know, as a guy that he would say he had the best stand up. No, no, no.

[Ilia Topuria]

He would say he was saying that, but that what, that wasn't the truth.

[Patrick Bet-David]

So you don't even think he's the best stand up?

[Ilia Topuria]

No, no, no.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Compared to you or compared to anybody else.

[Ilia Topuria]

Com. It's not like take me out from the equation.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Yeah.

[Ilia Topuria]

Like I don't think that I saw anyone in, in, in MMA that I was like, he has a great boxing. No one. It doesn't matter from Connor, you see, he was one of those. But even Connor, he had a great boxing for mma, very, I don't know, MMA stance. You know, in boxing you can go like that because you are gonna suffer. But he had better, better boxing than a lot of people. He had it. But Max, you know, boxing is about simple movements. You can do so much movements and switch the standards, switch the stands all the time. That's not boxing. And boxing, you have to be like very disciplined all the time and very protected. You have to select all your combinations, you have to move your head and you have to be very good to administrate your energy, you know, because you have 12 rounds and that's a completely different, different movie.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Your matchup with Makhachev, where do you have the advantage and where does he.

[Ilia Topuria]

This is what I told you. You ask me, I feel that I have the advantage in everything. This is what I truly believe. Me personally, I would ask him, like, what's your favorite submission? Whatever. I don't know. Dark joke. I'm gonna submit you with that. Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile. I don't know if you knew this.

[Patrick Bet-David]

But anyone can get the same Premium Wireless for 15amonth plan that I've been enjoying. It's not just for celebrities. So do like I did and have.

[Ilia Topuria]

One of your assistant's assistants switch you.

[Patrick Bet-David]

To Mint Mobile today. I'm told it's super easy to [e-mail] Switch upfront payment of $45 for 3 month plan equivalent to $15 per month Required intro rate first 3 months only Plan options available. Taxes and fees extra. See full [e-mail] at Capella University you can learn at your own pace with our flexpath learning format. Take one or two courses at a time and complete as many as you can in a 12 week billing session. With Flexpath you can even finish the bachelor's degree you started in 22 months for $20,000. A different future is closer than you think with Capella University. Learn more at Capella. Edu fastest 25% of students. Cost varies by pace. Transfer credits and other factors. Fees apply. So if, if you ask him what his favorite submission is, you would do that to him?

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah.

[Patrick Bet-David]

This is a guy that's trained and coached by Khabib who you know 28. 0 you know stories never lost around in his life.

[Ilia Topuria]

Take him close to Habib. I will submit him closer to Habib.

[Patrick Bet-David]

You'll submit him in front of Kabi?

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah, I take him. Khabib used to take people and he should take. Take them down and talk to Dana. I would do it to Kabib. Like I will take him but and.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Then talk to Khabib.

[Ilia Topuria]

Talk to Khabib. Khabib. I have to do it.

[Patrick Bet-David]

What would you tell him?

[Ilia Topuria]

No, I wouldn't. I wouldn't like all the respect but this is how I feel. I felt that I. I submit him with. With the dars. Like what's. Which one is your favorite? Darts.

[Patrick Bet-David]

I just part. You're not joking.

[Ilia Topuria]

Whatever he tells you this one, I'm not joking. Like I. I truly believe that I. I saw nothing with the doors or whatever. I don't know. Tell me which one's your favorite. Don't tell me a hell hook or some bulls. Posted submissions that I don't know.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Now I'm curious now. Now I'm actually curious to know what would be his. What do you think his favorite would be?

[Ilia Topuria]

I think Darth or guillotine and if.

[Patrick Bet-David]

He says that yeah, I go for that.

[Ilia Topuria]

No problem. It's going to be even more entertained for me. Yeah, the people didn't realize that my background comes from wrestling from the ground game. Actually I grow up in. In with wrestling and with. With BJJ and I developed my skills at when I was 20 years old in boxing game. But my. My best Skills. Yeah. On the ground.

[Patrick Bet-David]

It's so weird that you did this in Georgia and Spain. Who's there? I mean, you understand, like, it's kind of weird to say that, that because some of the guys, you're coming from this camp. Okay. You know Islam. He comes from what camp? We know what camp he's coming from. We've seen the videos, we've seen the training, we've seen how disciplined their camp is.

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah.

[Patrick Bet-David]

And everyone's from a different camp. Who. Who else is a very well known person from the camp that you came up of outside of you and your brother, who is well known. Celia. That's weird.

[Ilia Topuria]

It is, it is. But that's why God's everywhere. He's everywhere.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Yeah, that's.

[Ilia Topuria]

It's weird.

[Patrick Bet-David]

It is weird. That's the part that's very weird with you. Where, you know, where did this come from, do you think? Well, I mean, it's not even that because you have access to everything. Would you guys watch a lot of YouTube and kind of repeated you and your brother and watch what he.

[Ilia Topuria]

That's what I told you. We were the first people to go into the gym. We were taking our phones, watching the videos. I don't know, drills in. In bjj, for example, to take. To take someone's back. And we were drilling that. Wow. The whole day, all the drilling. Single legs, double legs, I don't know. The cage work, boxing, kickboxing, elbows, knees, I don't know, whatever. How can we develop or carvey or, or strange or power or whatever. I was like so obsessed with everything. I was working all day, every day. That was my obsession all the time.

[Patrick Bet-David]

But there's not a professional UFC fighter that's coaching you guys with your career.

[Ilia Topuria]

No.

[Patrick Bet-David]

So what is your.

[Ilia Topuria]

Not even a professional boxer or professional at all. No one.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Elliot. That's weird.

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah, it is.

[Patrick Bet-David]

That. That's very weird. So what is the first interaction, like the way you were found, how were you found? Who found you? Who saw you fight? To say, hey, come on then? Or did you say, I'm coming into the UFC to fight?

[Ilia Topuria]

No. So I had four fights when I started with my professional career in, in Spain and at that point become very difficult to find a fight for me, because in Spain at that point we didn't even had any events, you know, So I was like, listen, I have to do something because no one's gonna come to me and touch my door.

[Patrick Bet-David]

How old are you at this time?

[Ilia Topuria]

18.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Okay, so 10 years ago.

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah, 18.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Okay, so 18, 20, 15.

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Who. Who's on top of the world in 2015? Connor's on top of the world, right?

[Ilia Topuria]

Is UFC is Connor and Joan Jones, Jose Pierre.

[Patrick Bet-David]

All.

[Ilia Topuria]

All. Yeah, those, I think.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Who were the biggest names of UFC in 2015? O'Connor, Holly Holm. Go a little bit lower. Ronda Rousey, Daniel Cormier, John. Okay, yeah, got it.

[Ilia Topuria]

So I'm like, I have to do something. I need a plan.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Demetrius Johnson. Yeah, so you need a plan.

[Ilia Topuria]

So I started to talk to myself. I'm like, what can I do? And that. That point. Gustafsson. Alexander Gustafson was fighting for the belt against Jon Jones, and that guy was training in. In Sweden in All Stars Gym at that time. And that was the. The most recognition, like, gym in Europe. And I'm like, I have to go there, because I'm sure that he's manager. So someone is going to Sweden, in Sweden, in Stockholm. So I'm like, I need to go there because I know that someone is going to see me. And the only thing I need is I need an opportunity. I need. I need a fight. I need to prove my. My skills. Then I had the second problem that I didn't have enough money to. To travel, because you need money to. To go from Spain to. To Sweden and stay there. I know, for two weeks, three weeks, whatever. So I did, I don't know, crazy things with. With. When I was 18 years old, I went to that place. I went to my. My first training. I finished the training. And the guy who was representing everyone at that time, and actually he's the manager of Khamzat also at this time. Kamsachi, my. You know, he came to me and he was like, do you have some. Someone to. That is representing you? And I'm like, no.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Who did he see you train? Who did he see you sparring?

[Ilia Topuria]

That guy.

[Patrick Bet-David]

This guy?

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah, this guy. Saw him in the training with everyone in the mat.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Oh, but there's not a fight that he saw you. He's just watching you on the mat.

[Ilia Topuria]

Exactly. He saw me training with everyone.

[Patrick Bet-David]

You know, purely ground, no boxing, nothing yet.

[Ilia Topuria]

I think we did a little bit of boxing. We. We mix it up. We did something in the ground, we did something with. In the striking. And once I finished the training, he came to me and he asked me like, do you have a manager? I'm like, no. Do you want me to represent you? And I'm like, this is why I came here. And in three weeks, he called me. No, in one week, he called me like, I have a Fight for you. And I started my. My journey there, and the rest is history.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Who was your first fight?

[Ilia Topuria]

I started. I started to fight in Finland. My first international fight.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Who. Who was it with?

[Ilia Topuria]

It was Mika. I don't. I don't remember. He's. He's.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Can you look this up? I'm actually really curious. So. So. So this is.

[Ilia Topuria]

Watch that fight. I finished him in the first round. Then after that one, in three and a half weeks, he called me and he. He gave me the. The. The fight for the Cage Warriors World Championship.

[Patrick Bet-David]

So this is not UFC yet?

[Ilia Topuria]

No, no, no, no, no. This is not ufc. Look. No, the. The.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Mika. There's Mika.

[Ilia Topuria]

I had four fights and I went to Sweden and he gave me that fight. Mika Hamalein. Yeah.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Submission guillotine show.

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah. And the first round.

[Patrick Bet-David]

335.

[Ilia Topuria]

After that fight, he called me in a. Three and a half weeks or four weeks. Look, I fought April 28th, six weeks later. Yeah, something like that. Then I fought June 16th for the cage Warriors WAR Championship. Then I was signed by Brave. I did the two fights, and I get the call from the ufc.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Oh, got it. So your Yosef Salal is your first UFC fight?

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah.

[Patrick Bet-David]

So each one of those fights, back to back to back. It's first round. Go back down a little bit. Rob, right there. Look at first round. Mika. 335. First round,139. Keep going up. First round, 115, Luis Gomez. First round. 342, Steven going calves. And then you're in the UFC.

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah.

[Patrick Bet-David]

And then you win. Third round. Five minutes.

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah. I get the call.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Oh, that's Covid.

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah, that's Covet. I was sick and they called me and they told me, do you want to fight in the UFC in eight days? And I'm like, of course. I had to cut, like 12 kilos.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Kilos.

[Ilia Topuria]

Kilos. Like, I don't know how much is like £25?

[Patrick Bet-David]

Yeah, that's a lot.

[Ilia Topuria]

It's a lot in eight days. That's a lot of. I had to fight at 4pm local time in Abu Dhabi because they were like 26 pounds.

[Patrick Bet-David]

You had to lose at this weight?

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah. In eight days.

[Patrick Bet-David]

How'd you lose 26 in eight days?

[Ilia Topuria]

It's like dehydration.

[Patrick Bet-David]

That's tough. That's a lot on that body. That's a lot. I'm. I'm 245. If I lose, £26 is a lot.

[Ilia Topuria]

But I had to spend a day in the hospital because the UFC is asking you For a lot of medical. Medicals. Then I had to go. I spent a day to get my visa. I don't know, I had in reality five days. So crazy.

[Patrick Bet-David]

So you go to UAE for the fight. Rob, can you go back to the fight list? So you go to UAE, you have that fight.

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah, October 11th.

[Patrick Bet-David]

I remember that. I watched that card.

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah. And then I fought December 5th.

[Patrick Bet-David]

And that's ESPN.

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah.

[Patrick Bet-David]

It's not even the main ones yet.

[Ilia Topuria]

No.

[Patrick Bet-David]

And then go to Ryan Hall, Vegas. Jen. Jai Herbert. That's the one with the kick. That's the one that they gave you two weeks, right, when they called you two week prep.

[Ilia Topuria]

Which one? The Jai Herbert?

[Patrick Bet-David]

Yes.

[Ilia Topuria]

That has a huge story behind that. That I have a huge story behind that fight because I was supposed to fight in January against Mozart Evlov. He pulled out from the fight. Then I, I came back to home and they called me. But in reality I, I was prepared. I was prepared, but it was a different weight. I went up to 155. That fight is not in my weight class. It's in lightweight.

[Patrick Bet-David]

So that's not 145. You want to 155. So that happens if they just call you to say, do you want to take a fight that's not at your weight class? They can make those calls.

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah.

[Patrick Bet-David]

And you get to say yes or no.

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah. Of course. You always have a choice.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Got it.

[Ilia Topuria]

And then after that, I fall with your friend.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Bryce Mitchell. And then Josh.

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah, we wish him the best of the lucky.

[Patrick Bet-David]

You're being sincere?

[Ilia Topuria]

What?

[Patrick Bet-David]

You're being sincere or you're joking?

[Ilia Topuria]

No, no, no, no. I wish him all the best. I hope the best wins.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Yeah. What a story.

[Ilia Topuria]

Everything started from Sweden in reality.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Wow, you went to Sweden? Disguise.

[Ilia Topuria]

This is what I used to say to everyone. If you want. If you want to have something that you never had, you have to do things that you never did. Just move your ass.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Yeah, but. But what is. What is very unique about what you're saying. I told. I talked about a bodybuilding story earlier. I had a guy named Dorian Yates. I don't know if you know who Dorian Yates is in bodybuilding. He's. He won six Mr. Olympias. The guy had the most ridiculous physique. This is Dorian Yates. He won six Mr. Olympias. He's from UK. Okay. And what made him unique is all the other bodybuilders that would compete, they were all in the US and so they would all train at the same gym so they could see what kind of improvement you're making. Because they're all here. Flex Wheeler, Kevin, you know, all the guys. This guy was in London, not even in London, in a city outside of London, like in a regular city. And you would only see him once a year. So everybody's like, well, is he training guard? Is he not training guard? Is he training guard? And then when he would come, he was a scientist, he paid attention to everything, and he would come and dominate, and he won six of them in a row because nobody could see him. Yeah, he was a real, real. A lot of people try to model their bodybuilding after this guy. He does a very. He lives a very different life right now. He. Yoga.

[Ilia Topuria]

I don't follow that sport, but I know who is, who is the, the number one for you in, in bodybuilding ever?

[Patrick Bet-David]

Yeah, it's probably Ronnie Coleman. Arnold, old school, would be a guy named Lee Haney. Phil Heat has an incredible physique. Kevin Levroni, Flex Wheeler. Jay Cutler's got a good, good amount of following. But it's probably this guy, Ronnie Coleman. He is a, He's a. If you go to a different picture.

[Ilia Topuria]

Rob, go to images, and let me ask you, do you really think that they only drink whey proteins to get this big?

[Patrick Bet-David]

You know, it's at a point that they tell you everything they use. Now. Now.

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Oh, yeah.

[Ilia Topuria]

But they don't do drug test.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Like, no, not Mr. Olympia. No, they don't do any drug tests. No, but they, they put so many things in their body. It, It, It's a, It's a very. But by the way, some people say, like, you know, hey, even if you put it in your body, that doesn't mean you're going to win Mr. Olympia.

[Ilia Topuria]

No, no, it's.

[Patrick Bet-David]

It's a lot of detail. It's a lot of stuff that you got to do to be. These guys are a diet. That's diet. By the way. It, it sucks as a life. It's not a good life.

[Ilia Topuria]

Sucks.

[Patrick Bet-David]

It's not a good life at all. Like, it's a very different life.

[Ilia Topuria]

It's not even a healthy life.

[Patrick Bet-David]

It's not a healthy life. Most of them would say, few of them can keep it. Like, some of the guys were able to continue their life and still do. Okay, but it's a different life. So the reason why I'm saying this is for you. Here's a guy and his brother living in Georgia, go to Spain. This is not a UFC market. And then you guys, through YouTube, watching videos, you train independently on your own, and then you come up and then fighter that you're undefeated now, you're at a place lightweight, about to have a big fight, hopefully soon. We'd love to see that fight happen this year.

[Ilia Topuria]

Hopefully. Hopefully.

[Patrick Bet-David]

You're waiting for that phone call, huh?

[Ilia Topuria]

I'm waiting, I'm waiting, I'm waiting. I'm very excited, to be honest, either if it's Charles or Islam, it's going to be a huge one and I know that the fans are going to enjoy a lot.

[Patrick Bet-David]

What do you think is unique about Charles style? Because Charles, you know his history. It's very interesting the way he came at the beginning and then he reputation, he changed his reputation and you would think he was going to be losing it. And he won with Michael Chandler and he had a few very good back to back to back wins that were unbelievable, the way he recreated himself. But what's your opinion on his style of fighting?

[Ilia Topuria]

I like him. Of course, he, he has a great crown game and striking. Nothing special for me. And in the ground, he's dangerous. He. He has the most submissions in the UFC history. I think so.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Him.

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah, I think so. He, he's a dangerous guy in the ground, but I think that he's the, the kind of guy that when he feels that you are more powerful, he gives up. He gives up like fast. I don't think that he's the kind of fire where he finds like some adversity that. How you say.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Adversary.

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah, adversary. That he keeps going, keeps going, keeps going. No, he's like. He gives up 10 losses. 10. It's not 1, 2, 3, 4, but I think it was 7, 8, 9. It's 10.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Go to his Wikipedia rap just to see how it is, because, you know, I've seen this guy's story and yeah, but the 10 losses, a lot of them are go back.

[Ilia Topuria]

Submission by knockout and one by decision.

[Patrick Bet-David]

But you wouldn't want to fight Armand, the one that's first place right now behind.

[Ilia Topuria]

I think that he needs to build himself a little bit more. But if the UFC tells me that you're good with that as well, it's for the belt.

[Patrick Bet-David]

You'll take anything, right? Who I am going to get the chance. Got it. Yeah. It'll be, it'll be interesting to see what happens. The thing with him is he's 28 years old. You guys are similar ages. He's also young.

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Charles is 35, so. 28. 28.

[Ilia Topuria]

This would be. He needs one, two fights.

[Patrick Bet-David]

He needs one or two fights before he fights you. He's Armenian, by the way, you ever fought an Armenian?

[Ilia Topuria]

What?

[Patrick Bet-David]

Have you ever fought an Armenian?

[Ilia Topuria]

No, no. We Georgians have a great relationship with Armenians. Yeah, I have a lot of friends.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Armenians.

[Ilia Topuria]

Armenians.

[Patrick Bet-David]

You look Armenian. Like I, you know. Yeah, yeah. I mean, you look, you're, you're a good looking Armenian is what you are. You're a very good looking guy. But obviously it's from the same region. My mother's side, they're from Baku, Azerbaijan. Yeah. So they, after the whole. Everything.

[Ilia Topuria]

All our own neighbors. Right.

[Patrick Bet-David]

All in the same region. Do you follow any of the politics, like what's going on with Ukraine and Russia? Do you follow any of that stuff or. Not really?

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah, a little bit.

[Patrick Bet-David]

What do you think about it? What do you think about what's going on there? What do you think about Zelinsky, Putin? You know, there's how the world sees it. But then you're in the region, right? You're there. So in America, you know, Putin's a bad guy. Let me tell you this, this, this is that he started the war or Zelensky, all he wants is money. He's bought, he just keeps taking money. What do you think about what's going on there?

[Ilia Topuria]

Even if he wants to take the money and all that? I don't know. I'm against to kill the people always. I'm always gonna vote for the peace, always. So I don't know, I don't, I don't know that deep about who, but something that I know from my history, from my livings are that they, they are the Russians are Putin, let's say, like the politicians that run Russia, because nothing against the people, regular people from Russia. I'm talking about the politicians. They don't give a damn about anyone. Yeah. In Georgia, I was living in 2008, I saw what they were doing to, to my people. So Russians, Russians, Russians, yeah, Russians. I don't know. Dangerous people. Dangerous people.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Interesting.

[Ilia Topuria]

And I think that you can trust at all in Russians. And I repeat, I'm not talking about the regular people. I'm talking about the politicians. It's. It's crazy. I don't know.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Is, is there a worse Khabib and Islam? Where are they from? They're from.

[Ilia Topuria]

That's, that's part of, of. They are Russians, right? They are Russian. And when they start to attack any place in the world, the first people they send to the war is like Russians, Chechnyans, the people they have not. You're, you're not gonna see any Russian. Russian in a war always Gonna see the people they have. Like, call yourself a Russian, but wait for my call because.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Why do you think that is?

[Ilia Topuria]

Because they use them. Of course they use them. They. They give them a position, a place. But at some point I'm gonna, may, I'm gonna ask you to do something for me. That's how it works everywhere in the world. You do something for, from. For someone, you want something back. This is how it works. Yeah, it's crazy. I don't know what, what are your thoughts from here, from the United States? Like, what do you think about what's going on in Ukraine?

[Patrick Bet-David]

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[Ilia Topuria]

I think you can judge a whole country because of, of one person.

[Patrick Bet-David]

I don't disagree. No, I don't disagree. I think you're right.

[Ilia Topuria]

That goes to Iran because we don't like Zelensky. We are not supporting the, the Ukrainians, and we are gonna, gonna say that the Russians are not the lost Camebadin. How you say that in English.

[Patrick Bet-David]

In bad orders?

[Ilia Topuria]

I don't know if I'm even saying correctly.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Invaders.

[Ilia Topuria]

Invaders.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Invaders.

[Ilia Topuria]

They are the invaders. 100% they are invaders, right?

[Patrick Bet-David]

No.

[Ilia Topuria]

And then do you think the, the opposite, that they are not?

[Patrick Bet-David]

I think if in the history is a little bit complicated. When you go back and you read about the fact that US made a promise when Putin went to Clinton is like, hey, I'd like to join NATO. Would you guys want to entertain the idea and say, yeah, let me call you back. Calls him back, five minutes, not right now. Putin wanted to join NATO. Why don't you want him to join NATO? Because if they don't join NATO, you need war so you can make more money. So you need a bad guy. So you want to kind of isolate Putin to the side and you know.

[Ilia Topuria]

Do you really think that if Putin wants to join NATO, he, he couldn't do that.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Yeah, because they said so.

[Ilia Topuria]

Why? He is not a part of not NATO.

[Patrick Bet-David]

You think they would want him to join NATO?

[Ilia Topuria]

They, they don't want it.

[Patrick Bet-David]

You think, you think Putin, you think they would want Putin to join NATO?

[Ilia Topuria]

If they want Putin to join NATO, why not?

[Patrick Bet-David]

You think NATO wants Putin to join NATO at this point?

[Ilia Topuria]

I wish that. No. I wish that. No, because I don't, I don't, I don't want to have, listen the history I have, my family has with Russia. I'm like with, with the people that once runs that country. It's like I don't give a damn about, about them. You know, I'm all against Putin against.

[Patrick Bet-David]

I get that. No, listen, I lived in Iran. We had a war with Saddam Hussein, Iraq and Jimmy Carter in the U.S. i understand, like, I'm. There is emotion here. I grew up with, you know, Christian family in a country where 99 were Muslims. In Iran, I saw what they did to Christians. I have memories of that. I didn't leave at 2 years old or 4 years old. I left at almost 11 years old. So those memories stay. They're in the blood. They don't go away. I have mine as well on experiences. But to me, I think sometimes I sit there and I wonder that they need a bad guy for them to think about it this way, what has been the biggest boxing fight of all time that made the most money?

[Ilia Topuria]

It was Floyd against Pacquiao. Yeah.

[Patrick Bet-David]

What is the biggest. Rob, can you pull out? What is the biggest boxing pay, actual money pay of all time? You know, I think it's Connor against.

[Ilia Topuria]

Okay, what you want to tell me with.

[Patrick Bet-David]

I'm going to tell you the point I'm making to you here. That's number one.

[Ilia Topuria]

Okay, so.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Okay, so number six is that. Go back up. Sorry. Six is De La Hoya against Mayweather. Good fight. Go to the next one. Okay, Floyd Canelo. Go to the next one. Both of those. He made fun of him because he would wear the Cinco de Mayo. Conor McGregor, who's that fight with? Is that with Mayweather? Yes. Okay, what's the next one? And then Pacquiao. Okay, that's one of them. And then Mayweather again with Pacquiao. What's the first one? I'm actually curious now, what's the first one? Who's that with? Is that Connor Mayweather? McConnor. Okay, so do you remember $275 million. A billion dollars in earnings, one fight.

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah.

[Patrick Bet-David]

$1 billion in earnings, one fight. Right.

[Ilia Topuria]

Okay.

[Patrick Bet-David]

The reason why this did so well is because everybody was convinced they hated each other. They needed an enemy.

[Ilia Topuria]

Okay.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Okay. So my opinion, Ilya, there's a lot of money being made when there's wars. Who makes money? Weapons, things, you know, a lot of good weapons being sold. If there's no war, they don't make money. Like just like in ufc, if there's not a black. For example, what's going to get more eyeballs? You against Charles or you against Islam? Yeah, of course. Why? Because it's more personal. Dagestan against Georgia against. Are you kidding me? That could be like. But why? Because it's emotion. It's here. So then people are going to come and see more pay per view. Money is going to be made. Of course, it's a great business model. I totally get it. End of the year, Jon Jones against Aspinall. Right. Everybody wants to see that heavyweight fight to see if it's going to take place or not. John wants money for it because it's probably going to be his last fight. If that happens, that fight's going to be insane.

[Ilia Topuria]

Right.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Okay. If all of a sudden Putin's in NATO and he is now there's peace in the world and no issues, how do you sell stuff? Who made money with Ukraine and Russia? The war. Who makes money when. There's the stuff with Israel, Iran, Hamas. Who makes money when Iran and, you know, Iraq or Afghanistan, who made money? These guys that make weapons. It's a business model. So I think a part of it is, yes, Putin is a loyalist to him KGB background. I know his background, what his loyalty is to. But I'm also not naive to believe that there's people in the back that go like this, hey, Ilya, let me tell you what he said about you. Hey, let me say what he said about you. And they're poking you, right? To upset you. Why? Because it sells more. So they can't have all these guys get along because then those guys don't make money. And these are big contracts. Do you know who's the first company that came in on the contract with Ukraine after all the damages that happened in Ukraine, did you see a company came out and they got a $400 billion contract to fix Ukraine?

[Ilia Topuria]

The. The Rockefellers?

[Patrick Bet-David]

No, no, right here. So you hear the story about BlackRock announces new investment initiative to rebuild Ukraine. Okay, well, why rebuild it? Why rebuild it? So, but you need war to rebuild. Of course, you need damages to rebuild. So I am just as careful with the money people that want to see war as I am with world leaders like Putin, Xi. All the other guys, both of them you have to be careful with.

[Ilia Topuria]

So do you. So you believe that they do it because of the business?

[Patrick Bet-David]

Of course.

[Ilia Topuria]

Okay, not.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Not Putin. Putin is here.

[Ilia Topuria]

I believe that it's. It goes a little bit more far than only sell weapons.

[Patrick Bet-David]

For Putin.

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah, for Putin and for the United States and for everyone that. That has the. The weapons to sell.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Maybe let me explain in a different way to you, Khabib. Against. Counter. To fight. Who fought for money? Who fought for heart?

[Ilia Topuria]

For money, Connor. For heart, Khabib.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Okay, so Putin against the people that sell weapons.

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Who's fighting for his country? Who's fighting for Money. See, that's the difference.

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah, but I, I'm, I'm not very agree with that because I don't think that he is looking only for the, for the weapons. You know what I, what I mean, how many, how many people dies in the, in the war? Like I don't know, 2, 200, 000? How much weapons they need? I don't know. How much money is that in total? No, but how much money did they spend in the weapons, in the, in, in the war with, with Ukraine?

[Patrick Bet-David]

A lot of money. It's in the billions on top of billions. And I'm not talking about Russia or Ukraine, I'm talking about all the people that make those weapons.

[Ilia Topuria]

Okay.

[Patrick Bet-David]

The General Dynamics. The, you know, you can list the name of the companies that these guys that sell the weapons. That's a business model. Do you know who Eisenhower is? No. The president of U.S. eisenhower? No. Okay, so when he was.

[Ilia Topuria]

Show me the face.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Maybe he was a former general. Oh, many years ago. This is before my time and your time. This is a long time ago. So this Guy died in 1969. I was born in 78, so this is before my time. When he was done, this guy was a, Was he a four star general, Rob, or a five star general? Can you go a little bit lower?

[Ilia Topuria]

Five star.

[Patrick Bet-David]

He was a five star general. I mean, Ilya, five. You know what five star is like?

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah, I can't imagine.

[Patrick Bet-David]

We don't have a lot of, I don't know how. Type in how many five star generals? America's hand. How many five star. How many five star generals has America had? I think it's a few. Okay, There you go. George c. Marshall, Douglas MacArthur Eisenhower, Henry H. Arnold and Omar Bradley. Five of them. Okay. Eisenhower is the only one from the five that becomes a president.

[Ilia Topuria]

Okay.

[Patrick Bet-David]

When he's done being a president, he's given his last speech. He gives this famous speech that everybody always talks about and he says be very. This is the speech right here. Okay.

[Ilia Topuria]

I'm very curious about this one.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Yeah. Can you play it, Rob?

[Ilia Topuria]

Now, this conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is.

[Patrick Bet-David]

New in the American experience. Large arms industry, composite total, like arms, like they're selling weapons. It's a large weapons industry. Keep going. The total influence, economic influence, political, even spiritual, is felt in every city, every.

[Ilia Topuria]

State house, every office of the federal government. We recognize the imperative need for this.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Development, yet we must not fail to comprehend its grave implications. Our toil, resources and livelihood are all involved.

[Ilia Topuria]

So is the very structure of our society, in the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Influence, whether sought or unsought. Go back, Rob by the acquisition. So this is very important, I want to explain this part to you. Can you come here and explain this unwinded. Humberto, can you come in here just to explain this part? I think he's going to come here. If you can, can you just translate this part? If you could. If you want to give him the mic. So when he's saying it, just translate the keyword. So the acquisition of unwarranted influence.

[Ilia Topuria]

La compra. The influencia limited.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Keep playing it. The acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought.

[Ilia Topuria]

Or unsought, by the military industrial complex.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Pause right there.

[Ilia Topuria]

Or industrial, military.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Military industrial complex. So, meaning there is these guys that buy influence politically, economically and spiritually. Military industrial complex by selling weapons. So be very careful how much influence those guys have, because those guys imagine on the back end, they make tens of billions of dollars, hundreds of billions of dollars, and they come and they buy politicians. Here's $50,000, here's $100,000, here's $300,000, here's $200,000. Go make this law or go do this or go do that. The more wars, the more money they make. Okay, so he's saying, when he's done being a president as a five star general, be very careful with these companies that are going to use their money economically, politically and spiritually to create and.

[Ilia Topuria]

Start all the narratives.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Yeah. So we just. To me, I used to always, like, I used to think this way, you know, how you grow up, you think everything they taught you in school, you know, you said like, the earth is flat. What did you say? I don't care if the earth is flat or not, but there's certain things we're taught, Right. And later on you're like, ah, man, I don't know about that, I don't know about this, I don't know about this. And then, you know, you create your own opinions as you're going through it. There's the core belief, there's the values, there's family, there's pride, there's faith, there's God, there's all of that stuff. But sometimes you got to be when people are wanting to poke the bear, don't get me wrong. Did Putin take advantage of the fact that a weak leader was in America, like Biden? Yeah, of course he took advantage of it. Would it have happened with Trump, by the way? What do you Think about Trump. Have you met Trump yet?

[Ilia Topuria]

No, no, no, no. I actually, I'll, I, I like the hard personality that, yeah, the strong personality that Trump represents. You know, he, he's like, we do it this way or we don't do it. And I like that. You know, I don't know. I don't know. He's, he's playing his game. Me and you, we can think whatever we want to think, but at the end of the day, I, as I said, I vote for peace and I hope and I think that Trump is seeking for the peaceful in the world, even if it doesn't look like that at some point. And someone I don't know. You see a lot of crazy things in the social media. I really think that he's doing that and he's looking for the best interest for, for the United States, and this is what he has to do. That's why the people choose him as a, as a leader.

[Patrick Bet-David]

So you like him?

[Ilia Topuria]

Of course I like him.

[Patrick Bet-David]

You haven't met him yet?

[Ilia Topuria]

Not yet.

[Patrick Bet-David]

You know, he probably really likes the way you fight.

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah.

[Patrick Bet-David]

You know, he's a big fan of the fight. He watches everything.

[Ilia Topuria]

I know. I never saw him in, in, in my fights because he goes sometimes, like randomly, I go to this, this event, this one. We never at the same time. At the same time.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Are you going to this fight or are you going. You're not going to be there.

[Ilia Topuria]

Okay.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Oh, if you're in that place, it's going to be crazy.

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah, that's why, that's why you're not going. I'm not going to watch to like other sporty. I don't go. I enjoy mine and that's it.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Well, listen, you fight Islam, he's going to be at that fight.

[Ilia Topuria]

I think so.

[Patrick Bet-David]

I mean, I listen, of course, if he's got political, different things that he's dealing with. He's got a big job. But I think if the two of you guys fight, he's going to tell China, he's going to tell Russia, he's going to tell. But hey, guys, we're not fighting this weekend. No tariffs on anybody. Everybody's good. We're going to get along. I'm going to a fight.

[Ilia Topuria]

I want to understand, understand some kind of things. Like you Americans, people that live, that are living here, like, what's your perspective, perception about, like what's happening in the, in Ukraine, what happened in, in, in Georgia first, I don't know if you know the story, like, what do you think about all that? Like I, I want to know you. You. Your thoughts.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Specific to what? Specific to Georgia. Specific to, specific to the world.

[Ilia Topuria]

Like what, what, what's your prediction? What do you think that it's going to happen in the next five, five years?

[Patrick Bet-David]

Like, so do you know, like, like America was divided in between Ukraine and, you know, Zelensky or not Zelensky? Some, some groups were. They thought Zelensky was the greatest hero in the world and they were fully supporting Zelensky and some people thought Zelensky was bought and people were just giving money to him and, you know, a continuous war, not necessary. Every time coming and saying, I need more money. I need more money. Yeah, I need more money. And so American taxpayers are sending money. We're like, wait a minute, we're sending all this money to Ukraine, war with Russia, but we have problems in America right now. Why are we doing this? So there's a big part of Americans where, if support. Can you type in Rob? What a support.

[Ilia Topuria]

Do you think it's easy like that? Like how you explaining Zelensky was coming, knocking the door, I need money. And they were giving the money to him. And do you think, do you really think that it happens like that? And they, they didn't had any interest behind, behind that money, behind that moment.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Accountability or interest, whatever.

[Ilia Topuria]

I don't know. It's like, do you really think that, let's say Biden was giving the money to. To Zelensky like that? I don't know. Take the, Take this, take that.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Well, whatever Zelensky has, Biden had interest with Ukraine that he got in trouble with on a hot mic when he said certain things because they were going after his son. There was some issues that was going on at the time. So there are a lot of things that you see to see that financially, the president may have even benefited from it, may have benefited from it on that deal with Zelensky. And then people on the back end also probably benefited from a little bit of a war. It turns into, you know, it's a $400 billion contract to rebuild Ukraine. That's a lot of money, Ilya. It's a lot of money. So I think this is what we see then. I think this is what's going on.

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah.

[Patrick Bet-David]

You know, and we don't see this. Right. But at the same time, what we learned the last eight years with the news is you can't trust everything you see. You have to stay skeptical and you have to question a lot of things. And I learned one thing a long time ago, and I Think this. This will make sense to you. What's most important to. In your life? What's the top five most important things in your life?

[Ilia Topuria]

My family.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Okay.

[Ilia Topuria]

Let's say me, myself, my relationship with God, my spiritual world, my job, my work. I don't know.

[Patrick Bet-David]

My occupation. Pride. Right, of course. Okay. And is your pride more Georgia or is it more Spain? Would you say you're more Georgian?

[Ilia Topuria]

It's difficult to choose between mom and dad, you know?

[Patrick Bet-David]

Yeah, I know. That's why I ask.

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah. So.

[Patrick Bet-David]

So both are important to you because you have both fans. Right. They both love you. Okay. But something probably like when. When you were a kid, how did you guys look at Russia? In a good way?

[Ilia Topuria]

No.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Okay. All right. From what age? Probably very young age since I was burned. Who can change your mind?

[Ilia Topuria]

I think that it's. It's a little bit difficult to. To forgive something like that. A lot of my family members were lost their lives in. In that war. So how you can forgive that?

[Patrick Bet-David]

I agree. So here's what I learned a long time ago. You know how you said, what's the point of Earth is flat?

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah.

[Patrick Bet-David]

There's no point of that argument. There's no point here. The reason for it is because it's personal. Do you know what I'm saying? You went through the. I don't know that. Just like when I lived in Iran, I went through the pain and trying to explain it to somebody else, it's like, wait a minute. What do you mean you don't know what I went through? Just like what you went through. Right. So you know. Yeah. As a kid, my dad was my hero. My parents got a divorce. My mother's family, they were communist. I hated it. It was always over money. Always arguing over money. Money caused my parents to get a divorce. And politics, I don't want to deal with politics. And I'm going to make a lot of money. So my drive to make money was because we had nothing.

[Ilia Topuria]

Okay.

[Patrick Bet-David]

You see what I'm saying? So now try to convince me that communism is good. You're never going to do it.

[Ilia Topuria]

Of course.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Yeah.

[Ilia Topuria]

Me.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Yeah, I know. So. But. But to me, in a situation like this, when talking to somebody that experienced what happened in Georgia, that's why when Patty said what he said to you, it was personal. Of course it was personal. Yeah. And that's similar to what happened with Conor and Khabib when they were fighting. And some of the comments was made. Connor was probably trying to sell the event, but Khabib's not trying to sell the event.

[Ilia Topuria]

I know. I know what you mean.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Yeah. So to me, I understand why this is a important, sensitive topic to you and to many people, not just you, to a lot of different people in the world. But I always watched the people that. When my parents were together, I would watch an aunt, she would come to our house when my dad was at work as a kid. I'll never forget this. She would sit there and just go for three hours. I'm a six, seven year old kid, just three hours talking bad things about my dad. Did your husband buy you a necklace? You know, such and such. Bought such and such wife their necklace. Why doesn't he do that for you? Did he ever take you to dinner? You know, such and such. Did he take you to Italy? You know, such and such. I don't think he takes care of you. Look how beautiful you are. He's lucky to have somebody like you. And I would watch this and then my dad would come home after working 12 hours, driving two hours to work at 8:30. And then my mom would go and scream at him.

[Ilia Topuria]

Boom.

[Patrick Bet-David]

And you know who it was? It wasn't my mom. It was that lady.

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah.

[Patrick Bet-David]

So to me, I'm very careful with people like that, of course. And it happens in the wars and in politics. So that's what I'm saying. When, when they say, hey, why don't they let him join NATO? And all this other stuff. I don't know, the people behind closed doors that are, hey, let me tell you. Hey, let me tell you. Hey, let me tell you. You know, that's the part that at this phase of my life, I'm very careful with.

[Ilia Topuria]

Of course you can start closely.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Yeah.

[Ilia Topuria]

To anyone. To anyone. Me personally, I'm at this point, I wouldn't be surprised with, with anyone, because sometimes you try to go to the top with, with the people that don't even want to see you at the top.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Yeah. There was a book called Laws of Human Nature. Robert Greene. I think you would like this book.

[Ilia Topuria]

Which one?

[Patrick Bet-David]

Laws of Human Nature by Robert Greene. Can you go to images, Rob? Go to images?

[Ilia Topuria]

I read some of his book.

[Patrick Bet-David]

So you probably read 48 laws of power.

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Okay, so if you read 40 laws of power, you will love this. You probably have it translated. Spanish, different languages.

[Ilia Topuria]

I have it in Spanish.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Hell yeah. You're going to love this.

[Ilia Topuria]

But I read the books also in English. I tried. I try to.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Yeah, you'll love. You'll love.

[Ilia Topuria]

Actually, I. I learned my English reading books.

[Patrick Bet-David]

You did?

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah. I was going like, very good. What?

[Patrick Bet-David]

You speak very good.

[Ilia Topuria]

I try to. I try to. And I'm not living here in reality. I don't have any conduct with someone that. That speaks in English. My wife, she. She does.

[Patrick Bet-David]

She's from Miami.

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah. And sometimes we try to speak in. In English, and we also try to watch some movies, but I don't go outside and talk to the people in English, and I try to, I don't know, read the books, and if I don't understand any word, I try to go word by word.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Now, I think you love this because he says something in the book. He says, if you really want to know if someone's your friend or not, test them by telling some good news and some bad news. If you tell them bad news, if they get a little bit happy, be very careful with that person. You'll see it on their face. He explains it, and he says, give some of your friends a little bit of good news. If you see they get a little bit not happy, be careful with them because they, you know. You know, there are people that are very happy for you no matter what.

[Ilia Topuria]

Yeah.

[Patrick Bet-David]

And if something happens to you, they're like, how can I help? What do you need from me? Right. You see it immediately.

[Ilia Topuria]

Your family.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Yeah, well, your family. Sometimes your friends as well. Certain friends that are maybe very close. Not a lot of them, but you probably have one or two or three of them. Something like that. He explains that in this book here on, you know, breaking that part down.

[Ilia Topuria]

I will. I think I read this book.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Ilya, I can't wait to see the fight. And I can't wait to be there when you guys fight. And I can't wait to be there and the president to be there when you guys have that fight. I can't wait for that.

[Ilia Topuria]

And hopefully we. We have peace in the world.

[Patrick Bet-David]

And hopefully we have peace in the world. And hopefully. Oh, yeah, hopefully. Would you ever want to Putin? Why? Did you ever want to meet Putin?

[Ilia Topuria]

No. No.

[Patrick Bet-David]

What if there's peace? Would you ever want to fight in Russia? What if this fight is in Russia?

[Ilia Topuria]

I wouldn't fight in Russia.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Really? So if Islam fights in Russia, you wouldn't fight there?

[Ilia Topuria]

I wouldn't fight.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Why is that?

[Ilia Topuria]

Because there's so much place in the world that I could fight. Why? I would fight in Russia. I would love to fight in the United States, but not in Russia. Not in Russia. Actually, I. The only place I would fight, it's in the United States or in Spain.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Got it. But would you ever fight in Russia?

[Ilia Topuria]

No, never, never.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Have you ever gone to Russia?

[Ilia Topuria]

No.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Would you want to visit Russia?

[Ilia Topuria]

I don't want it, but if the Destiny wants me to go or I have to go for some reasons, I would go, but not fighting, not, not putting a show in Russia and working there. I don't know.

[Patrick Bet-David]

You're so interesting, bro. I was, you're so interesting. Seriously, so interesting the way you are. Yeah, we, I'm telling you, like, we have guys here that they absolutely love you. Seriously, like, when we're doing, like, we're going through the podcast, you know, the prep and talking about it, who love you 100%. Like, this is, this is going to tell you, this guy's, this is, he's a trifecta. He's got the looks, he can fight, he's got the confidence, all this stuff, right? But just talking to you, you are so interesting. You're locked in here.

[Ilia Topuria]

I don't know, maybe sometimes it, it happens to me also that I switch my mentality, sometimes I switch my thoughts, maybe, but at this point, right now, you're asking me, this is my answer. I don't know. I, I, right now, I wouldn't fight in Russia. Okay, Maybe tomorrow. Who knows what's going to happen tomorrow?

[Patrick Bet-David]

If you fight in Russia, I'm going to text you, I'm going to say, ilya, why are you fighting in Russia? What's going on? When is your birthday? What month's your birthday?

[Ilia Topuria]

January 21st.

[Patrick Bet-David]

January 21st. All right.

[Ilia Topuria]

January 21st.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Well, brother, it's been a pleasure having you on. You're an interesting guy. I'm excited to see you go and get everything you want in life, you know, the highest paid athlete, the biggest fights, biggest.

[Ilia Topuria]

Let's live it there. I, I don't like that conversation. I don't know where I said it and it became, like, viral that I, I said it.

[Patrick Bet-David]

In reality, you don't really care about.

[Ilia Topuria]

I don't care about that. You know what I mean? I said it. But God bless everyone. Peace for everyone. There's a place for everyone. So I agree.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Yeah, but you're competitive. You're competitive, which is okay.

[Ilia Topuria]

Always, Always. I was born like that. Thank you very much, brother.

[Patrick Bet-David]

I really, really enjoyed it, man.

[Ilia Topuria]

Thank you. Truly enjoy it. And I learned a lot of things, my man.

[Patrick Bet-David]

Take care, everybody. Bye bye. Bye, bye. Nowadays, more than ever, the brand you wear reflects and represent who you are. So for us, if you wear a future looks, bright hat, or a valuetainment gear, you're telling the world, I'm optimistic. I'm excited about what's going to be happening. But you're a free thinker. You question things, you like, debate. And by the way, last year 120,000 people got a piece of Future Looks Bright gear with valuetainment. We have so many new things. The cufflinks are here. New Future looks bright. This is my favorite, the green one. Just yesterday somebody placed an order for a hundred of these. If you watch the PBD podcast, you got a bunch to choose from. White ones, black ones. If you smoke cigars and you come to our cigar lounge, we have this high quality lighter cutter and a holder for the cigars. We got sweaters with the valuetainment logo on it. We got mugs. We got a bunch of different things. But if you believe the future looks bright, if you follow our content and what we represent with valuetainment with PVD podcast, go to vtmerch.com and by the way, if you order right now, there's going to be a special VT gift insight just for you. So again, go to vtmerch.com, place your order, tell the world that you believe the future looks bright.