Two of Ilia Topuria’s former training partners at Kill Cliff FC alleged the current featherweight champ slept three sparring opponents in the gym.
Ilia Topuria‘s power is unprecedented for a featherweight, and former UFC champion Eddie Alvarez’s recent claims support the notion that the featherweight titleholder can pack a serious punch in the gym.
Topuria most recently became the first fighter to knock out Max Holloway in the UFC 308 main event just weeks ago. He earned the UFC featherweight title by knocking out another legend, Alexander Volkanovski, at UFC 298 to cap off his undefeated run with a world championship.
Earlier in his career, Topuria spent some time at the world-renowned Kill Cliff FC gym getting some training in with some of the brightest minds in the sport. Alvarez and Gilbert Burns, two of the gym’s longest-tenured stars, recently claimed Topuria knocked out three sparring partners in a single day while training at the gym.
One of Alvarez and Burns’s teammates has a different take on Topuria’s brief stint at Kill Cliff FC.
Michael Johnson clears the air on Ilia Topuria KO myth at Kill Cliff FC
During a recent episode of the Overdogs Podcast, UFC lightweight veteran Michael Johnson addressed the Topuria gym rumors.
“I just came back from surgery so I couldn’t really train with him. He didn’t knock out three people, I don’t know where that story comes from,” Johnson said of Topuria. “The whole MMA sport is like one big a** high school. Cliques over here, gossip running around…everything and so many stories. But he dropped a lighter guy in our gym, he was beating up on a few people. But knocking out three people? No.”
As of this writing, Topuria hasn’t addressed the gym rumors surrounding his time at Kill Cliff FC. He’s targeting a move to lightweight to vy for double champion status, and could potentially get an immediate 155lb title shot for his next fight.
Topuria has become one of the UFC’s biggest draws after showcasing some of the wildest finishes in UFC featherweight history. He’s finished the likes of Bryce Mitchell, Jai Herbert, and Ryan Hall during his promotional tenure.
Ilia Topuria’s power makes him a UFC legend in just a handful of fights
Knockout stories during sparring sessions are nothing new when discussing Topuria and some of the top UFC fighters. Former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland is infamous for near-daily sparring sessions, including with online trolls and professional boxers.
Topuria’s stint at Kill Cliff FC was brief, albeit eventful, according to Johnson and his teammates. He trains at Climent Club gym in Spain under his longtime coaches Jorge and Agustin Climent.
While Topuria’s power is a sight to behold, Johnson feels recent knockout stories are exaggerated, although it’s hard to dispute Topuria potentially knocking out sparring partners after his recent performances.