WATCH: “Sent chills down my spine!” Ilia Topuria giving himself pep talk before UFC 298 walkout leaves fans with goosebumps

Ilia Topuria's video of giving himself a pep talk before fighting at UFC 298 showed the pressure one faces before attaining the dream.

WATCH: “Sent chills down my spine!” Ilia Topuria giving himself pep talk before UFC 298 walkout leaves fans with goosebumps

Ilia Topuria gave a pep talk to himself before title fight against Alexander Volkanovski (via Imago/screengrab)

Ilia Topuria beat Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 to become the UFC featherweight champion. By doing so, he became the ultimate icon of self-belief in the organization. Here is what happened:

lia Topuria, ahead of his fight with Alexander Volkanovski, was seen giving himself a pep talk. The never-before-seen footage showed how much Topuria believed in himself to get the job done. On a closer look, he said:

It’s time to fulfill the dream. All good things are on the other side of fear. It’s written…I’m going to win spectacularly.

Ilia Topuria before title fight
YouTube video

Ilia Topuria showed strong self-belief that he would beat Alexander Volkanovski even before the fight. Topuria predicted a knockout victory over Volkanovski, who was more experienced.

FS Video

He changed his social media accounts to read “Undefeated 15-0, UFC Champion” even before they stepped into the octagon. Topuria repeatedly spoke about Volkanovski, saying he was better than him everywhere. The Spanish fighter also said he saw himself knocking Volk out in the first round.

The video has garnered reactions from MMA fans. Topuria is still undefeated at 15-0. Ilia Topuria controlled the first round with sharp punching. He ultimately stopped Volkanovski in the second round to claim the featherweight title. Topuria delivered a brutal right hand to the face that landed perfectly and dropped Volkanovski. This ended the former Australian champion’s four-year reign in the division.

Fans react to Ilia Topuria giving himself a pep talk ahead of fighting at UFC 298

The video of Ilia Topuria giving himself a pep talk ahead of UFC 298 caught the attention of fans on social media. People went to the comment section to share their reactions to the video.

Ilia Topuria knocked out dominant champion Alexander Violkanovski 
Ilia Topuria knocked out dominant champion Alexander Violkanovski (via X)

Here are some of the reactions from X:

https://twitter.com/PlanetPluvio/status/1760618126746558512

The video of Ilia Topuria definitely amused his fans. The public sentiment towards Topuria shifted quickly. He was initially mocked for his predictions and antics. However, some comments showed that people saw whether Topuria backed up his claims online or not.

One user pointed out the hunger for championship status that new athletes possess, talking about Topuria. Meanwhile, another wrote that he would cancel his own wedding if it were on fight day.

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