Aleksandre Topuria, UFC newcomer: “Top 15? With the caliber of this fight, it could happen”

Aleksandre Topuria is ready for his second fight in the UFC. After an exceptional debut in February, when all three judges gave him all three rounds, El Conquistador is back to keep climbing. The UFC will land in Qatar for the first time, and the older Topuria brother will be one of the main attractions, alongside headliners Arman Tsarukyan and Dan Hooker. He’ll face Kazakh fighter Bezkat Almakhan, who has 12 wins and just two losses. Speaking from Doha, he spoke exclusively to AS.

You arrived in Doha a few days ago. How are you feeling heading into the fight?

“Thank God I’m doing well. You know how it is – cutting weight is always tough, but we’re good.”

How are you approaching your second UFC fight?

“Always with hard work. What I need to face, I’ve already faced. I just have to finish it. It’s true that people think the work ends on Saturday, the day of the fight, but the real work is everything you do beforehand, from the moment the fight gets signed. So I’m grateful to my team, to God. Everything has gone really well.”

Have you changed anything from your last training camp to this one? Any shift in mentality or physical preparation?

“The truth is we follow the same path. In every camp, every fight, every stage of life, you learn things and evolve. So if I told you I changed something specific, like I used to eat meat and now I’m vegetarian… that hasn’t happened. Nothing like that. Just small details to get better. There are always some changes, but nothing major.”

This fight will also be in Qatar. It’s the first time the UFC holds an event there. Do you like the location?

“Yes, why not? Honestly, I like it. I like the vibe, I like the weather. The time difference isn’t big. It’s just two hours. So I feel good, really.”

What do you think of your opponent?

“I have nothing against him, so I can’t say anything bad. Not personally, not as a fighter. He’s a great opponent and he’s earned that. He’s just another guy standing in front of me on November 22. I’m going to do the same thing.”

Would you highlight any quality of his that could pose a problem or be the toughest part of facing him?

“I think every fighter brings some danger, and of course this one has good things too. He’s dangerous not only standing, but on the ground as well. If you let him work, he’ll have something in every area. The thing is, I just have to do my job. And that’s what I’m going to do in the next fight.”

How do you think the fight will go?

“I just don’t have that thing of: ‘Let’s see how it’s going to go.’ Because no. I don’t waste my time on that. What I see on my end is victory. I’m ready for any kind of scenario, like I always say. Not because he’s good standing or on the ground – I prepare for everything, because inside the cage you never know what can happen. I can say whatever here, but once you’re inside, one punch and things change. I want to be ready for any kind of scenario, and that’s what my whole camp has been about: being ready for whatever comes.”

Are you willing to give a prediction, or not?

“You know I don’t usually get into those things. I’m no fortune-teller, so telling you one thing and then something else happens… Victory.”

We’ll leave it at victory for El Conquistador, then?

“Exactly, with God’s help.”

Do you think a big win this Saturday could put you on the verge of the bantamweight Top 15?

“Look, let’s put it this way. With the caliber of this fight, it could happen. That’s what I think. Another thing is how the UFC makes decisions. Maybe they want to make me go through another step before reaching that point. Or maybe they’re interested in this super fight, put me against a Top 15 and move me straight up. I don’t know what the UFC’s decision will be. Right now, at this stage, fighters aren’t the ones who decide who we’ll face next.”

Right now the bantamweight champion is Merab Dvalishvili, a close friend of yours. How do you plan to handle climbing the division with that in mind?

“I think Merab said in an interview – they asked him this same question. He said that if I reach a situation where I have to fight for the title and he still has the belt, he’ll drop it, move up (a weight class) or look for some other alternative so I’m not held back. My opinion is the same. He’s someone I can’t share the cage with as an opponent, because it just doesn’t come naturally. It’s not possible or compatible. We’ll see, but I have a long road to go before getting to him. I hope that when I do, he’s still the champion. Then we’ll make whatever decision we need to so it doesn’t affect us.”

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