Ilia Topuria achieved a significant goal at UFC 317 by becoming a two-division champion, yet his long-held aspiration of bringing the UFC to Spain faces challenges.
Continuing his impressive rise, Topuria added the lightweight title to his featherweight championship by violently knocking out Charles Oliveira at UFC 317, securing a belt previously held by Islam Makhachev.
`El Matador` has largely achieved his ambitious goals in the UFC through decisive knockouts. However, his dream of a UFC event in his adopted home country is proving harder to realize.
Dana White States UFC Spain Event `Not an Option Right Now`
Since emerging as a UFC star, Topuria has consistently expressed his desire to bring a UFC event to Spain, specifically aiming for the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, a venue considered suitable for a large-scale show due to its retractable roof. However, the new lightweight champion`s hopes of defending his title on Spanish soil were dampened by comments from Dana White during the UFC 317 post-fight press conference. White stated plainly, “Spain isn’t even an option right now.”
While this temporarily setbacks Topuria`s immediate plans, the UFC CEO did not rule out the possibility entirely, emphasizing that bringing the UFC to Spain remains a definite goal and is considered inevitable. “It is the goal,” White affirmed. “We`ve been trying to get into Spain for a while here… We`re definitely going to Spain, it`s just a matter of when.”
Obstacles Facing a UFC Debut in Spain
Previous discussions have highlighted potential conflicts with broadcasting in US primetime as a challenge for a Spanish UFC pay-per-view. More recently, journalist Rodrigo Del Campo González shed light on specific issues at the Bernabeu stadium itself. According to González, the stadium faces significant permit problems with the city and local residents that currently restrict it from hosting events other than football matches.
While renovations aimed to accommodate concerts, hosting them resulted in over 2.5 million Euros in noise violation fines. González noted that an upcoming NFL match avoids these issues because it is scheduled for the afternoon local time, unlike a potential late-night combat sports event aimed at a US audience.
Percy Harlow