Feb 17, 2024; Anaheim, California, USA; Ilia Topuria before fighting against Alexander Volkanovski during UFC 298 at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

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Ilia Topuria Gives His Take On Being The ‘Bad Guy’ In The Sport

Ilia Topuria reveals his feelings about becoming the unintentional villian in the UFC!

Feb 17, 2024; Anaheim, California, USA; Ilia Topuria before fighting against Alexander Volkanovski during UFC 298 at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

MMA has always loved its heroes and villains. The sport thrives on stories where fans pick sides and root for their favorites. Sometimes fighters embrace the bad guy role and milk it for all it’s worth. Colby Covington with his over-the-top trash talk or Chael Sonnen building an entire career on being the guy everyone loved to hate are prime examples. These fighters understand that playing the heel can be just as profitable as being beloved. But, sometimes that happens without even trying to be the bad guy.

Ilia Topuria finds himself in exactly that situation right now. The Georgian-Spanish former UFC featherweight champion has been painted as the bad guy lately. But he never asked for that role. In a recent interview, when asked if he enjoys playing the villain, Topuria gave a pretty honest answer that might surprise some people.

Ilia Topuria Gives Honest Take Him Being The Bad Guy

Topuria’s response to the villain question was refreshingly straightforward. He said he doesn’t like being seen as the bad guy because he’s actually a good person. The problem is that people take time to realize he’s not the villain they think he is. It’s a fair point when fans really think about it. Sometimes the story gets written for you, whether you like it or not, and changing people’s minds takes forever.

“I prefer to be the good guy because this is what i am. But it takes a little bit longer for people to realize that i am not the bad guy.”

🗣️Ilia Topuria on being portrayed as a villain in the MMA community:

"Soon they are gonna be in my team…

I prefer to be the good guy because this is who I am, but it takes a little bit longer for the people to realize that I'm not the bad guy."

via: @espnmma / #UFC317 #MMA pic.twitter.com/2tbqEOVjx5
— MMA Pros Pick (@MMA_PROS_PICK_) June 22, 2025

The reason fans have somewhat turned on Topuria isn’t because he’s done anything particularly evil or controversial. He hasn’t been arrested, he doesn’t talk trash about people’s families, and he’s never been caught in any major scandals. His “crime” was knocking out two of the most beloved fighters in the featherweight division. First, he starched Alexander Volkanovski, who had been the king of the division for years. Then he went ahead and knocked out Max Holloway, arguably the most durable fighter in the entire weight class. When you beat up fan favorites, especially in brutal fashion, people start looking at you sideways.

Both Volkanovski and Holloway had built massive followings over their careers. Volk was the pound-for-pound king who seemed unbeatable at featherweight. Holloway was the people’s champion who always brought excitement and never backed down from anyone. These weren’t just champions, they were beloved figures who fans had emotional connections with. So when this young fighter from Spain showed up and knocked them both out cold, it felt like he was crashing the party uninvited!

(Image Credit: Gary A. Vasquez – Imagn Images)

Ilia Topuria

Zaid Quraishi

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I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!