Ilia Topuria is chasing legacy, as with UFC 317 on the horizon, the undefeated phenom is aiming to snatch gold in a second division. His next challenge? Charles Oliveira for the vacant lightweight title. It’s a high-stakes bout at International Fight Week, and Topuria isn’t just switching weight classes; he’s also stepping into a new chapter without his longtime coaches.
As renowned MMA coach Ray Longo once said, quoting the legendary boxing trainer, Cus D’Amato, “What a guy does in the end, is what he always wanted to do in the beginning.” And for ‘El Matador’, leaving Climent Club might just be that moment of truth. So, why the sudden shift in gyms? Let’s dive into all we know!
Ilia Topuria parts ways with long-term coaches
For years, Jorge and Agustin Climent shaped Ilia Topuria’s rise. From teenage hopefuls to featherweight champions, the brothers were there every step of the way. Based in Alicante, Spain, Climent Club was more than a gym; it was family.
Hailing from Argentina, the Climent brothers ensured to build strong fighters in their gym who even got to become champions at UFC. Talking about their move to Spain, Jorge Climent once said, “We came (in Spain) with Jiu-jitsu purple belt and we used to fight MMA but when we came here MMA and Jiu Jitsu nothing existed. We are like pioneers.”
Under their guidance, ‘El Matador’ trained alongside names like Donovan ‘Vegas’ Desmae, Pepe Torres, Salah Eddine Hamli, Raul Guzman, and of course, his own brother, Aleksandre Topuria. But ahead of UFC 317, that bond was professionally severed.
Topuria and his brother Aleksandre have now parted ways with the Climent brothers. The reason? According to reports, distance was a key factor in this decision. After moving to Madrid with the rise in his popularity in the country, Ilia Topuria’s training logistics reportedly became complicated. During his last camp for Max Holloway, the Climents had to make regular 4-hour drives from Alicante to the capital city to keep up the schedule.
In an interview with Submission Radio, Jorge Climent shared, “We go with him on the journey and now he grow, and he wants to fly away, you know? We are very proud to [go as far as we did] with him. We are very proud for everything he [has done]. … Of course, we are a little sad, but I want everything in his life [to] continue going well. I want all good for him and his brother, and I think that they do the same for us.”
Despite the professional split, Jorge Climent’s statement clearly shows that he holds no resentment for the decision made by ‘El Matador’. So, what does his new training set-up look like?
Where does Ilia Topuria train now? New gym and coach
With Alicante in the rearview mirror, Madrid is now home for Ilia Topuria’s fight camp. He has set up his own gym and training base in the capital city, leaving the comfort of Climent Club for independence. For UFC 317, this will be the first full camp without the Climentd brothers.
According to Jorge Climent, “He [went] to live [in] Madrid, and I have my own project here with my brother… Ilia [went] to Madrid. He [has] his own gym in his house and he wants all of the energy on him.”
However, not everyone is fully on board with the timing of the move. Former ‘champ-champ’ Daniel Cormier voiced his concern and wondered why Ilia Topuria would abandon the very team that built him into a champion.
As such, in an appearance on the ‘Anik & Florian Podcast’, Ray Longo echoed the same sentiment and shared, “I’m going to agree with Cormier, too. That coach can come in for one or two weeks and, I’m not saying make a big difference, but can hold to what they were doing. … Everybody makes this decision after they’re already on the top for a while, you know what I mean? Would he have made that decision as he was coming up when he really needed the guy?”
Longo himself has seen fighters leave mid-title runs but stay connected. He referenced Aljamain Sterling and Merab Dvalishvili moving to Vegas due to COVID, yet still having him in their corners on fight night, and continued, “He looks like he’s squared away to me, that’s why I say I think that guy can come in a week, two weeks. I think you just get that vibe right in the corner, and I think that guy’s on autopilot.”
After all, Climent Club helped Ilia Topuria build an impressive 8-0 record before even stepping into the UFC. Seven of those wins came in the first round. That early momentum translated well when he joined the promotion in 2020, where he quickly became one of its most dangerous finishers, as he currently holds a 63% KO/TKO rate.
To wrap things up, as UFC 317 approaches, ‘El Matador’ stands at a crossroads. He’s left behind the brothers who raised him in the sport. But in doing so, he’s stepped into the unchartered with a clear mission, securing the lightweight gold. Whether this gamble pays off against Charles Oliveira remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: ‘El Matador’ isn’t afraid to change things up to build his empire!
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