‘I Felt Afraid’: Ilia Topuria Relives School Bullying and Why He Finally Spoke Up
Ilia Topuria has spoken candidly about being bullied as a child, describing school as a place of constant confrontation that left him feeling afraid, sad, and small until he finally found the courage to speak up about what was happening.
Ilia Topuria’s childhood and school bullying
Born in Germany to Georgian parents and later raised in Spain, Topuria has said that his school years were marked by pressure from other kids rather than the confidence he projects as a UFC champion. In a recent appearance on the Spanish program Charlas Adictivas, he explained that “we were bullied at school” and that clashes with classmates became part of his daily life. He recalled “constant confrontation with the kids at the school” and feeling that “you have to stand up for yourself a lot of the time,” even though he did not like trouble in the street.
“We were bullied at the school. There was constant confrontation with the kids at the school, and you have to stand up for yourself a lot of the time. I was always a kid who didn’t like confrontation in the street, but sometimes you have to face those kind of situations, and I felt afraid. It awakens a sadness; you start to feel less, you don’t have that courage until you speak up.”
Topuria admitted that in those moments he felt afraid and tried to avoid conflict, which clashed with the image many fans now have of him as a fearless fighter. He described how the bullying “awakens a sadness” and makes a child “start to feel less,” losing confidence until they finally decide to speak out about what they are going through. Spanish reports have added that older students targeted him during school breaks, taking money and clothes, leaving him feeling isolated in an environment that should have felt safe.
Finding support and learning to speak up
Topuria has said that a key turning point came when he opened up to his family instead of keeping quiet. In a talk with students in Leganés, near Madrid, he recounted how he eventually told his brother about what was happening and that this helped “restore order” and stop the abuse at school. For Topuria, that experience reinforced the idea that silence protects the bully, while speaking up can shift the balance in favor of the victim.
He has stressed to young audiences that no child should feel alone in situations like the ones he endured. When he describes those years, he often returns to themes of fear, isolation, and the moment when a victim decides to ask for help. That decision, he says, can be the first real act of courage for someone who feels smaller every time they are targeted at school.
Turning pain into an anti‑bullying campaign
Now a UFC world champion representing Spain and Georgia, Topuria has tried to turn those memories into action through public campaigns. In 2025 he signed a cooperation protocol with the Community of Madrid, led by regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso, as part of a regional plan aimed at tackling school bullying and drug use. The agreement includes workshops, talks, and sports activities in schools, with Topuria using his profile to encourage students to seek help early and to push adults to step in when they see signs of abuse.
UFC CEO Dana White has confirmed that Ilia Topuria will defend his lightweight title against interim champion Justin Gaethje in a unification bout on 14 June 2026. The fight will headline the historic “UFC White House” event, also branded around the United States’ 250th anniversary celebrations, and will take place on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C.
