Neither boxing nor kickboxing: the best discipline to defend yourself in a street fight, according to Ilia Topuria

He has the best winning streak in UFC history, with three knockouts against three mixed martial arts icons: Alexander Volkanovski, Max Holloway, and Charles Oliveira . Ilia Topuria claims to have everything it takes to become a legend and is on his way to becoming the best in history. He is an undefeated two-time champion in the most prestigious MMA league on the planet, with an unblemished 17-0 record.

'El Matador' stepped back into the octagon eight months later to achieve a major goal : becoming lightweight champion, after having successfully won and defended the featherweight title.

Against Charles Olivera at UFC 317, he made it look easy. After several dangerous crosses and a ground battle in which the Brazilian trapped his leg, the Georgian-Spaniard landed a brutal right hand to put the Brazilian to sleep and seal the fight in Las Vegas.

In a recent interview, the Spanish fighter shared his perspective on the best discipline for learning how to defend yourself in street situations. And no, not boxing or kickboxing.

The two-time UFC world champion has his mind made up: jiu-jitsu . A discipline in which he holds a black belt , and which gives him an advantage when it comes to turning him not only into a good striker, but also into a fighter with a solid and technical style . It also influences his fighting style, as his Brazilian jiu-jitsu training gives him great skill in ground fighting.

This martial art focuses on hand-to-hand combat, seeking the submission of the opponent. The emphasis is less on striking, but rather on technique so that a smaller opponent can defend themselves against a larger person. This is achieved primarily through chokes, takedowns, holds, and locks .

In a chat with Spanish YouTuber and streamer The Grefg, he broke down which martial arts work best when you find yourself in danger on the street. During a relaxed conversation with the content creator, he asked Topuria directly which discipline he would recommend if the goal was to learn self-defense for any situation.

The answer was clear: Jiu Jitsu. The Spanish-Georgian fighter justified his choice based on what typically happens in street fights : "When people don't know how, what ends up happening is they end up hugging each other." For Topuria, this makes Jiu Jitsu "an essential tool," since "if you know Jiu Jitsu, you have a huge advantage."

The UFC champion elaborated on his reasoning, explaining that many fights end at close range where punches make no difference. "When they get really close, they're already embracing," and that's where the knowledge of locks, chokes, and opponent control techniques taught in Jiu Jitsu can make the difference in the fight.

This practical approach from the Alicante-based fighter highlights the importance of being prepared for the realities of a physical confrontation . The fighter recalled that this discipline is based precisely on taking advantage of these types of situations: "Jiu Jitsu is based on chokeholds, leverage, and many things that give you resources" in a situation where strikes lose their effectiveness.

Although he hasn't needed to go to the mat in his recent UFC fights, as most of them have taken place on the feet, he managed to defeat his first seven opponents as a professional thanks to this technique . His last fight that ended by submission was against Bryce Mitchell at UFC 282.