Ilia Topuria IS BACK on the Daniel Cormier Check-In series, this time ahead of his main-event, championship fight against Justin Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250 in Washington D.C., in what will be one of the biggest fights in MMA history! Ilia talks about his knockouts of Charles Oliveira, Max Holloway, and Alexander Volkanovski and what it felt like to be on that historic win streak. Then he gives his thoughts on Justin's win over Paddy Pimblett and calls out the level of skill the two showed in that fight. And don't miss how he thinks the fight will play out, and why he's doubling down on KNOCKING OUT Gaethje in this historic fight on the White House lawn. #Volume
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
All right, guys, you havec freedom to fifty. This is
gonna be one of the greatest fight cards of all time.
And once again I'm always gonna partner with our good
friends at hard Rock Bet to try to get you
guys in on the action right now. Bet only five
dollars or more, and if that original bet hits, you'll
get one hundred and fifty dollars in bonus bets right away.
And look, if you want to show your knowledge in
(00:27):
this sport and make a little cash while you're doing it,
this is the weekend to do that. We got big
fights across the board. Gates versus Taporia, Pereira versus God,
we have Nickel versus Dacas, Zahabi versus Charan O'Malley. We
have big fights all the way up and down this card.
(00:48):
It's only seven fights, so it's a bit of a sprint,
so you can get in on every one of them.
And again, if you bet only five dollars a more,
you'll get one hundred and fifty dollars in bonus bets
right away if the original bet hits, So go to
hard Rock Bet, download the app, and get it on
the action right now. You have see Freedom two fifty
goes down this weekend from Washington, DC. Make sure you're
(01:10):
a part of it. Payable and bonus bets is not
a cash offer offered by the Seminal Tribe of Florida
and Florida offered by Siminal hard Rock Digital LLC. In
all other states. You must be twenty one or older
and physically present in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee,
(01:31):
or Virginia to play. Terms and conditions apply. Concerned about
gambling in Florida called one eight eight eight a d
mit it in Indiana, if you are someone you know
has a gambling problem and wants help, call one eight
hundred nine with it. And if you have a gambling problem,
call one eight hundred gambler. I'm here with an illiot
(02:00):
to Pooria as he gets ready for UFC Freedom two
fifty this week and he fights Justin Gaetchee to uh
to undistribute a champion, but to what is that word? Unified?
Unify the two belts? Justin de Interrim champion champ. How
you feel it?
Speaker 2 (02:15):
Very good? He's gonna try to unify it. I'm already
the under spirited the world champion.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
Yes, you've been saying that it like this weekend. I
was watching you guys on Pat McAfee yesterday. Were gonna
get to that in a second. But this thing started
pretty uh, respectful between you two. You guys were shaking hands,
you were hugging on stage and and all these other things.
But now it's kind of ventured into something that's much more.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
Yeah. I don't know why he wanted to give like
or revality this kind of direction, but yeah, it is
what it is. At the end of the day, we
are gonna we are gonna be fighting each other. He's
gonna try to knock me out. I'm gonna knock him out,
as I told him, And it is what it is.
June fourteen. I hope the best man wins, and I
(02:59):
know that I'm the best man.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
When we had to go back before we can go forward.
So the Charles Olivera fight, you're fighting Charles Olivera. He
gets a takedown for a split second, you get back up,
but leading up to that.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
He didn't get to take it down. What are you
talking about, bro, They counted the takedown no way.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
I swear to god, dude, I don't understand takedowns in
this fucking thing. They counted the takedown. You went down
and got right back up yet, or did you I
ended up in top position, they counted the takedown. They
count takedowns when they're not supposed to. And then sometimes
when a guy goes down, if you hands touch, they
say no takedown.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
No way. I don't get I didn't know that. Yeah no,
I didn't know that that. They conted not take it
down on him.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
But you told him, I'm sorry it has to be
you before the fight.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
Why Because I originally I was supposed to face Islama
and for the lightweight title, and when he decided to
move up, I get the call from the years and
they told me it's going to be Charles. So I
was like, listen, I didn't want wanted you to fight
me because I knew what would happen in a fire
(04:12):
between me and him. And I was like, listen, I'm
so sorry.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
When you hit him.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
I like the guy. How cool is Charles. He's a
great guys, one of the great human beings that I
ever met, like in this sport. Like, he's a great guy.
So be fighting a guy like him. It's kind of tough,
kind of difficult because you try to hate him, but
you can't. The guy has nothing to hate.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
When you hit him with the right hand, he was
gone before you even hit him with the other one.
And he went down like he was already gone, Like
by the time he.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
Was in that moment, You know, DC, like how it works.
You just want to like keep fighting. Yeah, And he
asked till the referee comes in and he decides to
stop you.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
That was crazy to become a double champion that fast.
It was very quick becoming the champ to the double champion.
You get this call that you're going to fight at
the White House. What's the immediate reaction to the White House?
Knowing that you're going to get to fight in headline
a one on one event.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
I was very happy, me and my family, we were
all very happy. I was supposed to fight that game
against Islam. That was the original conversation from the UFC,
like listen and may you are going to be fighting Islam.
We had, I don't know, a long conversation where we
were discussing about a lot of things and it ended
(05:39):
up me fighting Justin.
Speaker 1 (05:44):
Was that a disappointment because I think you in Islam
is the biggest fight. I don't care weight class, heavyweight.
I think you in Islam is the biggest fight the
company could make in any weight class.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
It wasn't a disappointment or when I throw something, I'm like,
I don't take that pressure on me.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
Yeah. Yeah, So it's justin Gaegee. Right. You watch him
versus Patty Pimblet. What do you think in watching that
fight knowing that one of those guys may get the
opportunity to fight you for the undisputed championship?
Speaker 2 (06:17):
What was the question?
Speaker 1 (06:18):
Like, what are you thinking watching those two as they're
fighting each other trying to earn an opportunity.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
Ask you, as a professional skill wise, did you like
to fight like? Skill wise? If you go to the striking,
it's difficult to judge someone who gets the victory. It's
difficult because he won the fight for the interim war title.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
So I said that. I said that to Justin that
I thought he was a little bit wild, and he
told me that was his plan for the fight with Pimblet.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
He planned was to fight as he fucked.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
He said that that was his plan to fight in
that way against Paddy, And he said he recognized very
early that he could take his shots so he could
fight him a little bit different than he would have
to fight against.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
Now, I'm gonna ask you, uh, I'm gonna give you a.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
You're an interviewer. Yeah, you're interviewing me, Elliott.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
What if he show ups and.
Speaker 1 (07:12):
That's not that's not the way to fight you. That's
not the way to fight you mean, like if he
nobody should fight you reckless if like and I they
were just asking me this in the in the front.
They asked me what I thought you should do and
what I thought Justin should do. Right, I know that
you can't stand in front of you. Nobody should stand
(07:33):
in front of you.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
And what he's gonna do, he's gonna be uh, seeking
for for takedowns.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
He's gonna But that's the thing. The right you were
the wrestler when you got here. I think when I
watch you punch, when I watch you punch, all right,
I'll tell you what I'm most amazed about. All Right,
what I'm most amazed about is when I watch you punch,
you don't like step over your feet or anything. It's
like your base is like when you hit Charles with
the right hand and then the left hand. It's not
(08:00):
like your feet were too closed. They weren't too wide.
The base was like very where it was supposed to be.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
My power is generated from my hips exactly.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
So if so, if I was fighting you, I would
try to just move to never let your feet completely settle,
because I can't imagine maybe.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
The same time you have to you never have to
forget that I'm one of the best closing the distance
and closing.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
The angle exactly. But but I did.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
It with Walk, who is the best best moving movie life.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
But in the first round was the only chance he
had because he was conflict.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
But then by the time point, at some point they
have to stop, they need to get the rest, they
need to stop. And this is when my time arrives.
Because he connected me with a couple of punches and
he started laughing on me, and I told him in
a fight, my tune will come.
Speaker 1 (08:52):
Soon, because said that the vulcan said that to Walk.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
When he started laughing, he started to point me with
with a finger and I told, don't worry, because my
time will come soon. And like once he gets tired,
because it makes you feel tired.
Speaker 1 (09:07):
When you're running, when you're stalking.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
Yeah, closing the distance all the time, closing the angles,
all that. At some point you need to stop, you
need to get that rest.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
It's your presence, Like your presence is always like in
the face all the time, and when the presence is dude.
That's why when I would fight, I would always kind
of pursue people because when you run backwards, you start
to get fatigued and then you can get grabbed. But again,
like I said, I would try to move because I
can't imagine you can generate that much power when you're
chasing me.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
But I'm not generating the power in the moment that
I'm chasing you. I'm not doing anything. I'm just like pressuring,
pressuring pressure, waiting for my moment. I'm not wasting my
energy like an idiot. I'm not throwing punches at one
hundred percent when I'm chasing you. No, I'm just closing
the distance, closing the distance, going with the basic punches,
(10:00):
with the basic moments, like with the jab. May I
I'm I'm gonna feigd a takedown that may I'm gonna
go for the takedown. May I go for the calfcakes?
May I do like the basic moments that doesn't require
me to waste a lot of energy. But once I'm
able to stop you the corner of you, then.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
When my when you moments come, when my moment, I
think you're three. This last three fights have been amazing,
but I think, honestly, for me personally, the most impressive
fight was josh Emmett. Whenever you were in it was
Orlando or Tampa or wherever the fun we were Jacksonville.
That shit was crazy because you beat him bad, and
the fact that he stayed in there was was nuts.
(10:42):
But let's get to justin yesterday, you guys are talking
on the Pat McAfee show, and you're going back and forth, right,
but you're almost sure that you're going to knock him out. Now,
these people, they said to me, would you be surprised
if Illian knocked him out as early as I said,
It's kind of hard to be surprised because every time
(11:03):
I sit with this kid, and I said, I call
you kid because you're younger than me. But I said, uh,
I said, he talks to you with this like really
soft tone, and he's like very confident. I said, he's
very confident. He never breaks eye contact. I go, but
he makes eye contact and he talks in this really
soft tone. But he told me in Anaheim, I flew
(11:23):
down there to talk to him. I wasn't working, and
you said, I'm gonna knock him out and I said, iliya,
he's Alexander Volkanowski And you said, DC, it's different. And
then when you thought Max, I said, this is a
this is a big one. You said, I'm gonna knock
him out. I said, but nobody's knocked him out.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
D C.
Speaker 1 (11:43):
It's different, And I said, so, would it surprised me
if something happens that? He told me no. But my
question is, do you really believe that you can get
Justin Gatgee out of there as early as you're saying
to everyone.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
Listen, if he's gonna do what he's being saying, that
he's going to move forward and do all those kinds
of things, I'm going to put him to sleep in
in the first two minutes. Why because this is all
I need. I need my opponents to stop in the
middle with me, to start the exchange punches, and I'm
the best in there. I'm the best in the pocket.
(12:18):
If he starts running, may may it goes to the
second round, to the third round. But at the end
of the day, I'm gonna end up catching him, like
I know that the finish will will arrive at some point.
You mentioned the fight against Josh Emmitt. That fire was
a little bit different. I had different things going on
in that fight. I had a very bad wycut. But
(12:38):
this time, like I have everything on point. My waycout
is going amazing. I felt one hundred percent. My power
is in there, my speed is in there, the skills
are in there, and I'm sure I know like I
could finish just in striking in the ground, Like even
my stamina is better than his, Like every thing is
(13:00):
better than his. So if you compare those skills to
my skills to his skills, like I'm way better than him.
This is a fire business. Everything can happened, right, and
this is what makes our sports so beautiful because everything
can happen and in one second, but a miracle has
to happen.
Speaker 1 (13:21):
That's not that's not the fairy tale ending that Americans
will be watching this fight.
Speaker 2 (13:27):
For we all Americans. America is built from the talent
from all our all.
Speaker 1 (13:34):
All of our ancestors.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
Yeah so yeah, but all Americans.
Speaker 1 (13:39):
I was telling someone, I was telling the media that
I go, yeah, Well, sometimes if you make idiot a
bad guy, sometimes the bad guy may get the opportunity
to win.
Speaker 2 (13:46):
Why I'm the bad guy have the confidence? Well, what's
about it?
Speaker 1 (13:50):
No, No, it's not bad that you're confident. It's like
sometimes it's people like to go good American kid, white house.
All this used two to fifty.
Speaker 2 (13:58):
All that people will all always try to find like
the bad things about anyone. I'm not gonna gonna be
able to satisfy, to satisfy, to make happy everyone. And
I'm not even trying to have a how would I
say this? And social status? You know, I want to
(14:19):
be accepted for for from everyone.
Speaker 1 (14:22):
Do you like that the fight better with the like contention,
like where you guys are arguing back and.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
Forth, whatever happens. I always say like this, whatever happened,
whatever happens is good for me. If I have this
kind of reality with with Justin, it's good. It has
to happen like this. With with Charles, I didn't have
this kind of of reality. It had to happen like this,
Like in every fight, you never know what's going to happen.
(14:50):
I don't base my confidence my fate on the external
ward whatever happens. I don't care like every anything can
happen in the external ward. The only thing that I
can control, it's myself, my tough process, my emotions. This
is all I care about.
Speaker 1 (15:07):
So what is what are the goals for Iliot to pour?
You right? Your featherweight champ, lightweight champ. You're gonna headline
one of the biggest fight cards, a one on one event. Like,
what is the future for a guy that has everything?
How do you dream about? What's let do you see.
Speaker 2 (15:23):
At this point? Before I had different goals, But before
I was like, I want to become a world champion.
You know when you have that decide when your upcoming fighter,
you have a dream to become a USC world champion.
I was watching your fights, I was like, I want
to be like him one day, and then you Thanks God,
I was able to get the war title, then I
was able to defend it. Then then I was able
(15:44):
to get the second title, and right now I just
get to a realization where I just want to enjoy life.
I just want to enjoy every second that I'm able
to do because no one knows what's going to happen tomorrow,
and all I want to do is enjoy the present.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
They always say, like what it was like, DC, You're
the first guy to defend two belts in two weights.
They told me today that you win the belt, you'll
be the first guy to defend two belts in two
weights undefeated. So it's all he's like, there's another thing, right.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
I think there's gonna be a day that there will
come out another il, different style that he's gonna be
different things that we we we didn't.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
So, yeah, that's amazing. Think about the sport guys. Iliot
Tapouria fights this week in at UFC Freedom to fifty
on the South Lawn at the White House against Justin
Gaichee for the undisputed UFC Lightweight Championship. An amazing human being,
tremendous fighter, undefeated, one of the best promp for pound.
Make sure you tap into everything he does. Watch Ilias
(16:42):
you got a road to this right on your YouTube
channel that you're building. You have, follow Ilia's journey to
the White House and so many other things. He's amazing.
Thank you for checking that. I appreciate you guys. Until
next time, Peace,
All right, guys, you havec freedom to fifty. This is
gonna be one of the greatest fight cards of all time.
And once again I'm always gonna partner with our good
friends at hard Rock Bet to try to get you
guys in on the action right now. Bet only five
dollars or more, and if that original bet hits, you'll
get one hundred and fifty dollars in bonus bets right away.
And look, if you want to show your knowledge in
(00:27):
this sport and make a little cash while you're doing it,
this is the weekend to do that. We got big
fights across the board. Gates versus Taporia, Pereira versus God,
we have Nickel versus Dacas, Zahabi versus Charan O'Malley. We
have big fights all the way up and down this card.
(00:48):
It's only seven fights, so it's a bit of a sprint,
so you can get in on every one of them.
And again, if you bet only five dollars a more,
you'll get one hundred and fifty dollars in bonus bets
right away if the original bet hits, So go to
hard Rock Bet, download the app, and get it on
the action right now. You have see Freedom two fifty
goes down this weekend from Washington, DC. Make sure you're
(01:10):
a part of it. Payable and bonus bets is not
a cash offer offered by the Seminal Tribe of Florida
and Florida offered by Siminal hard Rock Digital LLC. In
all other states. You must be twenty one or older
and physically present in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee,
(01:31):
or Virginia to play. Terms and conditions apply. Concerned about
gambling in Florida called one eight eight eight a d
mit it in Indiana, if you are someone you know
has a gambling problem and wants help, call one eight
hundred nine with it. And if you have a gambling problem,
call one eight hundred gambler. I'm here with an illiot
(02:00):
to Pooria as he gets ready for UFC Freedom two
fifty this week and he fights Justin Gaetchee to uh
to undistribute a champion, but to what is that word? Unified?
Unify the two belts? Justin de Interrim champion champ. How
you feel it?
Speaker 2 (02:15):
Very good? He's gonna try to unify it. I'm already
the under spirited the world champion.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
Yes, you've been saying that it like this weekend. I
was watching you guys on Pat McAfee yesterday. Were gonna
get to that in a second. But this thing started
pretty uh, respectful between you two. You guys were shaking hands,
you were hugging on stage and and all these other things.
But now it's kind of ventured into something that's much more.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
Yeah. I don't know why he wanted to give like
or revality this kind of direction, but yeah, it is
what it is. At the end of the day, we
are gonna we are gonna be fighting each other. He's
gonna try to knock me out. I'm gonna knock him out,
as I told him, And it is what it is.
June fourteen. I hope the best man wins, and I
(02:59):
know that I'm the best man.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
When we had to go back before we can go forward.
So the Charles Olivera fight, you're fighting Charles Olivera. He
gets a takedown for a split second, you get back up,
but leading up to that.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
He didn't get to take it down. What are you
talking about, bro, They counted the takedown no way.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
I swear to god, dude, I don't understand takedowns in
this fucking thing. They counted the takedown. You went down
and got right back up yet, or did you I
ended up in top position, they counted the takedown. They
count takedowns when they're not supposed to. And then sometimes
when a guy goes down, if you hands touch, they
say no takedown.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
No way. I don't get I didn't know that. Yeah no,
I didn't know that that. They conted not take it
down on him.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
But you told him, I'm sorry it has to be
you before the fight.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
Why Because I originally I was supposed to face Islama
and for the lightweight title, and when he decided to
move up, I get the call from the years and
they told me it's going to be Charles. So I
was like, listen, I didn't want wanted you to fight
me because I knew what would happen in a fire
(04:12):
between me and him. And I was like, listen, I'm
so sorry.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
When you hit him.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
I like the guy. How cool is Charles. He's a
great guys, one of the great human beings that I
ever met, like in this sport. Like, he's a great guy.
So be fighting a guy like him. It's kind of tough,
kind of difficult because you try to hate him, but
you can't. The guy has nothing to hate.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
When you hit him with the right hand, he was
gone before you even hit him with the other one.
And he went down like he was already gone, Like
by the time he.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
Was in that moment, You know, DC, like how it works.
You just want to like keep fighting. Yeah, And he
asked till the referee comes in and he decides to
stop you.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
That was crazy to become a double champion that fast.
It was very quick becoming the champ to the double champion.
You get this call that you're going to fight at
the White House. What's the immediate reaction to the White House?
Knowing that you're going to get to fight in headline
a one on one event.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
I was very happy, me and my family, we were
all very happy. I was supposed to fight that game
against Islam. That was the original conversation from the UFC,
like listen and may you are going to be fighting Islam.
We had, I don't know, a long conversation where we
were discussing about a lot of things and it ended
(05:39):
up me fighting Justin.
Speaker 1 (05:44):
Was that a disappointment because I think you in Islam
is the biggest fight. I don't care weight class, heavyweight.
I think you in Islam is the biggest fight the
company could make in any weight class.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
It wasn't a disappointment or when I throw something, I'm like,
I don't take that pressure on me.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
Yeah. Yeah, So it's justin Gaegee. Right. You watch him
versus Patty Pimblet. What do you think in watching that
fight knowing that one of those guys may get the
opportunity to fight you for the undisputed championship?
Speaker 2 (06:17):
What was the question?
Speaker 1 (06:18):
Like, what are you thinking watching those two as they're
fighting each other trying to earn an opportunity.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
Ask you, as a professional skill wise, did you like
to fight like? Skill wise? If you go to the striking,
it's difficult to judge someone who gets the victory. It's
difficult because he won the fight for the interim war title.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
So I said that. I said that to Justin that
I thought he was a little bit wild, and he
told me that was his plan for the fight with Pimblet.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
He planned was to fight as he fucked.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
He said that that was his plan to fight in
that way against Paddy, And he said he recognized very
early that he could take his shots so he could
fight him a little bit different than he would have
to fight against.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
Now, I'm gonna ask you, uh, I'm gonna give you a.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
You're an interviewer. Yeah, you're interviewing me, Elliott.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
What if he show ups and.
Speaker 1 (07:12):
That's not that's not the way to fight you. That's
not the way to fight you mean, like if he
nobody should fight you reckless if like and I they
were just asking me this in the in the front.
They asked me what I thought you should do and
what I thought Justin should do. Right, I know that
you can't stand in front of you. Nobody should stand
(07:33):
in front of you.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
And what he's gonna do, he's gonna be uh, seeking
for for takedowns.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
He's gonna But that's the thing. The right you were
the wrestler when you got here. I think when I
watch you punch, when I watch you punch, all right,
I'll tell you what I'm most amazed about. All Right,
what I'm most amazed about is when I watch you punch,
you don't like step over your feet or anything. It's
like your base is like when you hit Charles with
the right hand and then the left hand. It's not
(08:00):
like your feet were too closed. They weren't too wide.
The base was like very where it was supposed to be.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
My power is generated from my hips exactly.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
So if so, if I was fighting you, I would
try to just move to never let your feet completely settle,
because I can't imagine maybe.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
The same time you have to you never have to
forget that I'm one of the best closing the distance
and closing.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
The angle exactly. But but I did.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
It with Walk, who is the best best moving movie life.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
But in the first round was the only chance he
had because he was conflict.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
But then by the time point, at some point they
have to stop, they need to get the rest, they
need to stop. And this is when my time arrives.
Because he connected me with a couple of punches and
he started laughing on me, and I told him in
a fight, my tune will come.
Speaker 1 (08:52):
Soon, because said that the vulcan said that to Walk.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
When he started laughing, he started to point me with
with a finger and I told, don't worry, because my
time will come soon. And like once he gets tired,
because it makes you feel tired.
Speaker 1 (09:07):
When you're running, when you're stalking.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
Yeah, closing the distance all the time, closing the angles,
all that. At some point you need to stop, you
need to get that rest.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
It's your presence, Like your presence is always like in
the face all the time, and when the presence is dude.
That's why when I would fight, I would always kind
of pursue people because when you run backwards, you start
to get fatigued and then you can get grabbed. But again,
like I said, I would try to move because I
can't imagine you can generate that much power when you're
chasing me.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
But I'm not generating the power in the moment that
I'm chasing you. I'm not doing anything. I'm just like pressuring,
pressuring pressure, waiting for my moment. I'm not wasting my
energy like an idiot. I'm not throwing punches at one
hundred percent when I'm chasing you. No, I'm just closing
the distance, closing the distance, going with the basic punches,
(10:00):
with the basic moments, like with the jab. May I
I'm I'm gonna feigd a takedown that may I'm gonna
go for the takedown. May I go for the calfcakes?
May I do like the basic moments that doesn't require
me to waste a lot of energy. But once I'm
able to stop you the corner of you, then.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
When my when you moments come, when my moment, I
think you're three. This last three fights have been amazing,
but I think, honestly, for me personally, the most impressive
fight was josh Emmett. Whenever you were in it was
Orlando or Tampa or wherever the fun we were Jacksonville.
That shit was crazy because you beat him bad, and
the fact that he stayed in there was was nuts.
(10:42):
But let's get to justin yesterday, you guys are talking
on the Pat McAfee show, and you're going back and forth, right,
but you're almost sure that you're going to knock him out. Now,
these people, they said to me, would you be surprised
if Illian knocked him out as early as I said,
It's kind of hard to be surprised because every time
(11:03):
I sit with this kid, and I said, I call
you kid because you're younger than me. But I said, uh,
I said, he talks to you with this like really
soft tone, and he's like very confident. I said, he's
very confident. He never breaks eye contact. I go, but
he makes eye contact and he talks in this really
soft tone. But he told me in Anaheim, I flew
(11:23):
down there to talk to him. I wasn't working, and
you said, I'm gonna knock him out and I said, iliya,
he's Alexander Volkanowski And you said, DC, it's different. And
then when you thought Max, I said, this is a
this is a big one. You said, I'm gonna knock
him out. I said, but nobody's knocked him out.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
D C.
Speaker 1 (11:43):
It's different, And I said, so, would it surprised me
if something happens that? He told me no. But my
question is, do you really believe that you can get
Justin Gatgee out of there as early as you're saying
to everyone.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
Listen, if he's gonna do what he's being saying, that
he's going to move forward and do all those kinds
of things, I'm going to put him to sleep in
in the first two minutes. Why because this is all
I need. I need my opponents to stop in the
middle with me, to start the exchange punches, and I'm
the best in there. I'm the best in the pocket.
(12:18):
If he starts running, may may it goes to the
second round, to the third round. But at the end
of the day, I'm gonna end up catching him, like
I know that the finish will will arrive at some point.
You mentioned the fight against Josh Emmitt. That fire was
a little bit different. I had different things going on
in that fight. I had a very bad wycut. But
(12:38):
this time, like I have everything on point. My waycout
is going amazing. I felt one hundred percent. My power
is in there, my speed is in there, the skills
are in there, and I'm sure I know like I
could finish just in striking in the ground, Like even
my stamina is better than his, Like every thing is
(13:00):
better than his. So if you compare those skills to
my skills to his skills, like I'm way better than him.
This is a fire business. Everything can happened, right, and
this is what makes our sports so beautiful because everything
can happen and in one second, but a miracle has
to happen.
Speaker 1 (13:21):
That's not that's not the fairy tale ending that Americans
will be watching this fight.
Speaker 2 (13:27):
For we all Americans. America is built from the talent
from all our all.
Speaker 1 (13:34):
All of our ancestors.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
Yeah so yeah, but all Americans.
Speaker 1 (13:39):
I was telling someone, I was telling the media that
I go, yeah, Well, sometimes if you make idiot a
bad guy, sometimes the bad guy may get the opportunity
to win.
Speaker 2 (13:46):
Why I'm the bad guy have the confidence? Well, what's
about it?
Speaker 1 (13:50):
No, No, it's not bad that you're confident. It's like
sometimes it's people like to go good American kid, white house.
All this used two to fifty.
Speaker 2 (13:58):
All that people will all always try to find like
the bad things about anyone. I'm not gonna gonna be
able to satisfy, to satisfy, to make happy everyone. And
I'm not even trying to have a how would I
say this? And social status? You know, I want to
(14:19):
be accepted for for from everyone.
Speaker 1 (14:22):
Do you like that the fight better with the like contention,
like where you guys are arguing back and.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
Forth, whatever happens. I always say like this, whatever happened,
whatever happens is good for me. If I have this
kind of reality with with Justin, it's good. It has
to happen like this. With with Charles, I didn't have
this kind of of reality. It had to happen like this,
Like in every fight, you never know what's going to happen.
(14:50):
I don't base my confidence my fate on the external
ward whatever happens. I don't care like every anything can
happen in the external ward. The only thing that I
can control, it's myself, my tough process, my emotions. This
is all I care about.
Speaker 1 (15:07):
So what is what are the goals for Iliot to pour?
You right? Your featherweight champ, lightweight champ. You're gonna headline
one of the biggest fight cards, a one on one event. Like,
what is the future for a guy that has everything?
How do you dream about? What's let do you see.
Speaker 2 (15:23):
At this point? Before I had different goals, But before
I was like, I want to become a world champion.
You know when you have that decide when your upcoming fighter,
you have a dream to become a USC world champion.
I was watching your fights, I was like, I want
to be like him one day, and then you Thanks God,
I was able to get the war title, then I
was able to defend it. Then then I was able
(15:44):
to get the second title, and right now I just
get to a realization where I just want to enjoy life.
I just want to enjoy every second that I'm able
to do because no one knows what's going to happen tomorrow,
and all I want to do is enjoy the present.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
They always say, like what it was like, DC, You're
the first guy to defend two belts in two weights.
They told me today that you win the belt, you'll
be the first guy to defend two belts in two
weights undefeated. So it's all he's like, there's another thing, right.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
I think there's gonna be a day that there will
come out another il, different style that he's gonna be
different things that we we we didn't.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
So, yeah, that's amazing. Think about the sport guys. Iliot
Tapouria fights this week in at UFC Freedom to fifty
on the South Lawn at the White House against Justin
Gaichee for the undisputed UFC Lightweight Championship. An amazing human being,
tremendous fighter, undefeated, one of the best promp for pound.
Make sure you tap into everything he does. Watch Ilias
(16:42):
you got a road to this right on your YouTube
channel that you're building. You have, follow Ilia's journey to
the White House and so many other things. He's amazing.
Thank you for checking that. I appreciate you guys. Until
next time, Peace,
Hosts And Creators
Colin Cowherd
Jason McIntyre
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