Ilia Topuria has set the MMA world talking once again, but this time the attention isn’t on his highlight reel knockouts, or even his championships. Recent social media activity has fuelled rumours of a potential split from wife Giorgina Badell, with fans quick to speculate on what it could mean for the two-weight UFC champion outside the cage.
The undefeated Georgian took to social media for the first time since the rumours began, posting a striking picture of himself in the lead-up to his TKO victory over Charles Oliveira on Instagram, with the caption: “The king is coming. Nobody’s safe. Line them up. The takeover continues!!!”
On the surface, it was a typical image and statement of self-promotion that many fighters would post, but given the timing, alongside the growing whispers of his relationship, it sent fans into overdrive.
Ilia Topuria’s Relationship With Wife Giorgina Badell
The 28-year-old, who rapidly rose to the top of the UFC pound-for-pound rankings, has often shared glimpses of this personal life with his followers on social media. His marriage to Badell has been a visible part of his life, with the couple previously sharing moments from their life together online, until nearly all images of the couple were removed from their accounts, leaving fans convinced a split may be on the cards.
As with much in the MMA world, speculation quickly gave way to humour and creativity from fans online. Some took to the comments on Topuria’s Instagram post to coin tongue-in-cheek nicknames for what they believe could be a new chapter in his career.
One wrote: “Heartbroken Ilia new mythical fighter.” Another suggested: “Freshly dumped Ilia might kill a few dudes in the cage.” A third added: “New fighter unlocked: divorced Ilia.”
As evidenced, the idea of a fighter dealing with emotional upheavals outside the cage only adds to the intrigue of how they’ll perform when the Octagon doors close. It isn’t unusual in combat sports for personal storylines to run parallel to professional ones, with fighters often finding themselves under a spotlight that extends far beyond their athletic ability.
In Topuria’s case, the speculation arrives at a time when he is in the middle of trying to maintain his status as the #1 fighter in the entire UFC. His next fight is yet to be announced, but Justin Gatheje has emerged as the new favourite to fight for the lightweight title, with January’s UFC 324 in Los Angeles being lined up.
For now, neither Topuria nor Badell have publicly addressed the rumours, leaving fans piecing together their own narratives from the shreds of information available online. What is certain, though, is that whatever happens outside the cage, Ilia Topuria will remain a dominant force inside it, and the UFC’s top fighter shows no signs of letting any personal issue affect his status during his prime years.
