Ilia Topuria has made history once again. The Spanish-Georgian fighter has become the lightweight world champion, now holding two UFC belts while maintaining his undefeated record since debuting in the sport. A passionate Real Madrid supporter, "El Matador" has long expressed his desire to fight in Spain, and more specifically, at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.

Following his dominant first-round knockout of Charles Oliveira, which earned him the lightweight crown, Topuria and UFC President Dana White discussed the possibility of staging a major UFC event in Spain. The vision: Topuria headlining at the Bernabéu in what would be a landmark moment for mixed martial arts in the country.

At the post-fight press conference, Topuria made his intentions crystal clear: "I want to take you guys to Spain. You’re going to love it. 2026, Santiago Bernabéu—it’s going to happen; it’s inevitable. It’ll be like a Champions League match—Spain, Georgia, the English fans… it’s going to be wild.”

As for his potential opponent, Topuria hinted at a blockbuster showdown with Paddy Pimblett, stating: "This is a competition. I have to do my job, period. But with Paddy... I’m going to really enjoy beating the hell out of him.”

Dana White confirmed the UFC's ambition to bring an event to Spain: "We’ve been trying to go for a while, and yes, that’s the goal. I really want to do it; we’ll see if we can make it happen.”

Though he stopped short of confirming the Bernabéu as the venue, the possibility remains very much alive.

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