UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria has opened up about his visit to the White House ahead of his title unification bout with interim champion Justin Gaethje on June 14th, calling the experience one he will carry with him for the rest of his life.
Topuria, who holds the undisputed lightweight title, was among several UFC champions who visited the Oval Office in the lead-up to the historic outdoor event. For the Georgian-Spanish athlete, the visit was far more than a promotional stop. It was a moment that left a lasting impression.
“It was so nice to be able to visit for the first time Washington and to be able to go to the White House and to meet the president of America,” Topuria told during the interview. “It was an amazing experience that for sure I am going to keep that for my life’s memory without any doubt.”
What caught Topuria off guard was not the grandeur of the building, but the personality of the man behind the desk. He admitted he expected a certain distance from a sitting president, but found the opposite to be true.
“What surprised me the most was how kind Trump was actually, because you always imagine a president of the country to be a little bit distant, but he was actually so fun,” Topuria said. “He was aware of everything, talking to everyone, trying to have a conversation with everyone to let everyone feel comfortable. That surprised me.”
The visit also reinforced Topuria’s deep admiration for the United States, a country he did not set foot in until joining the UFC. He described his first arrival on American soil as awe-inspiring, pointing to the scale of the cities and the ambition he felt radiating from the people around him.
“I always used to hear when I was a kid about the American dream and I never really understood the meaning of the word, but now I am living the meaning,” he said.
With the White House match now firmly in focus, Topuria expressed full confidence heading into his matchup with Gaethje, predicting a first-round finish.
He also made clear that while Gaethje is a Hall of Fame-caliber star who deserves full respect, he believes the result will be decisive. “I just feel that I am way better than him. It is my time,” he said.
Additionally, Topuria named a matchup with Islam Makhachev as the bout that truly fires his imagination. “The match against Islam for the third belt, that would be something big,” he said.
