Aleksandre Topuria: the older brother, his own career and a shared grappling base

Aleksandre Topuria was born on 28 January 1996 in Halle, Germany, into a Georgian family. He is Ilia Topuria’s older brother, his long-time training partner, and a UFC fighter himself: 7 wins and 1 loss as a professional, and 2–0 in the UFC.

Where his grappling comes from

The brothers’ paths have been connected since childhood. After the family returned to Georgia in 2003, they started Greco-Roman wrestling. In 2012 they moved to Alicante in Spain and started training jiu-jitsu and MMA at the Climent club, under the Argentine brothers Jorge and Agustín Climent. In 2018 both Topurias received their jiu-jitsu black belts together. In 2025 they launched Topuria Team in Madrid.

How he fights

His early professional wins show the grappling base clearly: in 2015 he won one fight with an armbar and another with a rear naked choke, both in the first round. After a single loss that year, he took six years away from competition and came back in 2021 with three first-round TKOs in a row.

In the UFC he has won both fights on points: against Colby Thicknesse in Sydney in February 2025 and against Bekzat Almakhan in Doha in November 2025. Next, he fights Santiago Luna in Doha on 21 November 2026.

What someone who trains three times a week can take from it

• Your training partner shapes you. Few people have a training partner like Aleksandre’s. But everyone trains with someone, and the best rounds come from people who push you every week.
• Wrestling first, then jiu-jitsu. Both brothers started with wrestling as children and added jiu-jitsu later. That order shows in how comfortable they are standing and on the ground.
• A long break doesn’t have to be the end. Six years away didn’t end his career. Earlier training helps when you come back, though timing and fitness take time to rebuild.