Ilia Topuria continues to navigate a serious personal situation that has sidelined him from competition, and the UFC lightweight champion says false information isn’t making things any easier.
Topuria (17-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) revealed this past month that he would be taking a hiatus as he attempts to get through a separation from his wife and determine custody of their two young children. In the midst of everything, however, online aggregators and other news outlets have rehashed unverified stories about a domestic violence element to the story, which has not been validated by any law enforcement or government entity.
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On Friday, a report from El Mundo claimed Topuria had been summoned to a court in Spain over domestic violence allegations. On Saturday, Topuria issued a statement explaining that is not true and defending himself from online speculation.
Check out the complete statement below (via X):
I have always felt deeply grateful for the respectful treatment I have received from the media, who have been-and continue to be an important part of my journey throughout all these years.
Unfortunately, and very much to my regret, I am currently in the news for matters that have nothing to do with sports.
I understand that being a public figure means being exposed to fake news and misleading, sensationalist headlines designed solely to generate clicks, without regard for the truth or the consequences.
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Yesterday, a media outlet published a story with a false headline claiming that I had been summoned to testify in a domestic violence case. That headline later had to be changed because it was not true. I have never been summoned to testify for that reason, although I will of course do so willingly if ever required. The fact is that, due to how the judicial system works, I am required to go to that court, but the summons is solely related to a family and administrative matter concerning my daughter’s travel outside of Spain, whom I have been unable to see for four months despite numerous attempts.
I accept the cost of public exposure, but that does not justify the spread of unverified false information, the distortion of facts, or the disclosure of matters involving a minor who deserves protection. The situation began with a divorce petition filed by me, following weeks of negotiations after our separation. After I refused to accept certain completely unreasonable financial demands, a complaint alleging abuse was filed weeks later-something I had previously been threatened with and which is now being reviewed by the courts.
I continue to place my trust in God, in justice, and in people. I know the truth will prevail, and that I will soon be able to recover one of the two most important things in my life, alongside my son Hugo: my daughter, Giorgina.
All I ask of the media is the same respect and rigor that most of them have always shown me and that they stick to the facts, because the truth follows only one path.
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God bless you.
In Topuria’s absence from the octagon, the UFC has proceeded with an interim 155-pound title fight between Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett, which is set to headline UFC 324 on Jan. 24 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (Paramount+).
Topuria, 28, has not given a timeline of exactly when he will feel prepared to make his comeback, and he has not competed since a first-round knockout of Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 in June to claim the vacant belt.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC’s Ilia Topuria vents on ‘spread of unverified false information’
