Lazaro Dayron, a sparring partner of Ilia Topuria with a record of 10-0-1, has asked the UFC featherweight champion to work more gently during their training sessions. The post notes that Topuria currently holds a record of 17-0 overall and 9-0 in the UFC. Interestingly, Dayron was wearing a shirt featuring Buvaisar Saitiev, a legendary Russian wrestler, during the sparring session. The request suggests that Topuria's intensity in training has been particularly demanding on his sparring partners.
Ilia Topuria's sparring partners are apparently finding it difficult to keep up with the featherweight-turned-lightweight contender in the gym, with training partner Lazaro Dayron recently requesting that "El Matador" ease off the intensity during their sessions.
Topuria, 29, currently sits at 17-1 and holds the number-two ranking in the lightweight division, while also sitting atop the pound-for-pound rankings. The Spaniard, who trains out of Climent Club, stands five-foot-seven with a 69-inch reach and brings relentless pressure in competition, averaging 4.81 significant strikes landed per minute at a 48 percent accuracy rate. He also adds a consistent wrestling threat, averaging nearly two takedowns per 15 minutes alongside 1.1 submission attempts in the same span, making him a genuinely complete fighter to prepare for — or, evidently, to share a gym floor with.
Dayron, nicknamed "The Hunter," carries an unbeaten record of 9-0-1 at 33 years old and hails from Cuba. Standing five-foot-six with a 67-inch reach, the compact fighter has remained undefeated throughout his career. He was spotted wearing a shirt featuring the image of Buvaisar Saitiev, the legendary Russian wrestler, during the session in question — a detail that underlines the wrestling-heavy culture within Topuria's training environment.
Why it matters
- Topuria's training intensity offers a window into how seriously he is preparing as a top-two lightweight contender and the pound-for-pound number-one fighter in the sport.
- The detail about Saitiev's image on Dayron's shirt signals a wrestling-focused training camp, relevant given Topuria's own takedown numbers.
- Even an undefeated fighter in Dayron found the work load demanding, underlining the level Topuria operates at behind closed doors.
