UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria has incorporated a neurostimulator device using infrared light into his training routine, crediting it with dramatically improving his focus and mental recovery. Topuria also revealed that his physiotherapist Raul Valdesuso recently resolved chronic shoulder heaviness using techniques sourced partly through ChatGPT, with Topuria describing the relief as having a significant psychological as well as physical impact on his training quality.
UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria has revealed two unconventional additions to his recovery and performance regimen, including a neurostimulator device powered by infrared light and the use of artificial intelligence in his physiotherapy work.
Topuria, known as El Matador, said the neurostimulator has had a marked effect on his focus and mental recovery between sessions. The 29-year-old described the device as a meaningful upgrade to the cognitive side of his preparation, crediting it with improvements that go beyond the physical.
Equally notable was his disclosure about physiotherapist Raul Valdesuso, who reportedly turned to ChatGPT to source techniques that ultimately resolved a chronic heaviness Topuria had been carrying in his shoulder. Topuria indicated the fix carried both a physical and psychological benefit, with the relief allowing him to train with a quality he had not recently experienced.
The Spanish fighter currently sits at number one in the pound-for-pound rankings and number two in the lightweight division, carrying a 17-1-0 record. Standing five-foot-seven with a 69-inch reach, Topuria operates out of an orthodox stance and trains out of Climent Club. He averages 4.81 significant strikes landed per minute at a 48 percent accuracy rate, and also mixes in nearly two takedown attempts per fifteen minutes alongside regular submission threats.
Why it matters
- Topuria holds UFC gold and the top pound-for-pound spot, meaning any insight into his camp methods draws wide attention across the sport.
- The shoulder issue, now reportedly resolved, had potential implications for both his striking output and his grappling-based game.
- The embrace of AI-assisted physio reflects a broader shift in how elite fighters are approaching sports science and recovery at the highest level.
