Dana White lost gaming match playing as Topuria vs. Adin Ross' Tsarukyan

UFC president Dana White found himself on the wrong end of a virtual knockout during a casual gaming session with content creator Adin Ross on April 9, picking up a loss that required an apology.

White selected Ilia Topuria as his fighter of choice, while Ross went with Arman Tsarukyan. The result did not go White's way, as Topuria's in-game character was knocked out, prompting the UFC boss to offer an apology following the defeat.

Topuria, nicknamed "El Matador," carries a 17-1-0 professional record and currently sits as the number-one pound-for-pound fighter in the world, ranked second in the lightweight division. The 29-year-old from Spain, who stands five-foot-seven with a 69-inch reach, averages 4.81 significant strikes landed per minute and has built a reputation as one of the sport's most dangerous finishers.

Tsarukyan, who fights under the nickname "Ahalkalakets," holds a 23-3-0 record and sits at number one in the lightweight rankings, making him the top-ranked contender in the division. The 29-year-old Russian trained out of American Top Team brings a wrestling-heavy style to go alongside his striking, averaging 3.26 takedowns per 15 minutes with a 50 percent striking accuracy rate and a 72-inch reach that gives him a three-inch advantage over Topuria.

Why it matters

• Both fighters are the top two ranked lightweights in the world, making them natural rivals in real competition as well as virtually.
• The gaming session highlights the real-life stakes of the Topuria-Tsarukyan matchup at lightweight, with the division's top two spots held by the two characters selected.
• The pound-for-pound number-one ranking held by Topuria adds further weight to any matchup between these two, even in a video game setting.