Last Sunday, the Spanish champion Ilia Topuria took the kick-off at the Santiago Bernabéu, the stage where wants to run the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). “Being able to shine at the Bernabéu is an honour. It seems that all the stars have aligned and what is going to happen. I do not have doubts“, he defended in the first public appearance he made in Spain after beating Alexander Volkanovski. There is nothing official, but the public statement appears whenever the Hispanic-Georgian appears, who, among other plans, is working to create an MMA (martial arts) promoter. mixed) with Pique.
There are also no doubts on the part of Real Madrid, eager to convert their renovated temple of 80,000 people into the place where the UFC lands. And if it can be, with Conor McGregor as a rival. As will happen with the NFL of American football, which has already officially announced that starting in 2025 it will take games to the Bernabéu. The white stadium could be the scene of a boxing event rather than a mixed martial arts event. It is one of the options being considered for the celebration of ‘The Evening of the Year 4’. The details of the event organized by Kosmos, chaired and founded by Gerard Piquéwill be announced this Monday.
The CEO of the UFC: “We will surely go to Spain, we still don’t know where”
In a program on ‘Cadena Cope’, Jaime Ugarte, a commentator who has accompanied Ibai Llanos in the three previous editions, hinted that the Bernabéu would host one of the biggest entertainment events held in Spain. The ‘streamer’ was quick to deny a news that he carries with great zeal: “Jaime Ugarte has not been able to ‘leak’ (reveal) anything, because he does not know where ‘La Velada’ is. “What I understand he meant is that he would fill the Bernabéu, nothing more.”
The first and second Evenings of the year were held at the Badalona Olympic Pavilion. The third took place at the Cívitas Metropolitano, Atlético’s fiefdom. Ibai Llanos, a declared Real Madrid fan, like Topuria, He has never hidden his interest in bringing events to the Santiago Bernabéu. If the white fiefdom is finally chosen for ‘The Evening of the Year 4’ it would serve as a general rehearsal, due to the typology of the event, for a hypothetical UFC event.
Topuria takes for granted the arrival of MMA (mixed martial arts) to Spain supported by the comments made by Dana White, CEO of the competition that is causing a sensation in the national territory. “Surely we will go to Spain. We don’t know exactly who Ilia’s opponent would be. It remains to be seen in which venue and when we will do it, but we will go to Spain,” he confirmed. In the public conversation the Santiago Bernabéu was suggested and White showed his enthusiasm: “What capacity does the Bernabeu?”. They answered that 80,000 spectators. “Is it closed?” Dana replied. They confirmed the retractable roof option. “It can be done. Ok. I like it. If there is a pavilion available, it will be done”.
Ilia Topuria took the kick-off in Real Madrid-Sevilla. /DAZN
A promoter of Piqué and Topuria for a UFC league in Spain
It should be noted that the day before, Lawrence Epstein, director of operations of the UFC, He also opened the door to Barcelona and estimated that they would enter the Spanish market in 12 or 18 months.. However, the effect of Topuria’s victory has accelerated the landing. The company, which was once on the brink of disappearance, wants to take advantage of the momentum. The Hispano-Georgian is in the same line of work. And here Piqué enters the scene again, with whom he is trying to set up a UFC championship or league in Spain..
For months, the former FC Barcelona player and the fighter have been in talks to create a promoter that is in charge of organizing the fights in national territory. “Piqué really likes MMA. We were talking, because we are going to see if we have an MMA promoter in Spain. We have talked about many things. “It’s the first time I’ve met him,” he said at the end of December on ‘ESPN’. This doesn’t necessarily mean that Piqué is going to collaborate in the organization of a future UFC event at the Bernabéu, but if this prospers alliance, The CEO of Kosmos will position himself in Spain as a pioneer in mixed martial arts.
Likewise, it will give Topuria the experience in national territory to organize similar events. It is not the only business connection that exists between Piqué and the Hispanic-Georgian fighter, whom the Government of Spain will “help” fulfill “his dream of having a Spanish DNI”, as Pedro Sánchez announced yesterday in the reception he gave to the champion of the UFC in Moncloa. The Kings League organized by Kosmos – it is also on the table that the Bernabéu could host a final – hrecently signed a sponsorship agreement with Keio Mobilepromoted by Ilia Topuria together with her brother Aleksandre, who will soon debut in the UFC.
Sponsorship of Keio in the Kings League and good harmony between Ibai and Topuria
Keio Mobile, recently presented, is a telecommunications company linked to health and sports. Among other functions, it offers its users VIP access to gyms and gives them access to a mobile ‘app’ that serves as a personal trainer. It also offers rates mobiles. The company occupies the back of the shirt of all the clubs, a position that last year I had Xiaomi and it was blank at the beginning of this season.
The other end of this triangle is Ibai Llanos, who in September 2023 posted a message in ‘X’ with photos of Ilia Topuria, the Santiago Bernabéu, the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City and the boxer Saúl ‘Canelo’ Álvarez. The first two images are related to the possible landing of the UFC and the last two are also on the agenda of the Hispanic-Georgian fighter. “When we go to boxing and fight Canelo, there it would be God’s destiny. I have never done it, although I will prepare as much as possible,” Topuria said at the press conference in which he offered his belt to the Spanish public.
The UFC world champion sent a message to Ibai Llanos in September, confirming the good harmony that exists between the two. “Ibai, if you want to know how to have a real evening, call me, because this is not going to be the one of the year, it’s going to be the one of the century,” said Topuria, who on another occasion said that he would find the idea of organizing an event together interesting. They are communicating vessels that reinforce the relationship between the fighter, Piqué and Ibai, with sports entertainment as the axis and the Bernabéu as a hypothetical setting for the events.
2024-02-28 11:50:55
#Piqué #Topuria #bring #UFC #Bernabéu
