Why Ilia Topuria Has a Hole Above His Left Knee

Former UFC Featherweight Champion Ilia Topuria showed glimpses of the champion he would become after just a handful of fights in the promotion. Fans instantly began to appreciate him for his precise striking, fluid combinations and staggering power. There was one question, though, that kept coming up; why did he have a hole above his knee?

In July 2022, ‘El Matador’ posted a photo of himself on Instagram entering the Octagon, where he had a visible scar that looked like a hole just above his left knee. MMA fans immediately began to speculate as to the cause of the scar, with some fans theorising that it could have been the result of a staph infection or a medical procedure like amniocentesis, which is a prenatal test performed by a doctor to assess the health of an unborn child, while others hypothesised that it could’ve been the result of an injury.

Conspiracies as to the cause of the scar have continued to emerge over recent years, but the most popular fan theory was that it had been caused by a gunshot wound, which had healed but left a hole-shaped scar.

Ilia Topuria Put Gunshot Wound Theory to Bed

Speculation grew to the point where Ilia had to shut it down

Topuria was confronted with these rumours by Shak MMA’s Shakiel Mahjouri, who told him that fans were convinced that the Spanish-Georgian fighter had been shot when he was younger, askeing him to clarify the cause of the scar. The 28-year-old was quick to dismiss these theories, clarifying that the scar was caused by a childhood injury.

“I got a cut when I was a child with a crystal. When I was a child, I was playing with my friends, and yeah, I just got a cut with a crystal.”

Mahjouri then joked that the actual cause of the scar was far less exciting than the bullet wound theory, and a smiling Topuria responded: “No, it’s not a bullet.”

Ilia Topuria Returns to the Octagon at UFC 317

Fan favourite seeks gold in a second weight class vs Charles Oliveira

Topuria officially vacated his featherweight crown earlier this year – admitting that the challenge of cutting down to 145 lbs had become too great. He only made one defence of the title that he won by defeating Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 in February 2024. However, that sole defence saw him deliver a career-best performance as he knocked out Max Holloway at UFC 309.

Since that October 2024 bout, Topuria has been away from the Octagon, preparing for a move to lightweight. Recent comparison images show him looking far more muscular than he did in his last UFC appearance as he prepares to take on Charles Oliveira for the vacant UFC Lightweight Championship at UFC 317.

Ilia Topuria & Charles Oliveira’s professional MMA records (as of 27/06/25)
	Ilia Topuria	Charles Oliveira
Fights	16	46
Wins	16	35
Losses	0	10
No contests	0	1

Topuria has fought at lightweight once before – knocking out Jai Herbert in the second round at UFC London in 2022. However, in former champion Oliveira, Topuria faces a far stiffer test if he is to become only the 10th fighter in UFC history to hold a championship in two separate weight classes.