Hispano-Georgian fighter Ilia Topuria, who last Sunday became the UFC featherweight champion in mixed martial arts by defeating Australian Alexander Volkanovski, performed the honorary kick-off at the match between Real Madrid and Sevilla at the Santiago Bernabéu. He expressed his desire to fight against Irishman Conor McGregor in the same stadium.

Topuria, who admitted to being a fan of Real Madrid upon his arrival in Spain, stating that the club "best represents the values of Spain," also expressed his admiration for Florentino Pérez.

"I will meet him for the first time on Sunday. I am very excited because of all the things he has built; he is a phenomenon," he commented about the president of the white club.

The UFC champion fulfilled his wish this Sunday, also performing the honorary kick-off at the match against Sevilla. For this moment, he had to lend his championship belt to the referee of the match, Díaz de Mera (from the Castilian-Manchego committee), so that he could hold it while he hit the ball.

As he stepped onto the field, he received a thunderous ovation from the crowd in attendance at the match.

It was his first time setting foot on the Santiago Bernabéu turf, a stadium where he insists he wants to fight in what would be the first UFC event in Spain.

"The Santiago Bernabéu is a legendary stadium. For anyone, whether they're in football or any other sport, being able to showcase themselves at the Bernabéu is an honor, and if I have the opportunity to do so, I will push as hard as possible. It seems like all the stars have aligned, and it's going to happen," he said on Thursday.

He also expressed his desire for the fight to be against Conor McGregor, one of the most recognizable figures in the UFC.

Furthermore, after Topuria's honorary kick-off, both teams observed a minute of silence for the victims of the fire as a sign of respect for the ten people who lost their lives in the fire in two buildings in Valencia.