Ilia Topuria’s coach Jorge Climent confirmed his split with the fighter ahead of Topuria’s lightweight title bout with Charles Oliveira.
In preparation for his lightweight bout with Oliveira, Topuria announced he would be parting ways with longtime coach Jorge Climent. The coach also confirmed this, but he revealed to Submission Radio that it is perfectly amicable.
“It’s real,” Climent told Submission Radio. “He went to live in Madrid, and I have my own project here with my brother… Ilia went to Madrid. He has his own gym in his house, and he wants all of the energy on him.
We don’t work together anymore. He goes on his own, and we are on ours.”
Climent has been with Topuria throughout his incredible, undefeated rise in the sport of mixed martial arts, including a UFC featherweight title win over Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 in February 2024, along with becoming the first to knock out Max Holloway in his lone title defense at UFC 308 in October. Climent revealed that although the two no longer work together, the relationship is great and there’s no bad blood on either side.
“You feel, always, this is not good for the sentimental feeling, but this is life,” Climent explained. “We go with him on the journey, and now he grows, and he wants to fly away, you know? We are very proud to go as far as we did with him. We are very proud of everything he has done.
“Of course, we are a little sad, but I want everything in his life to continue going well. I want all good for him and his brother, and I think they do the same for us.
“I don’t know what can be in the future. We have our own direction right now. We love him. We love his brother. We know he’s going to beat everybody he fights because he’s the best.
Always, he’s going to be like our son.”
