Ilia Topuria isn’t just fighting in the Octagon. He’s solving a puzzle, strike by strike. In a recent clip shared by Full Send MMA on social media, the undefeated lightweight champion showed off what might be the most detailed analytical prep from a UFC fighter. But not everyone is convinced about it being a groundbreaking new approach.

In the clip shared on X, while chatting with Nelk Boys’ Kyle Forgeard, Topuria revealed a dossier of striking data on his phone, complete with zones in the cage numbered for comfort and activity. It wasn’t just about footage. It was pure science. Topuria stated, “This is like how many low kicks he throws. How many low kicks with the left, with the right, with the middle kick, da da da.”

Forgeard’s reaction? “Wow, you might have to come see this” as he called over to the cameraman to take a close look. But Topuria wasn’t done as he continued by sharing, “Look at this, like he gives me the resume of all his fights, all the punches he throws, everything he does and which place in the Octagon he feels comfortable, like…Where he throws more punches? Because we have like numbers, like for example, like the corner of the octagon is the number one, the middle is the number two, this place is the number three.”

And just like that, the Georgian-Spanish champion let the world peek into the engine room of his war machine. His breakdown isn’t just about watching tape like Jon Jones famously did. It’s about control. He wants to know where his opponent likes to be in the cage. And then he refuses to let them be there as he further shared, “So I’m not going to give you the chance, the chance to be there. I’m going to f— you. I’m going to fight for that place. I’m going to put you in a place where you don’t feel comfortable, where you don’t know how to fight.”

That’s the difference. While many fighters reportedly study tape, few seem to take it to this level of obsession. In fact, ‘El Matador’ even talked about his way of thinking like the enemy, analyzing his own weaknesses from their side of the chessboard. But is this Jon Jones-level of genius at work or just the latest version of a strategy MMA veterans have used for years? Let’s see what the fans had to say.

Ilia Topuria reveals his secret weapon during fight preparation, but fans aren’t too sure about it

One fan pointed out, “if this is not a common thing among coaches of UFC champions then we are really behind as a sport.” The reaction speaks volumes. While Ilia Topuria’s deep dive into opponent analytics seems revolutionary, teams like Fighting Nerds have been using data scientists for years. Their fighters, like Caio Borralho and Mauricio Ruffy, are climbing the ranks with the help of pattern recognition, coding, and predictive modeling.

Another fan wrote, “Eehh doesnt every fighter has that?” It’s a valid point. As mentioned above, Jon Jones is famous for spending countless hours studying tape and coming up with strategies to use inside the cage. But are all fighters doing the same level of research as Topuria and his team? What do you think?

Then there was a nod to history as one fan wrote, “GSP used to study frame data on his opponents so there are precedents of analytics paying off in MMA.” The former welterweight champ once revealed on the Joe Rogan Experience that he had a secret weapon: frame data. “I had a guy who was measuring frames. Nobody knows that. He was watching [the] fight and was making frames with an image,” Georges St-Pierre recalled. This trainer would literally count frames between strikes to determine reaction time!

But another fan added, “genuinely very smart, i assume it’s kind of like a heat map like in basketball? knowing where the “hot spots” are is a pretty good edge to have.” That’s exactly what it sounded like when Topuria described the Octagon zones. Knowing your opponent’s “hot spots” gives a psychological and strategic edge, and maybe, for a fighter like ‘El Matador’, that’s the real key to staying undefeated.

But others weren’t so impressed. One user responded bluntly with, “Bro it’s on UFC website and all other stats. Stop the glaze already.” They’re not wrong; the UFC does offer public stats, but the difference may be in the depth Topuria and his team are going to in order to utilize the statistics that basically everyone else can also use.

Whether Ilia Topuria is pushing the sport forward or simply shining a light on what legends like Jon Jones and Georges St-Pierre did behind the scenes, one thing is clear: the line between fight camp and data lab is getting blurrier. Some fans see his approach as elite-level preparation. Others think it’s just the modern standard with a flashy presentation.

But as the UFC continues to evolve, the question remains: are we entering an era where brains will beat brawn more often than ever before? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!