Ilia Topuria‘s star power continues to rise outside of the Octagon as well. Just days after the announcement that ‘El Matador’ will be headlining the historic UFC White House event, the lightweight champion landed a massive endorsement deal with luxury watch brand Richard Mille, a company valued at over $1.5 billion.

The announcement came through a cinematic promo released by the brand, which showed Topuria training while narrating his journey from boyhood to world champion.

“Discipline defines @iliatopuria, the new Richard Mille partner,” the brand wrote in the caption. “He combines an elite mindset, built on composed emotional control, with a powerful fighting style that has defined his identity and taken him to the very top of the sport.

“A rise in power that serves a single purpose: self-happiness.”

In the voiceover, ‘El Matador’ spoke about his early struggles and the mindset that drove his career.

“I’m a professional athlete, a dreamer, and a normal person; at least this is how I consider myself,” he said. “When I was eight years old, my parents had to leave me and my brothers to come to Europe to find a better future for us. The difficult moments gave me the maturity that I feel that I have today.

“Every time that I doubt something, the only thing to keep it away is to work hard, to give the answers to the doubts. The thing that I want to achieve in this life, in reality, is happiness. No one said it would be easy.”

Ilia Topuria is the first fighter from combat sports to join the Richard Mille roster, which has previously included stars from Formula One, tennis, and golf.

“Ilia is the first combat sports star to partner with Richard Mille,” the brand said after the deal. “The 29-year-old fighter’s quiet precision matches the brand’s understated technicality.”

Ilia Topuria, too, couldn’t help but show his excitement about being a part of this massive partnership.

“I feel a lot of pride, because it’s huge—not only for me but for the entire fighting world,” Topuria said.

The timing of the deal is noteworthy, as ‘El Matador’ is preparing for one of his most crucial fights yet. The Spaniard is set to headline the UFC White House event in June, where he will face Justin Gaethje in a lightweight title unification fight.

With the promotion positioning the card as one of the most important shows in its history, Ilia Topuria’s new partnership only strengthens his position as one of the sport’s top names today. However, some feel the main event fight would only put a dent in his career. Why? Because to them, it feels a bit too one-sided. But fret not, as Arman Tsarukyan has offered a solution.

Arman Tsarukyan’s master plan on making the UFC White House main event a competitive one

As mentioned earlier, not everyone believes that Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje will be as competitive as the UFC hopes. Some believe the champion has been overly dominant recently, and Arman Tsarukyan is one of the fighters who believe the clash will be one-sided despite the anticipation surrounding the White House card.

Speaking recently, the No. 2-ranked lightweight claimed he doesn’t think Justin Gaethje would have much success against Ilia Topuria and even offered a strategy to make the bout more exciting. ‘Ahalkalakets’ joked that Gaethje should withdraw from the bout so that he could step in, claiming that a title fight between him and ‘El Matador’ would be significantly more competitive.

“I would recommend him to get injured during his camp and let me step up and get the title,” Tsarukyan told Red Corner MMA. “After that, he can fight me.”

Arman Tsarukyan has been demanding a title shot for months and has become furious after missing out on several huge opportunities. He even made weight as a backup for a previous title battle, but it didn’t help him get closer to the belt. With the White House event approaching without his name on the card, his words prove that he still believes he should compete for the title, even if it means waiting for a last-minute change.