Aleksandre Topuria has only had one fight in the UFC, but the promotion’s behavior around him suggests they’re already thinking big. Ahead of his second appearance at UFC Qatar, the UFC made a rare move for newcomers. It might seem like a simple gesture on the surface, but it usually indicates a long-term investment.

And, according to Eric Alexander, this is no accident. The Topuria name is quickly becoming a brand, and with Ilia Topuria now one of the UFC’s most talked-about champions, the company seems to be interested in seeing if Aleksandre can generate a similar spark, particularly in the Spanish-speaking market, where the buzz surrounding him is already far louder than in the English-speaking world.

UFC tests Aleksandre Topuria’s star potential ahead of Qatar showdown

Alexander’s analysis revealed the UFC’s clear intentions: “The Topuria name has gained a lot of weight within the UFC… They just published his first fight on their YouTube channel, giving it free access.” He pointed out that the company normally reserves these uploads for headliners or fighters they’re actively promoting, and this kind of treatment for Aleksandre, just one fight into his UFC career, shows they’re testing how profitable he could be, especially considering he is the brother of Ilia ‘El Matador’ Topuria.

In other words, the machine is warming up behind him, testing how loudly the gears can turn. The time could not be better, either. Aleksandre’s second UFC outing isn’t a low-stakes bout hidden in the early prelims. On November 22, he will take on fearsome knockout artist Bekzat Almakhan in Doha, Qatar. For a beginner, this is a trial by fire.

Almakhan has 12 wins and 10 knockouts, and his most recent fight was a one-round victory against Brad Katona. Even his defeat to Umar Nurmagomedov was one of the most difficult debuts someone could have. The UFC didn’t give ‘El Conquistador’ a safe choice; they gave him someone explosive, someone who draws attention by default.

Eric Alexander further explained on the EldoberdanMMA YouTube channel, “Well, these types of moves by the promotion show me that there is a desire to see how far he can go, and the moves are demonstrating it in terms of feelings.” But despite the pressure being thrown upon him by the promotion, Aleksandre is not entering Qatar timidly or tentatively. His preparation has been extremely rigorous, even for him.

‘El Conquistador’ is going all out for this much-anticipated fight

Coming off the UFC’s pressure, Aleksandre Topuria is responding in the only way he knows how: by tightening his focus and pushing harder. As UFC Qatar is just a night away, his training updates carry a clear tone: calm, committed, and focused. He’s considering this camp less as a commercial opportunity and more as a personal checkpoint he refuses to miss.

He has not hidden how demanding this stretch has been. “Nothing about this journey is easy. Every day I test a new limit, push through a new kind of pain,” he said recently, a philosophy that fits a man now facing Bekzat Almakhan. The elder Topuria knows exactly what kind of opponent he’s up against, and he’s preparing accordingly, without drama or excuses.

And this camp provides a different type of motivation. ‘El Conquistador’ has worked behind the scenes for years to mold Ilia Topuria‘s rise, and Ilia’s claim that the 29-year-old is “the better of the two” is not a throwaway comment. Qatar is Aleksandre’s opportunity to move forward on his own terms. With his brother’s guidance and the effort he’s put in, he approaches November 22 with a clear intention: not just to win, but to finally exhibit what he’s been working on all along.