
Like Brother, Like Brother? Aleksandre Topuria Debuts at UFC 312
Aleksandre Topuria is the older brother of reigning UFC featherweight champion, Ilia Topuria. He makes his promotional debut this weekend at UFC 312 in Sydney, Australia. The bantamweight standout has all eyes on him. However, he faces a tough challenge to date in enemy territory. Aleksandre takes on a short-notice replacement in undefeated Australian, Colby Thicknesse.
Despite UFC 312 featuring two title fights at the top of the bill… Fans and pundits are intrigued by this bantamweight prelim matchup.
Aleksandre Topuria vs. Colby Thicknesse
This scrap features a showdown between two new UFC signees. 29-year-old Aleksandre Topuria (5-1-0) hopes to excite fans as much as his younger brother Ilia does. He is making his UFC debut against undefeated 25-year-old, Colby Thicknesse (7-0-0). Thicknesse comes from a sharp amateur background. He consistently trains with former UFC featherweight champion, Alexander Volkanovski. Topuria was initially scheduled to face Cody Haddon. However, Haddon withdrew due to an injury to his medial cuneiform bone in his right foot.
Topuria is the heavy-betting favorite against the late replacement Thicknesse. The Georgian bantamweight’s trajectory as a pro has been unsteady, to say the least. He last appeared inside the cage in May 2023 for The Way of Warrior Fighting Championship. Aleksandre debuted professionally back in 2015, where he quickly fought three times. He would go on to take a six-year hiatus from the cage and return in 2021. Since returning, Topuria has gone on a three-fight win streak, all coming via first-round TKO.
That said, Topuria has yet to face stiff competition as a professional. However, that situation will change at UFC 312. His opponent, Thicknesse, has been highly active in the cage recently. The young undefeated Australian racked up a jaw-dropping four wins in 2024, with three coming via stoppage. Colby will be looking to make a statement with a win over Topuria.
Topuria and Thicknesse have quite a bit in common heading into this bout. Both men fight in the orthodox stance, and are entering the biggest fight of their careers. Expect them to exchange lead low kicks and gauge the boxing range early. Topuria’s approach will likely focus on pressuring Thicknesse toward the cage. This strategy will create openings for winging hooks on the feet and level changes for takedowns. Thicknesse will look to circle the cage and weather the early storm from a ferocious puncher like Topuria. The Australian will be best served trying to get this fight to the ground and securing the back.
The UFC 312 prelims will stream live on ESPN+ starting at 8PM ET / 5PM PT.
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