Footage has been released showing UFC featherweight prospect Ilia Topuria wrapped in towels struggling to cut weight before he pulled out of his UFC 270 bout.
Undefeated featherweight contender Topuria was scheduled to meet Charles Jourdain on the preliminary card of UFC 270 on Saturday night, but pulled out due to weight-cutting issues.
In footage released by Setanta Sports, the Georgian fighter can be seen reciting a poem from his home country as he struggles to cut weight for the bout.
"They were born in Georgia and then they worried about this. Eh...at least for a minute let return to us, our childhood and our beauty," Topuria said in the video.
"A Georgian will not commit suicide, no, he may die in war with one hope: let my life live forever in this country and repeat itself.
"When people died in Georgia more and more worried about this. Eh...at least for a minute let return to us, our childhood and our beauty.
Our courage accompanies us from olden times, let everyone understand let everyone know we may die in war, but not even then we will forsake our life.
"Because life blossoms like this, shut every door of death and glory that happy day, when we were born."
Topuria was originally scheduled to fight Movsar Evloev at the UFC 270 event, but Jourdain replaced Evloev after he withdrew due to a positive Covid-19 test.
Jourdain successfully weighed in for the fight despite Topuria's withdrawal, with the Canadian fighter stating he "did his part" of the job.
"145. I'm not allowed on the official scale cause the fight is off. 9 days. I did my part," he wrote.
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'El Matador' was furious with his original UFC 270 opponent Evloev's withdrawal from their fight and said the Russian could no longer declare himself undefeated.
"Movsar is not undefeated anymore. He lost his undefeated record because he didn’t come here," he said.
"He told me that he will use me like a red rag. Here I bring this red rag here where he is? No one knows. So f*** him.”
Topuria was signed to the UFC in 2020 and won his promotional debut by outpointing Youssef Zalal.
The 25-year-old has since won consecutive fights by knockout, stopping talented grappler Ryan Hall at UFC 264 in his last fight.
Topuria fought for the Cage Warriors bantamweight title before being signed to the UFC, but despite winning the bout he was ineligible to win the belt after missing weight.
