Former UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria showed glimpses of the champion he would become after just a handful of fights in the promotion.

Fans instantly began to appreciate him for his precise striking, fluid combinations, and staggering power. There was one question, though, that kept coming up; why did he have a hole above his knee?

In July 2022, El Matador posted a photo of himself on Instagram entering the Octagon, where he had a visible scar that looked like a hole just above his left knee.

MMA fans immediately began to speculate as to the cause of the scar, with some fans theorising that it could have been the result of a staph infection or a medical procedure like amniocentesis, which is a prenatal test performed by a doctor to assess the health of an unborn child, while others hypothesised that it could’ve been the result of an injury.

Conspiracies as to the cause of the scar have continued to emerge over recent years, but the most popular fan theory was that it had been caused by a gunshot wound, which had healed but left a hole-shaped scar.

Ilia Topuria Put Gunshot Wound Theory to Bed

Speculation grew to the point where Ilia had to shut it down

Topuria was confronted with these rumours by Shak MMA’s Shakiel Mahjouri, who told him that fans were convinced that the Spanish-Georgian fighter had been shot when he was younger, asking him to clarify the cause of the scar.

The 28-year-old was quick to dismiss these theories, clarifying that the scar was caused by a childhood injury.

Mahjouri then joked that the actual cause of the scar was far less exciting than the bullet wound theory, and a smiling Topuria responded: “No, it’s not a bullet.”

Ilia Topuria Returns at UFC Freedom 250

In one of the quickest, most impressive runs the sport has recently seen, Topuria captured both featherweight and lightweight gold, with knockout victories over Alexander Volkanovski, Max Holloway, and Charles Oliveira.

This momentum has been slightly curtailed in recent months, with his time outside the Octagon almost reaching a year. A well-documented divorce played a part in this absence, with the interim lightweight belt being brought into action.

Of course, Justin Gaethje managed to get the better of Paddy Pimblett and ultimately set up this eagerly anticipated match-up. This weekend will see Topuria, the young star on a rampage of finishing big names in the sport, go up against Gaethje, for whom it could be one last dance, one last shot at gold after coming up short twice before.

If the occasion didn’t write itself, the two have also been going back and forth during fight week. It’s become personal, making the clash at the White House all the more exciting.

United States broadcaster FOX has sparked massive backlash after breaking a FIFA rule in the opening game of the World Cup between Mexico and South Africa.

The 2026 World Cup officially got underway on Thursday as Mexico took on South Africa at the Azteca Stadium.

It was the hosts that cruised to victory in a match that featured three red cards. South Africa duo Yaya Sithole and Themba Zwane, as well as Mexico’s Cesar Montes, were all sent off as the hosts won 2-0.

Football fans watching the match on FOX were not happy at all with the broadcaster for their coverage of the game, though.

FOX Break FIFA Rule During Mexico vs South Africa

Eloisa Sanchez via Reuters

Due to the high temperatures in North America for this World Cup, FIFA have instituted two mandatory, three-minute hydration breaks, which will take place in the middle of both halves.

FOX, the home of the World Cup in the United States, took the opportunity to go straight to commercials when the hydration breaks were called.

The broadcaster proceeded to show so many ads during the hydration break that it went over the allotted time. When FOX returned from their ad break, the match had already resumed and fans watching had missed a portion of the game because of the ads.

Football fans watching the match on FOX were, understandably, not very happy at all.

The Athletic’s Tom Bogert said: “All it took was literally the second hydration break for FOX to run too many commercials and miss some live action. Absolutely ridiculous conceit.​​​​​​”

While Paul Tenorio, also of the Athletic, said: Fox comes back late from its hydration break commercials. Unreal. Second break of the tournament, and we’re already missing live World Cup action. Brutal and embarrassing.”

A FIFA source revealed to the Athletic that broadcasters were told the ad break shouldn’t start within 20 seconds of the referee’s whistle pausing play, and that they should return to the match feed at least 30 seconds before play resumes.

FOX broke the rules in both halves.

How Other Broadcasters Covered the Hydration Break

Henry Romero via Reuters

In the United Kingdom, ITV did not cut away from the match and instead focused on the players with commentator insight. Australian and Danish broadcasters both stayed with the feed as well.

In Germany, Magenta TV went on a full ad break. While in Argentina, Telefé went to a full break, but DirecTV Sports stuck with the match feed.

Interestingly, Telemundo, the Spanish-language broadcast rights holder in the United States, did not cut away to commercials. They have insisted they will stay with the match feed throughout the tournament.

The World Cup continues on Friday, with Canada taking on Bosnia and Herzogovina, and United States going head-to-head with Paraguay.

Aston Villa are planning a push to sign a record-breaking Premier League striker this summer, as Sportsboom reports that Unai Emery is keen on adding a star who can help Ollie Watkins up front.

The Villans are preparing for a return to the Champions League, which comes with a busy schedule and a jump in quality from the Europa League that they won last season.

While there is a chance that Unai Emery could lose key players, as Morgan Rogers has been linked with an exit, the focus will be on bringing new players into the squad to strengthen further.

The midfield is a key area to consider after so many injuries there last season, but the forward line also appears to be under consideration for the summer transfer window, with an ambitious move being plotted.

Aston Villa Want Igor Thiago Move

As Aston Villa look into the striker market, Sportsboom reports that the side are interested in a move for Brentford striker Igor Thiago this summer.

It’s claimed that Emery has been keen on the Brazilian forward for some time, with a last-minute approach to sign the forward being turned down back in January.

The manager believes that Thiago would be an ideal option to complement Ollie Watkins up front, who has carried the weight of the centre-forward position for some time.

Not only would it lighten the goalscoring burden on the England international, but the skillset that the Brentford star possesses is viewed as ideal for a potential partnership.

Any deal could prove to be difficult, however, due to the Bees holding all the cards when it comes to the striker’s contract situation. Thiago signed a new contract earlier this season to reward him for his impressive form, with the new deal now taking his stay at the Gtech Stadium until 2031.

It remains to be seen whether any deal could be discussed between the two teams, though there may be other problems that come with such a move.

Aston Villa Striker Balance

A move for Thiago makes sense for many top teams, especially as the star striker broke the record for the most goals from a Brazilian in the Premier League in the past season.

His tally of 22 for the previous campaign was only bettered by Erling Haaland, while he brings plenty of energy and an ability to hold up the ball and bring others into play.

There are questions over how the balance may work between Thiago and Watkins if he joins, however, with a similar dynamic occurring between the England international and Jhon Duran a few seasons ago.

In the end, neither could co-exist in the same space, as Watkins was backed to stay and Duran ended up leaving the club for an opportunity elsewhere.

It remains to be seen how such a dynamic could work again this time around, but it would be a factor to consider with any deal.