UFC featherweight prospect Ilia Topuria knows exactly what he’s getting into for his next trip to the octagon. Topuria meets the biggest challenge of his young career when he takes on “The Ultimate Fighter 22” winner Ryan Hall on Saturday at UFC 264 in a preliminary bout. Topuria (10-0, 2-0) knows Hall (8-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) presents a vastly different challenge than most fighters he’ll come across, and that’s why he’s prepared for a different kind of matchup. “I won’t lie to you: I didn’t do a preparation or camp for a tough opponent,” Topuria told MMA Junkie in Spanish. “It was more of a strategic camp. We’ve prepared more for a chess match because it’s going to be a very strategic fight where I’ll need to have a lot of patience.
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