Aleksandre Topuria is set to make his UFC debut on February 9, against Colby Thicknesse, a training partner of Alexander Volkanovski. Initially, Topuria was supposed to face Cody Haddon, but a last-minute injury led to a change in plans. Topuria and his team were already in Australia, eager for him to make his debut, but they spent several days without a confirmed opponent. Fortunately, thanks to the efforts of his team, a new opponent was found, and the debut will proceed as planned.
The new opponent, Colby Thicknesse, received an unexpected message on Instagram from Lukasz Orzel, the manager of Topuria. Orzel had been searching for a replacement for Haddon and came across Thicknesse on Tapology. After a brief conversation, it was determined that Thicknesse was available to fight, could make the weight, and did not require a visa. The two spoke on Facetime, and Thicknesse was told that he would be considered as a potential opponent for Topuria.
Thicknesse shares a coach and gym with Alexander Volkanovski, who had previously lost to Topuria in the featherweight division. Volkanovski played a role in helping to secure the fight for Thicknesse, making several calls to the UFC to promote his training partner as a viable opponent. With everything now official, the stage is set for the debut of one of these fighters to result in a victory on February 9.
The circumstances surrounding the fight have been unusual, with Thicknesse going from working as a security guard to preparing for his UFC debut in a short span. In an interview with ‘Australian MMA’, Thicknesse recalled the moment he received the message from Orzel, which set off a chain of events that led to his UFC debut. Despite the unconventional path to the fight, both Topuria and Thicknesse are now focused on the upcoming bout, each looking to start their UFC journey with a win.