"Genuinely feel bad for him" - Sean O'Malley sympathizes with Ilia Topuria over rumored divorce 

Ilia Topuria (pictured) after his UFC 317 win over Charles Oliveira. [Image courtesy: Getty Images]
Ilia Topuria (pictured) after his UFC 317 win over Charles Oliveira. [Image courtesy: Getty Images]

Ilia Topuria's personal life has become a hot topic in the MMA world after his wife seemingly deleted all their photos on social media. With rumors of a divorce brewing, Sean O'Malley has come out offering words of sympathy for the lightweight champion.

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Earlier in November, 'El Matador' announced that he would not be fighting in the first quarter of 2026 since he was going through some personal struggles. Topuria added that his priority was to focus on his children and resolve the issue as soon as possible.

During a recent segment on his YouTube channel, 'Sugar' sympathized with the lightweight champion, noting such issues tend to get particularly messy when children are involved. O'Malley also seconded Topuria's decision to take a hiatus from MMA, saying:

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"[Ilia] is going through a divorce. Wife supposedly trying to take 50%. God dude, that sucks, and it's all public. Which makes it even f**king worse... When you're going through that type of s**t, you definitely don't want to be in fight camp. That's why he didn't book a fight."

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O'Malley added:

"I do genuinely feel bad for him, and oh, he's got two kids. When you add kids to the mix, that's what really makes it just so hard to deal with. It's unfortunate for him."
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Check out Sean O'Malley's comments about Ilia Topuria's rumored divorce:

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'Sugar' will next be seen at UFC 324, where he is set to take on the No.5-ranked bantamweight contender Song Yadong.


Max Holloway empathizes with Ilia Topuria

Sean O'Malley was not the only fighter to address Ilia Topuria's personal turmoil. 'El Matador's' former opponent, Max Holloway, also empathized with the lightweight champion over his perils.

Holloway, himself, went through a divorce in 2017 with his ex-wife, Kaimana Pa'aluhi, and is no stranger to the complications that come with it. For instance, the pair's custody battle for their son Rush stretched on until 2025.

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The fighter ultimately won custody, which concluded with his wife, Alessa Quizon, officially adopting his son.

Known firsthand what 'El Matador' was going through, Holloway responded to Topuria's announcement on X, writing:

"Sorry to hear, champ. If it’s what I’m hearing it is I know the struggle first hand trying to fight while protecting your kids. Hope all goes well."

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Edited by Ujwal Jain
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