Ahead of UFC Freedom 250, Ilia Topuria announced his partnership with Vielight. The undefeated UFC lightweight champion has incorporated the neurotechnology into his preparation and recovery.
Topuria will defend his title against Justin Gaethje at the White House event. The fight marks his first title defense since he knocked out Charles Oliveira in the 1st round knockout to win the vacant title.
Vielight develops technology that use red and near-infrared light. Researchers continue to study the technology for brain health, recovery, and overall wellness.
The partnership recently became official, but ‘El Matador’ has been incorporating Vielight’s photobiomodulation technology since 2022.
Topuria’s history with the company adds weight to the announcement. He remains unbeaten in UFC and ranks among the sport’s top pound-for-pound fighters.
“Ilia has been using Vielight since 2022, which is what makes this partnership so unique. He was already a user before we had any conversations about working together. That’s what first caught our attention,” Vielight founder and CEO Dr. Lew Lim exclusively told Heavy Sports.
Vielight’s technology has been studied in over 30 reputable research studies as well as clinical investigations. Among the institutions that have studied the company’s technology include Harvard Medical School, University of Toronto, and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
How Has The Technology Helped Ilia Topuria?
Dr. Lew Lim said the partnership with Ilia Topuria made sense because of his familiarity with the technology before working together. He pointed to the benefits of using the technology, especially for a championship-level fighter like ‘El Matador.’
“Vielight has become part of his overall training and recovery routine. Our research has explored its ability to support brain connectivity, cognition, motor performance, and healthy inflammatory responses,” Lim exclusively told Heavy Sports. “In a sport like MMA, where split-second decisions matter, mental sharpness is every bit as important as physical preparation.”
Lim said more athletes have shown interest in the technology.
“The fact that Ilia has continued using Vielight for years speaks to the value he sees in it as part of his routine. More broadly, we’re seeing growing interest from athletes who want to support focus, cognitive performance, recovery, and overall brain health,” Lim said.
He added: “While every athlete’s experience is different, those are some of the reasons people choose to make Vielight part of their routine.”
How is Vielight Useful for Combat Sports Athletes Like Topuria?
Dr. Lim said Vielight’s technology may help combat sports athletes like Topuria improve focus and decision-making during competition. Lim stressed that mental preparation plays a key role in combat sports and should receive the same attention as physical training.
“Athletes need to process information quickly, stay focused under pressure, and make decisions in an instant. That’s why cognitive readiness is such and important part of performance,” Lim exclusively told Heavy Sports.
“Today, we speak about Vielight in terms of supporting cognitive readiness, recovery routines, and overall brain health alongside the rest of an athlete’s training program,” he added.
Lim also pointed to early findings in research findings that he described as encouraging.
“The early proof-of-concept findings, particularly the Utah/BYU football study, are encouraging, and we believe this is an important area for continued research.”
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Ilia Topuria Teams Up With Neurotechnology Company Ahead of UFC Freedom 250 appeared first on HEAVY.