Ilia Topuria: The Rise and the Fall
Grammar: Phrasal verbs — MMA and sport context
A Level 4 English lesson exploring sport.
What's in this lesson
A Level 4 (upper intermediate) ESL lesson on sport, practising phrasal verbs — mma and sport context. The worksheet has a reading, target vocabulary, a grammar reference with practice and discussion questions.
From the reading: Ilia Topuria: The Rise and the Fall
In February 2024, a 27-year-old Georgian fighter walked into the Sphere in Las Vegas and knocked out Alexander Volkanovski in round two. Ilia Topuria had been building up to this moment for years — winning fight after fight, taking on bigger names, never backing down from a challenge. When he put Volkanovski away, he did not just win a title. He broke a streak of ten consecutive title defences by the Australian champion, one of the longest in UFC featherweight history. The MMA world took notice immediately.
Vocabulary
- back down
- bounce back
- build up
- come across
Grammar: Phrasal Verbs
- 3rd person singular
- He fights every weekend. She trains twice a day. — add -s with he/she/it
- No -s with
- They train hard. I watch every fight. — no -s after I, you, we, they
Discussion questions
- Have you ever followed a combat sport like boxing or MMA?
- What makes someone a champion in your opinion?
- Can a single defeat change how you see an athlete?
Ilia Topuria: The Rise and the Fall
Grammar: Phrasal verbs — MMA and sport context
What's in this lesson:
Full lesson plan with reading, grammar, vocabulary, and discussion.
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