A self-funded British sportswear startup is accelerating European expansion through JD Sports’ retail network, pairing its Spanish market entry with an athlete deal engineered for local cultural resonance.
Montirex, the Liverpool-based challenger sportswear brand, has launched in Spain through JD Sports, marking its biggest step outside the UK since its 2019 founding. A full commercial rollout covering 24 points of sale across Madrid, Barcelona, Málaga, Tenerife and several regional markets began on May 14. The Spanish entry follows a gradual deployment in select stores over the preceding weeks.
For a brand that has grown entirely without external investment, the move is part of a measured approach to European expansion. Montirex is using JD Sports’ established network to access high-footfall locations at a fraction of the capital cost an independent store rollout would require.
From underdog to “El Matador”: Ilia Topuria x Montirex
The launch is anchored by Ilia Topuria, the former UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) featherweight champion and current UFC lightweight champion, who has joined the brand’s international athlete roster and will wear Montirex exclusively while preparing for upcoming bouts. The campaign, directed by Alexis Belhumeur, traces Topuria’s evolution into their octagon persona, known as “El Matador”, drawing on the imagery developed in the cage, including the rose left after victories.
Spain ranks among Europe’s most MMA-engaged markets, and Topuria has unusually broad visibility there, shaped by Georgian-Spanish heritage and the intensity of public identity. The demographic reached, sports-engaged, younger male consumers, aligns with the community Montirex has built its UK business on.
The bootstrap brand
Founded in 2019 by Daniel Yuen and Kieran Riddell-Austin, Montirex has grown from a small Liverpool startup into one of the UK’s fastest-growing consumer brands. The company reported £76.7 million (approximately €88.6 million) in annual turnover, driven by rapid sell-through of technical activewear across training, running and lifestyle categories.
Yuen and Riddell-Austin have retained full ownership throughout, reinvesting profits rather than taking on external capital. That independence has allowed the brand to build its model on its own terms: lean wholesale distribution through JD Sports and Footasylum in the UK, concentrated investment in athlete partnerships and community marketing, including organized running events under its own banner, and a product range with accessible price points.
The Spanish distribution footprint
The 24-store rollout spans Madrid and Barcelona, alongside a set of coastal, regional and island markets selected for tourism exposure and young-adult consumer concentration.
