The rivalry between Conor McGregor and Ilia Topuria is constantly evolving with time. From getting inspired by McGregor to calling him out after winning the featherweight title, Topuria has come a long way. The Irishman does what he wants. As such, the animosity between both fighters has reached a different level altogether.
The relationship between McGregor and Topuria worsened a few months ago after the ‘Notorious’ mocked the Georgian-Spaniard in a livestream. In response, Topuria frequently made fun of McGregor’s inactivity and controversies. Due to his unreliability, the champ had a confusing stance on whether to fight McGregor. Recently, Topuria snapped at the Irishman and vowed to destroy him in a fight.
F*** you Conor. All day every day…He’s not at my level. Otherwise, I’d gladly put these two knuckles in his brain…When we cross paths you won’t want to even look me in the eyes because you’re going to sh*t yourself. F***ing McChicken
Ilia Topuria via Instagram
This response followed McGregor’s recent comments about easily defeating Topuria in a fight. Topuria, like many others, recognizes the financial benefits of fighting McGregor but does not fully trust his alcoholic behavior. The ‘Mystic Mac’ is frequently caught getting drunk and partying rather than getting serious about his comeback.
Ilia Topuria just WENT OFF on Conor McGregor on his IG live 😳😳
“F*** you Conor. All day every day…
When we cross paths you won’t want to even look me in the eyes because you’re going to sh*t yourself. F***ing McChicken.”
(H/T @marca) #UFC #MMA pic.twitter.com/JDzuJjkr78
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) October 2, 2024
Many other fighters, including Michael Chandler have come to realize this, as he recently ended his pursuit to fight McGregor. While it’s hard for McGregor to run out of options due to his demand, the latest development isn’t surprising. As Joe Rogan mentioned, the more McGregor delays his return, the harder it will affect the numbers.
Ilia Topuria will move up to fight Conor McGregor
Earlier this year, Ilia Topuria became the 145 lbs king after beating Alexander Volkanovski via KO. In his brief time, Topuria has established himself as one of the most complete fighters on the UFC roster. The featherweight fighter is extremely skilled when it comes to striking and has the power to drop anybody.
Conor McGregor once was the featherweight champion, but those days are long gone. Given his recent physical transformation, it will be impossible for the fighter to make 145 lbs again to fight Topuria. When asked about this, Ilia Topuria revealed that he would accept the challenge irrespective of the weight.
Who said that I wanna fight him at 145? Without any weight limit. He can choose it. If he thinks that he’s ready for this level of competition then he can choose the weight.
Ilia Topuria via UFC 298 post-fight presser
Apart from the McGregor rivalry, Topuria focuses more on his upcoming title defense against Max Holloway. The ‘Blessed’ was defeated by McGregor, and Topuria would like to do the same at UFC 308. Nevertheless, the hype around Topuria vs. Holloway is second to none, given their boxing capabilities.
