Daniel Cormier has taken an issue with how featherweight champ Ilia Topuria has conducted business after winning the belt. Cormier did not like Topuria for overrating himself and dissing the likes of Max Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski. Moreover, before winning the title, Topuria continuously stated not to give the likes of Yair Rodriguez and Brian Ortega a title shot under his reign.
After his iconic last-second knockout to win the BMF title, Holloway indicated his interest in challenging Topuria. However, the featherweight champion does not want to fight Holloway unless the Hawaiian fighter puts the BMF title on the line as well. The approach from Topuria received criticism from Daniel Cormier.
You need the name that comes from the generation before, Ilia seems to be taking another approach…because he said he wasn’t going to fight Brian Ortega, Max Holloway, and now it sounds like he’s not wanting to fight Alexander Volkanovski again. Those are the names from the featherweight past… Topuria is the champ, and at times you have some say into who you’re gonna fight… I don’t know if he has as much say in this as he thinks he does.
Daniel Cormier via his Official YouTube channel (@DC_MMA)
Ilia Topuria made headlines at last week’s The MMA Hour (for MMAFighting on SBN), demanding the BMF title. Holloway and Topuria later went to a barrage of social media blows and fiery tweets, snubbing each other’s records. The Alicante-Gerogian native even floated the #3 ranking featherweight as a substitute. Brian Ortega has since then accepted a featured headliner at Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu stadium.
On the other hand, Max Holloway recently appeared on an episode of The Joe Rogan Experience (The JRE MMA Show #155). The host reaffirmed that Topuria rejected a title rematch for UFC 305 in Perth against Alexander Volkanovski. Cormier understands that the newly minted champ does not want to risk it all in a maiden defense. However, he thinks Topuria is playing his hand too far.
Ilia Topuria thinks a title fight against Sean O’Malley will be one of the biggest in history
At 15-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC, Ilia Topuria knocked down longtime 145-pound king Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298. Now, he has engaged in trash talks with Max Holloway for a title clash. He further took a free pass at dissing the featherweight stalwart’s resume, threatening to fight Brian Ortega instead. Daniel Cormier thinks he does not have many ranked opponents to match up to if he runs down everyone.
Ilia Topuria thinks one-shot wonder Sean O’Malley would be the fight to make (Source: IMAGO/Instagram)However, one remains, albeit at bantamweight. With double-division glory being all the craze, Topuria and 135-pound king Sean O’Malley have long called upon each other for a super fight.
If Conor [McGregor] beats Mike Chandler, we can fight for the BMF belt at 170, If [Sean] O’Malley defends his belt — which I have many, many doubts — that’s an exciting fight, too. So I don’t know. In my mind, I see a lot of big fights. Even with Volkanovski, it’s going to be huge…
Ilia Topuria via The MMA Hour (for MMAFighting on SBN)
O’Malley successfully defended his strap at UFC 299 in Miami. Now, Topuria thinks a fight against ‘Suga’ would go down in the history books if he gets past Merab Dvalishvili for the bantamweight title. As a newly minted champ, ‘El Matador’ only wants the biggest fights possible. As such, he is willing to compete in two weight classes above to have exciting fights.
