Popular football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is now in a war of words with UFC featherweight champ Ilia Topuria. Ronaldo finds himself in a tight row after questioning Topuria’s championship mettle at UFC 308 the other weekend. Topuria faced and defeated Max Holloway in the pay-per-view (PPV) top bill and held on to his gold.
From massive UFC fights to larger-than-life boxing cards. he attends all. CR7 was recently at friend Francis Ngannou’s “Battle of the Giants” pay-per-view (PPV) PFL venture. But they ended up discussing Topuria’s upcoming fight with Max Holloway at UFC 308. Ronaldo said Ilia Topuria ‘talked too much’ and needed to prove himself against Holloway to earn his respect. Now, he gets a piercing reply from ‘El Matador.’
I didn’t expect someone like you to be unable to distinguish between confidence and arrogance. But, at the end of the day, we all reflect our own reality onto others. I wish you the best for what remains of your career, and God bless your family.
Ilia Topuria via X (@Topuriailia)
Topuria stuck to his pre-fight cockiness and dealt with Holloway, serving a first-ever third-round stoppage loss due to strikes. During the post-fight play-by-play analysis, Daniel Cormier marveled at how he had similarly premeditated to knock the winds off Alexander Volkanovski. So at this point, it’s not a cocky build-up; it’s just the roadmap for ‘El Matador.’
I didn’t expect someone like you to be unable to distinguish between confidence and arrogance. But, at the end of the day, we all reflect our own reality onto others. I wish you the best for what remains of your career, and God bless your family. https://t.co/cGWYvCs2tr
— Ilia Topuria (@Topuriailia) November 2, 2024
But more than that, chat boards and keen-eyed fan cliques have alluded to Topuria’s support for MLS club Inter Miami CF star Lionel Messi. He even gifted the Spaniard his iconic Number “10” Jersey and went viral for it. At this point, his rift with Cristiano Ronaldo and the likes make sense. At this point, if he says he is defeating ‘Predator’ Ngannou, fans put some stock into larger-than-life Topuria.
UFC champ Ilia Topuria is MMA’s ‘new high-water mark’
Joe Rogan thinks it’s time to start listing Ilia Topuria’s name on the best pound-for-pound list. Topuria (16-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) retained his featherweight title by becoming the first man to knockout Max Holloway. While he does walk the walk and backs up his talk, there are doubts about doing it against hard-chin Holloway. Holloway has a significant legacy as a 145-pound mainstay long before Topuria.
But the Alicante-Georgian outboxed one of the consensus best boxers there is. On the ‘JAXXON’ Podcast (@jaxxonpodcast), Luke Rockhold and T.J. Dillashaw claimed Max got too comfortable in his status as a boxer. However, it’s just a case of Topuria defying the odds that much better.
The unbeaten phenom has now knocked out featherweight greats Volkanovski and Holloway in back-to-back meetings. Rogan, animated as usual, asks if that does not hoist someone into the pound-for-pound listings, nothing will for the all-rounder ‘El Matador.’
Ilia is fast as fu*k, …He’s not slow at all. He doesn’t have any disadvantages. He doesn’t have any weaknesses, man. That’s the thing. That’s why I say he’s the new high-water mark. There’s people that are thinking he’s the best pound-for-pound fighter alive…It’s a little premature…There’s a real argument that he’s the best pound-for-pound guy alive, but it’s fu*king close.
Joe Rogan on the ‘JRE’ Show 2220 – w/ Francis Foster & Konstantin Kisin – PowerfulJRE (@joerogan on YT)
Rogan had other prime ideas about the UFC 308 fallout as well. But he makes his cut on Topuria clear. Topuria’s first seven professional victories all came by submission. ‘El Matador’ has now fallen in love with his boxing and has scored knockouts in five of his next eight fights. That is a true hallmark of an all-star fighter.
