New featherweight champion Ilia Topuria would like the honor of being Conor McGregor’s final opponent in the UFC.
Ilia Topuria caused an earthquake among MMA fans when he dethroned Alexander Volkanovski with a sensational second round knockout at UFC 298. Since then, ‘El Matador’ has been looking for a lucrative fight against Irish megastar Conor McGregor. He would like to face the latter in the middle of the prestigious Santiago Bernabeu, which is none other than the Real Madrid stadium. This looks promising as he apparently has a good relationship with the team he is a big fan of.
Topuria told Championship Rounds that he has his own goals. He also expressed his respect for Conor McGregor and everything the former two-time champion has accomplished. However, the new featherweight king explains that it is now his turn to take the mantle, and he intends to start by closing the chapter in McGregor’s storied career.
“My current goal is to advance the sport. I want to develop it as much as possible and the more people know about it, the better. This is the work I want to do, especially for the new generation, for myself and for the sport. Conor McGregor represents a chapter in the history of MMA and I believe it is time for this chapter to close to start a new one. I think fighting him, defeating him, would be like turning over a new leaf. »
Ilia Topuria answers why he wants to fight Conor McGregor
“He represents a chapter in MMA, and I believe that it’s time for that chapter to close and a new one to begin.”
He also mentions that “steps are being taken” for #UFCSpain and says that we should expect it to take place… pic.twitter.com/DP0sVnwPrU
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) March 17, 2024
A UFC Spain for Ilia Topuria?
UFC boss Dana White has confirmed the promotion will begin discussions for an event in Spain, where Topuria resides. Asked about the progress of these projects, ‘El Matador’ revealed that discussions were already well advanced.
“We have a meeting to finalize the entire UFC Spain project. It is a fairly complex project, but the steps are underway. Whether it will be Conor, I don’t know. That wouldn’t surprise me at all. And if it’s not him, I’ll fight someone else, and I think the Conor fight will be for later. »
Even if Topuria fails to lure Conor McGregor into a fight, he has a large number of contenders waiting for an opportunity at the top of the featherweight division, including Brian Ortega, who is coming off a big victory against the former interim champion Yair Rodriguez in February. And of course, there’s always Max Holloway, former champion and perennial contender. The Hawaiian will first face Justin Gaethje at UFC 300, in a top duel for the BMF title and if he wins, he hopes to get his shot at the featherweight title.
