Conor McGregor criticized Ilia Topuria‘s willingness to take on challenges, contrasting it with his own past risk-taking, while Topuria has recently considered moving up weight classes after a successful year as UFC featherweight champion.
Conor McGregor, once celebrated for embracing daunting challenges, questions whether Ilia Topuria shares this trait. Topuria, reigning featherweight champion in the UFC, has been eyeing a move to 155 pounds. His aim? A potential clash with Charles Oliveira for a shot at lightweight kingpin Islam Makhachev.
Interestingly, it’s not Topuria’s first flirtation with changing divisions. He’s previously irked welterweight champ Belal Muhammad by suggesting he could ascend to 170 pounds for a third title. Ambitious or reckless? You decide.
Back in 2016, McGregor himself took such a gamble, transitioning from featherweight to welterweight. This led to two unforgettable bouts with Nate Diaz. Remember those? The drama unfolded when Diaz called out McGregor post-victory over Michael Johnson.
McGregor was set to defend his lightweight title against Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 196. Alas, an injury sidelined dos Anjos, and Diaz stepped in. On Friday, McGregor responded to a fan query about Topuria fighting under similar conditions: “Never, he has the balls of a kitten.”
The first fight saw McGregor suffer his inaugural UFC loss via second-round submission to Diaz. Yet, he bounced back with a majority decision win in their rematch at UFC 202. Those fights? They did wonders for both fighters’ fame and UFC’s coffers.
However, McGregor’s aura has dimmed recently. Since 2018, he’s fought just four times and secured only one victory. To add insult to injury, he’s faced various public embarrassments outside the octagon. Notably, at 36, he was found liable in a civil case for sexual assault related to an incident in December 2018.
Meanwhile, Topuria’s star is rising. He snatched the featherweight title with a jaw-dropping knockout of Alexander Volkanovski in February. Then he followed it up by finishing Max Holloway—a legend—in another striking showcase.
Those victories cemented Topuria’s legacy as the first to defeat Volkanovski in a 145-pound contest and finish Holloway via strikes. Quite the feat!