With a stunning knockout victory over the walking tank Alexander Volkanovski, Illia Topuria has unquestionably established himself as a dominant presence in the UFC. He called out Conor McGregor right away for a fight.
With ongoing negotiations for McGregor’s UFC return, fans are curious to see if the two fighters will face off inside the octagon. Regardless, Topuria’s respectful attitude towards McGregor is a refreshing change in a sport often characterized by trash talk and animosity.
Ilia Topuria lavishes praise on Conor McGregor
Ilia Topuria has become a national icon for Spain, even though he is Georgian, after his featherweight title triumph at UFC 298. The prime minister of Spain granted him Spanish citizenship and Aston Martin Madrid even gifted him a brand new Aston Martin DB13.
In his recent interview on Marca’s YouTube channel, Topuria lavished praise on his unlikely potential opponent, Conor McGregor. “It’s stupid to hate him. After everything he did in his personal life and all the achievements he had”, said Topuria in the interview who went on to state that people should not be judging the Irishman without knowing him.
Topuria also revealed that he has immense respect for McGregor and was grateful for the part he played in popularizing the sport. McGregor’s rise in the UFC closely coincided with the popularity of the promotion and as such, Topuria’s statements are valid.
Conor McGregor has not fought since UFC 264, where he broke his leg in his fight against Dustin Poirier in the main event. McGregor announced that he would like to return in June to face Michael Chandler at middleweight but UFC CEO Dana White does not think so.
Conor McGregor provides update on UFC return
Even though Conor McGregor has not fought since UFC 264, he coached opposite Michael Chandler at the Ultimate Fighter Season 31 and even made his Hollywood debut with his role as Knox’in the Roadhouse movie starring Jake Gyllenhaal.
McGregor is busy with the promotion of the movie and in one of his interviews for Moviezine, he provided an update on his return. “We’re in the first quarter of 2024. There’s still a good chunk of the year left. I’ve got two fights left on my contract. Negotiations are ongoing,” said McGregor in the interview.
McGregor went on to state that he will be fully concentrating on his UFC return after the movie release and the St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. Nonetheless, film promotion is his first and foremost priority at this moment.
Roadhouse does not have a theatrical release, as it will be released on Prime Video on March 21, 2024, as per MacLife. The film had to face copyright violations from the screenwriter of the original Roadhouse movie but that seems to have subsided.
Do you think Conor McGregor will ever return to the octagon? Leave your thoughts below!
