Conor McGregor shares prediction for potential Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway title fight, calls 'El Matador' a "non-champion"
Conor McGregor recently shared his insights on a potential featherweight title fight between Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway. The Irishman also expressed disappointment with Topuria, questioning his legitimacy as the reigning 145-pound champion.
'El Matador' clinched the championship at UFC 298 in February with a second-round knockout victory over longtime titleholder Alexander Volkanovski.
However, 'The Notorious' doesn't seem impressed by Topuria's remarkable performance. During a recent live stream on Duelbits, McGregor was prompted to share his thoughts on the Georgian-Spaniard, and he didn't hold back:
"F**k him, too. I don’t give a f**k about him either. He reminds me of a little r*tard Artem Lobov. Topuria, [he] does, two little r*tards."
Topuria has frequently called out McGregor in interviews and expressed his eagerness to face the former two-division champion. Although 'El Matador' has hinted at a potential move to lightweight, it's highly unlikely that McGregor would consider returning to his former domain at 145 pounds.
'The Notorious' appeared disinterested in a bout with Topuria and went on to say that he didn't even consider him a champion. Indeed, McGregor anticipated that the reigning 'BMF' champion will defeat Topuria if they face off in a matchup that is currently being targeted to take place later in the year:
"Holloway, too light, too fast. I think Holloway picks him apart. If they fight. Holloway has done it; he has that featherweight title. He’s had it for a long time. He’s now the 'BMF'. Topuria, for me, is a non-champion in my opinion. He might have a strap but it’s a meaningless strap, in my opinion, as he holds it. I don’t see any attraction to it."
Check out Conor McGregor's comments below:
McGregor is gearing up for his long-awaited comeback to the UFC following an absence of nearly three years. He is scheduled to take on Michael Chandler in the main event of UFC 303, slated for June 29 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Conor McGregor ridicules Ilia Topuria's aspiration to become the highest-paid athlete by 2025
During the same live session on Duelbits (via MMA Fighting), Conor McGregor ridiculed Ilia Topuria's assertion of becoming the world's highest-paid athlete by 2025.
'The Notorious', who had actually occupied that position in 2021 according to Forbes Magazine, derided Topuria for his misunderstanding about the timing of making such lists, as the counting begins a year earlier than 'El Matador's' assumption:
"I’ll tell you why I said what I said about him. Because he’s talking about, he’s going to be the highest-paid athlete in 2025. It’s 2024. It’s actually now. The 2025 highest-paid athlete list begins right now. The list came out only recently, and that means he’s going to have to rake in about $200, $300 million. Don’t be silly, lad."