Ilia Topuria seemingly offers to fight Bryce Mitchell on short notice in unconventional callout
Ilia Topuria and Bryce Mitchell have both found themselves without opponents just weeks before their respective bouts.
'El Matador' was scheduled to face Edson Barboza in the co-main event of UFC Vegas 63 on October 29. Meanwhile, 'Thug Nasty' was preparing to face Movsar Evloev in the main event of UFC Vegas 64 the following week.
Both the Brazilian and the Russian were forced out through injury, and the UFC hasn't made an announcement regarding potential replacements. However, Topuria called Mitchell out via Twitter yesterday, hinting at a matchup between the two lightweights.
'El Matador' posted the following:
@ThugnastyMMA https://t.co/RfphQq6BKL
It seems that Ilia Topuria has had Bryce Mitchell on his mind for a while now, as 'El Matador' posted the following tweet on October 3:
"@Topuriailia vs. @ThugnastyMMA I see it coming"
See the tweet below:
@Topuriailia vs @ThugnastyMMA
I see it coming 😎💯🌹
Mitchell is currently ranked No.9 in the lightweight division. No.14-ranked Topuria could be looking to leapfrog the likes of Barboza and Sodiq Yussuff into the top 10 with a victory over 'Thug Nasty' should the promotion pair them together.
Ilia Topuria on who he feels Conor McGregor should face in his comeback fight
Conor McGregor appears to be in the final stages of his recovery from the brutal leg injury he suffered against Dustin Poirier in 2021. The Irishman broke his leg at UFC 264, forcing him to leave the arena on a stretcher and go under the knife.
Recent sparring footage of 'The Notorious' has emerging, and Ilia Topuria commented on who he believes would suit McGregor best as a comeback fight. Without dropping any specific names, 'El Matador' wrote on Twitter:
"It looks good on him! Athletic, sticking hands, kicks. I should go back to someone normal. Perhaps a striker to gain confidence again, do 2-3 fights like that and then fight for the belt! I think you can do it. What do you think?" [Translated via Twitter]
See the tweet below:
Se le ve bien ! Atlético,sacando manos,patadas. Debería de volver con alguien normal . Tal vez striker para volver a coger confianza hacer 2-3 peleas así y después pelear por el cinturón ! Creo que puede hacerlo . Que opinan? twitter.com/TheNotoriousMM…
It may come as a surprise that 'El Matador' believes that McGregor could once again compete for a UFC title. However, the Irishman's track record has proven that nothing is beyond his reach.
From being the first UFC simultaneous two-division champion to boxing Floyd Mayweather in a professional bout, 'The Notorious' continues to surpass expectations.
Ilia Topuria, meanwhile, is showing superb potential as a UFC title contender having knocked out all three of his previous opponents.