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Midnight Roundup! Ilia Topuria targets Conor McGregor fight, Dustin Poirier drops UFC 300 prediction, Geoff Neal predicts Ian Garry fight, and more

It's never a dull day for UFC fans, and the past 24 hours have been a testament to that. Mercurial featherweight contender Ilia Topuria recently called out Conor McGregor for a blockbuster showdown on his home turf. At the same time, Dustin Poirier shared some intriguing predictions for the BMF title fight at UFC 300.

These are just a few stories that made waves in the MMA world today, and you can catch up on all the latest developments in Sportskeeda's Midnight Roundup.


Ilia Topuria calls for Conor McGregor fight at potential UFC Spain event

Ilia Topuria is booked for his featherweight title shot against Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 on Feb. 18 at the Honda Center in California.

Nevertheless, he's supremely confident of dispatching the 145-pound champion and is already looking forward to a blockbuster fight against Conor McGregor at the famed Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Spain.

In a recent interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Topuria boldly predicted a dominant win over 'The Great' at UFC 298 and revealed that he's looking to fight on a potential UFC Spain card on Real Madrid's turf. He said:

"It’s going to be a first-round knockout. You will see... I’m going to show you where the levels are. I’m going to dominate him everywhere. I’m going to make him look like a punching bag. You will see. I will be dancing on Feb. 17."

He continued:

"Conor McGregor, that’s the fight I’m looking for... Maybe in UFC Spain... I hope it’s going to happen in Madrid at the [Real Madrid stadium]. The stadium is ready to make events... But in Spain, of course, it’s going to happen. UFC Spain, that’s for sure." [H/T MMAFighting.com]

Watch the full interview below:


Dustin Poirier shares prediction for Justin Gaethje vs. Max Holloway at UFC 300

Dustin Poirier's former rivals Justin Gaethje and Max Holloway are set to throw down for the symbolic 'BMF' title at UFC 300 in April. While Poirier had the opportunity to win the title himself at UFC 291, he was defeated by 'The Highlight' via a thunderous second-round knockout.

Given that his former rival Holloway is now attempting to snatch the BMF title away from Gaethje, Poirier recently shared his prediction for the fight. During an interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, 'The Diamond' called the fight in favor of the former featherweight champion and said:

"I would put money on Max just because he's the underdog. I see a lot of people online saying that Max is going to be undersized [but] Max is a big guy. He and Gaethje probably walk around the same weight. Max isn't a small guy... It's a coin toss, but if I was betting, I would bet on Max."

Meanwhile, Poirier is booked to face fast-rising lightweight contender Benoit Saint Denis in the co-main event of UFC 299 on March 9.


Geoff Neal predicts dominant finish over Ian Garry at UFC 298

Geoff Neal recently shared his thoughts on his upcoming fight against Ian Garry at UFC 298 and predicted a strong finish over the Irishman.

It's no secret that Neal and Garry have no love for each other. The pair have traded insults on social media and in interviews over the past few months after their previously scheduled bout fell through due to Neal suffering an injury. Garry didn't let 'Handz of Steel' live it down and taunted him mercilessly.

Given their rivalry, it's no surprise that Neal is looking forward to sharing the octagon with 'The Future' and settling their beef once and for all. In an interview with James Lynch, he said:

"I'm not going to engage in too much trash talk. I've never been that type of person, but it's entertaining, you know what I mean? Him talking sh*t, but the fans got my back on this one. I don't gotta say sh*t anymore...I feel like I'm gonna take him out in the second round. Second round, maybe early third round."

Jared Gordon does "god's work" by offering professional help for people struggling with addiction

UFC lightweight contender Jared Gordon knows a thing or two about struggling with addiction, and it's no surprise he's now offering professional help to those suffering from it today.

Gordon has made no secret about his struggles with prescription pain medication as a 19-year-old boy, which led to a heroin addiction. This resulted in him becoming homeless by the age of 23. 'Flash' checked into rehab and underwent 10 stints there, his most recent in 2015 when a third overdose left him legally dead for over two minutes.

Gordon recently posted his message of hope on X and explained his story. Offering an extended hand of help, he wrote:

"Guys, let me help you! I have tools and resources to get you the help you need if you’re suffering from the addiction. You can change your life no matter how far gone you think you are. Just a bit of commitment, hard work, and faith in God is all you need; you can start now... I feel like I'm doing god's work by being in service to people. It's priceless and gives me lasting fulfillment."

Dillon Danis resumes Nina Agdal trolling spree despite ongoing lawsuit

Dillon Danis recently posted another picture of Logan Paul's fiancee, Nina Agdal, on his social media handles despite the ongoing lawsuit against him.

Danis made his professional boxing debut against Paul last October and chose to promote the fight by targeting his opponent's fiancee. He shared numerous pictures of Agdal, many of them edited or photoshopped, on his social media handles with the intention of staining her moral image.

In response, Agdal initiated legal proceedings against him, and he was handed a cease-and-desist order. She accused 'El Jefe' of violating federal privacy laws and sought damages upwards of $150,000 along with revenue generated from the social media posts about her.

Nevertheless, Danis seems unbothered and recently renewed his trolling. He wished his fans a good "morning" and posted a picture of the Danish model on X.

Fans weren't exactly pleased about Danis' actions and many expressed their dismay at his keyboard warfare against her.


Colby Covington reveals he suffered a fractured leg during Leon Edwards bout at UFC 296

Colby Covington recently revealed he broke his foot during his welterweight title fight against Leon Edwards at UFC 296 last December. While 'Chaos' was expected to use his wrestling prowess to overwhelm Edwards, he was dominated by the Englishman over five rounds and lost the bout via unanimous decision.

In a recent interview with Submission Radio, Covington explained why he couldn't wrestle during the fight and presented his X-rays proving that his foot was fractured. He said:

"It wasn't my night. You know, I broke my foot right away and couldn't plant to explode off and use the wrestling and pressure I planned to use. I didn't want to disclose this information till I had the X-rays back home... I knew straight away that it was bad... It was the first kick I threw that landed right on his elbow."

Also Read:

Ilia Topuria sounds off on Paddy Pimblett, reveals their beef is "personal"

Paddy Pimblett calls out Renato Moicano while dismissing potential Drew Dober bout

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