UFC insider shares two-word reaction to Real Madrid fan Ilia Topuria disrespectfully placing Lionel Messi above Cristiano Ronaldo
Ilia Topuria, a staunch Real Madrid supporter, sparked controversy by publicly prioritizing Lionel Messi over Cristiano Ronaldo. His recent comment comes months after Ronaldo criticized Topuria for "talking too much" and doubting his abilities ahead of UFC 308. Despite Ronaldo favoring Max Holloway in that fight, Topuria silenced critics by securing a historic knockout victory.
During a recent interview, Topuria dismissed Ronaldo’s legacy in favor of Messi and expressed his interest in inviting Messi to a UFC event. Speaking in an interview with El Partidazo de COPE, Topuria said:
“The person I’m going to personally invite is Messi because he lives in Miami. So f*ck Cristiano as long as Messi exists”
Chael Sonnen reacted to Topuria's comment on X by offering a cryptic two-word take. He wrote:
"And after..."
Check out Chael Sonnen's reaction below:
Topuria established himself as a bonafide star after he successfully defended his featherweight title by knocking out Holloway in the third round of the UFC 308 main event clash in Abu Dhabi. Topuria, who captured the title by defeating Alexander Volkanovski in February, endured Holloway's pressure and tenacity in the opening rounds.
The Spaniard has been pushing for a fight against lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, even with Volkanovski seeking a rematch and rising contenders like Movsar Evloev and Diego Lopes positioning themselves for a shot at the title.
Ilia Topuria hints at vacating featherweight title to chase a potential clash against Charles Oliviera
UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria has hinted at vacating his title to move up to lightweight. After successfully defending his belt against Max Holloway at UFC 308, Topuria has expressed a desire to face Charles Oliveira in his next fight.
While talks were ongoing about a potential rematch with Alexander Volkanovski, Topuria seems focused on challenging Oliveira, the No.2-ranked contender in the 155-pound division. He mentioned that with Islam Makhachev's title defense scheduled for January, he would like to fight Oliveira in the meantime.
Speaking about a potential clash with Oliveira on Spanish radio outlet El Partidazo de COPE, Topuria said:
"Since Islam [Makhachev] is the champion fighting in January and he won’t be ready for April or May, I’d like to fight against the No. 1 contender right now, who’s Charles Oliveira. I’d like to move up a weight class... I’d like to face the division’s top contender, Charles Oliveira... Maybe there’s a change coming. Yes [he might be done with featherweight division] very likely."
Check out Ilia Topuria's comments below: