Topuria Vs. … McGregor? ‘That’s The Fight I’m Looking For’

Ilia Topuria is as confident as they come.

UFC 298 will act as the moment of truth for Spain’s favorite fighting son in Anaheim, California next weekend (Sat., Feb. 17, 2024). Topuria believes it’s his destiny to hold UFC Featherweight gold and that means he’ll have to get through reigning champion, Alexander Volkanovski.

A lot of buzz has already been built for what could come after a change in champion at 145 pounds. Bantamweight titleholder, Sean O’Malley, has made his interest clear in a champion vs. champion bout with Topuria should they both come out victorious at UFC 298 and UFC 299, the latter of which goes down next month (Sat., March 9, 2024). However, Topuria prefers a clash against a former Featherweight champion instead.

“The way I’m going to beat him, they aren’t even going to ask me about a rematch,” Topuria said of Volkanovski on The MMA Hour.

“Conor McGregor, that’s the fight I’m looking for,” he continued. “He has a great fight with Mike Chandler. If he doesn’t get his ass whooped, he will be a pleasure to share the Octagon with me. Maybe in UFC Spain. We’re both from Europe, and he will be able to go back home and tell his wife, ‘Baby, take out the red panties. Topuria kept us rich.’”

McGregor’s day as a Featherweight are far behind him in 2024. “The Notorious” has teased his eventual return for the expected Chandler bout to be at 185 pounds, leaving his primary division of Lightweight practically out of the question. Topuria clarified that he didn’t care about that hypothetical fight being a title defense though. He just wants to fight McGregor regardless of weight class.

In terms of other possible contenders at Featherweight to kick off a title reign, Topuria doesn’t plan on giving some possible options the time of day.

“How? I’m going to beat the guy who whooped his ass three times?” Topuria said when asked about a Max Holloway title defense. “How? It doesn’t make any sense. Max, Yair [Rodriguez], Brian Ortega, all of them, they can go and retire. I’m never going to give them the chance to fight for the title.

“I don’t know, to be honest,” he continued when asked who he would defend against. “The UFC knows that even better than me and I don’t think they’re going to even offer Max or the names I told you. We’ll see. I’m just completely focused on my upcoming fight and we’ll see what the future holds for me.”

As a perfect 14-0, the 27-year-old Topuria first needs to surpass arguably the toughest challenge of all the names mentioned, “The Great” Volkanovski. Motivated as per usual, Volkanovski is hungry to ruin Topuria’s perfect record and get back in the win column after a tough first round knockout loss (watch highlights) to Islam Makhachev in October 2023.

“It’s going to be a first-round knockout. You will see,” Topuria said. “He’s saying a lot of bulls—t, ‘There’s levels, I have this and I have that, dah, dah, dah.’ You’re right, there are levels. There are levels, then there is me. 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 Feb. 17.”