Ilia Topuria takes aim at Cristiano Ronaldo over UFC 308 comments, says he will invite Lionel Messi to Miami fight
Published 10/12/2024 at 13:56 GMT
UFC Featherweight champion Ilia Topuria continued his war of words with footballing great Cristiano Ronaldo and said he would rather invite Lionel Messi to a potential UFC Miami showcase next year. It is the latest episode in an unlikely feud between the two stars - especially given that Topuria is a renowned Real Madrid fan - where Ronaldo established legendary status.
'There's no other place' - Topuria wants UFC at the Bernabeu in 2025
Video credit: TNT Sports
Ilia Topuria said he will invite Lionel Messi to a potential UFC Miami showdown, but not Cristiano Ronaldo, as the pair continue their war of words.
The feud began when Ronaldo - a fan of mixed martial arts - backed Max Holloway to prevail at the UFC 308 showdown in October, where he said the featherweight champion "speaks too much".
The Al Nassr captain added that Alex Volkanovski "wasn't ready" when Topuria delivered a stunning second-round knockout to claim the featherweight title in February, saying the Georgian-Spanish fighter "didn't fight with the top guys".
Topuria immediately took to social media to respond to Ronaldo's comments in November, saying: "I didn't expect someone like you to be unable to distinguish between confidence and arrogance.
"But, at the end of the day, we all reflect our own reality onto others. I wish you the best for what remains of your career, and God bless your family."
Topuria is said to be finalising details on his next title defence, which could take place in Miami - home of Argentina great Messi.
And when drawn on his feud with Ronaldo, Topuria said he would not be invited to the prospective event.
"The one I'm going to personally invite there is Messi because he lives there, so f*** Cristiano as long as Messi exists," Topuria said on Cadena Cope's El Partidazo.
"I didn't understand it, to be honest. I saw the [video] clip that came out talking about me talking too much. If Cristiano says it, something doesn't add up to me. Cristiano always talks."
The bitter exchange is made all the more unlikely by the fact that Topuria is a renowned Real Madrid fan - a club at which the Portugal international recorded 450 goals in 438 appearances, firing the Liga giants to four UEFA Champions League trophies.
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Topuria - who previously said he wants a UFC fight at Real's home stadium, the Bernabeu - defended his featherweight crown with an emphatic third-round stoppage of Holloway in Abu Dhabi.
The champion said after the victory that Volkanovski "deserves a rematch", and UFC CEO Dana White doubled down by saying "we're not going to say no" to a second battle between the pair.
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'We're gonna do it again' - Topuria wants Volkanovski rematch after KO win over Holloway
Video credit: TNT Sports
"Listen, Volkanovski’s one of those guys, we’re not going to say no to Volkanovski," White said at the UFC 308 post-fight press conference.
"He’s been that guy for us. Any time we needed him. He was on this run like [Israel] Adesanya, like Alex [Pereira] is on right now, when things don’t go our way, and you’ve got to call a guy, Volkanovski’s always been that guy. He really was.
"I don’t think anybody’s in this room going, ‘Oh this is ridiculous or crazy’ and who wouldn’t want to see it again?"
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