Conor McGregor is clearly quite keen to get into the Octagon with either Max Holloway and Ilia Topuria, more than likely the latter given that he was victorious at UFC 308 in Saudi Arabia on the 26th of October, and issued a challenge with just two words: “Call Me.”
The question remains as to who exactly McGregor was issuing the challenge to, but it’s surely going to be to the champion, after he brutally knocked out Blessed in the third round of their featherweight title fight.
Topuria was victorious over Holloway at UFC 308, and McGregor’s challenge did not go unnoticed. The Irishman had also claimed he had staked £500,000 on Holloway winning, as part of a double along with Robert Whittaker. However, he was left out of pocket, as in addition to Topuria beating Holloway, Whittaker was defeated by Khamzat Chimaev.
Conor McGregor’s Eyes Set on Ilia Topuria
McGregor has got to get himself back into the Octagon first however
McGregor and Topuria have had beef in the past, and it seems as though the Irishman is keen to take on the current king of his former division. In his last two fights, Topuria has defeated two of the four men often mentioned in debates about MMA’s greatest ever featherweights.
Topuria vs Holloway fight stats | ||
|---|---|---|
Stats | Topuria | Holloway |
Total strikes | 147 | 209 |
Strikes landed | 78 | 84 |
Accuracy | 53% | 40% |
Takedowns | 2/2 | 0/0 |
Knockdowns | 1 | 0 |
The two he hasn’t conquered yet are McGregor and Jose Aldo, although the latter might not be on Topuria’s radar anytime soon, after he lost to Mario Bautista earlier this month. So McGregor seems the more likely option for Topuria, who has warned ‘The Notorious One’ that he is not a man to take on.
“Honest to god, don’t cross paths with me NEVER ever. Because I’m gonna f*** you up whenever I see you.”
UFC CEO Dana White was questioned at the UFC 308 press conference about McGregor’s since-deleted tweet, and about the possibility of McGregor and Topuria locking horns in the future. He believes, however, that the Irishman tweeted just to get people to talk about him: “I don’t know. I think he did it to get this, we’re all sitting here going, “Huh, what did he mean?”
McGregor also tweeted insisting he was still the ‘King’ of the featherweight division: “Few fw’s now in the mix, and I beat every single one of them. I am that division’s menace. Point-blank. Everyone on that list I hurt badly and finish. Not one of them lay a glove on King Mac. #FWGoat.”
Conor McGregor’s Return to the UFC
It was meant to happen earlier this year, but injury ruled that out
Clearly, McGregor is itching to get back into the Octagon. What is unclear, however, is who would be next to stand across him. A scheduled clash with Michael Chandler in June was postponed after McGregor suffered a toe injury. Chandler, meanwhile, will now take on Charles Oliveira next month.
For now, only time will tell as to whether McGregor returns to the UFC. However, his remarks have given the MMA community something to ponder, especially considering a return fight won’t occur before the end of the year.