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Ilia Topuria snaps back at Conor McGregor after ‘Mystic Mac’ threatens to slap the champ ‘back to Georgia’

Ilia Topuria snaps back at Conor McGregor after the Irishman threatens to 'Slap him back to Georgia' Ilia Topuria and Conor McGregor are going at it once again. On Wednesday, McGregor arrived in Spain to take…

Ilia Topuria and Conor McGregor are going at it once again.

On Wednesday, McGregor arrived in Spain to take part in a press event promoting Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship. While there, the Irishman made the media rounds, fielding questions and offering some insight into his future with both the UFC and the BKFC.

Spending some time in the home country of reigning featherweight world champion Ilia Topuria, McGregor couldn’t resist taking a dig at ‘El Matador’ during one of his many interviews.

“Slap the head off [Ilia] no problem,” McGregor said in an interview with Álvaro Colmenero of Eurosport España when asked about a potential scrap between the two. “No problemo. I’ll slap him back to Georgia.”

Ilia Topuria Snaps back at Conor McGregor

It didn’t take long for the video clip to get back to Topuria, who extended an invite to ‘Mystic Mac’ if he ever feels like putting his money where his mouth is.

Pinky toe! Welcome to my home,” Topuria wrote on X. “It’s great seeing you working for us! Come to Madrid and we will see who slaps who. Topuria Knuckles for dinner!!!

Even before Topuria’s second-round destruction of Alexander Volkanovksi, ‘El Matador’ called for a clash with Conor McGregor. Since then, the two have been taking digs at one another whenever the opportunity arises. Unfortunately, the chances of seeing the two actually throw hands inside the Octagon are pretty slim as both fighters gear up for their respective returns.

Topuria is currently rumored to defend his featherweight strap for the first time against current BMF titleholder Max Holloway in September at Noche UFC while McGregor is still waiting to hear back on when his fight with former Bellator MMA champion Michael Chandler will be rebooked.

Originally McGregor vs. Chandler was to headline UFC 303 on June 29, but the Irishman was forced to bow out due to a broken pinky toe.

Conor McGregor previews fantasy UFC fight with Ilia Topuria: ‘I’d slap him around, I’d beat King Kong

Former two-weight champion, Conor McGregor has previewed a potential fantasy fight with current featherweight titleholder, Ilia Topuria – particularly…

Former two-weight champion, Conor McGregor has previewed a potential fantasy fight with current featherweight titleholder, Ilia Topuria – particularly if both end up in the BKFC in the future, claiming he would “slap” around the unbeaten striking sensation.

McGregor, a former undisputed lightweight and featherweight champion under the UFC banner, attended a BKFC (Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship) in Marbella, Spain – helping to promote an October even in the region alongside promotional boss, David Feldman.

Striking a partnership with the North American-based glove-less organization earlier this annum, McGregor was slated to make his own return to competition at UFC 303 last month, seeing a scheduled fight with former lightweight title challenger, Ilia Topuria fall to the wayside.

Fracturing a toe on his left foot, McGregor withdrew from a set welterweight return against Topuria as a result, failing to snap a now-three-year plus hiatus away from the Octagon since he fractured his left tibia and fibula against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in the pair’s trilogy rubber match.

Conor McGregor calls for creation of new RMF title amid links to December return to UFC

And alongside his deal with the BKFC, McGregor has played up a potential move to the potential in the near future, confirming he retains just a pair of fights on his current UFC contract.

Conor McGregor vows to “slap” around Ilia Topuria in potential fight

Weighing up potential matchups at today’s pre-event press conference in Malaga, ex-champion, McGregor claimed he would “slap” around Topuria if they shared the ring in the future in the BKFC.

“You know, Ilia (Topuria) – a Spanish-Georgian lad, he’s not bad,” Conor McGregor told assembled media. “He’s a boxing-heavy style. He would certainly lend well in Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship – I’d slap him around, he’s too small. I’m a big lad compared to Ilia, but he’s not bad. He’s a current UFC world champion. …So, if you’re asking – I’d beat King Kong if you’re asking me, you know what I’m saying?”

As for what’s likely next for Topuria, the undisputed featherweight champion is expected to headline UFC 307 in October, taking on would-be common-foe, Max Holloway in his first defense of the divisional title.

Would you like to see Conor McGregor fight Ilia Topuria in the future?

Conor McGregor previews fantasy UFC fight with Ilia Topuria: ‘I’d slap him around, I’d beat King Kong

Former two-weight champion, Conor McGregor has previewed a potential fantasy fight with current featherweight titleholder, Ilia Topuria – particularly…

And alongside his deal with the BKFC, McGregor has played up a potential move to the potential in the near future, confirming he retains just a pair of fights on his current UFC contract.

Conor McGregor vows to “slap” around Ilia Topuria in potential fight

Weighing up potential matchups at today’s pre-event press conference in Malaga, ex-champion, McGregor claimed he would “slap” around Topuria if they shared the ring in the future in the BKFC.

Would you like to see Conor McGregor fight Ilia Topuria in the future?

Report: UFC Expected To Choose O’Malley vs. Dvalishvili For Sphere Main Event Over Topuria vs. Holloway

Should current plans come to fruition, the bantamweight gold will be on the line at the Sphere-held Noche UFC event this fall. The promotion will stage its sophomore celebration of Mexican Independance Day on September 14. While Las Vegas is once again the host destination, the Octagon will be in much different surroundings this time […]

Continue Reading Report: UFC Expected To Choose O’Malley vs. Dvalishvili For Sphere Main Event Over Topuria vs. Holloway at MMA News.

Should current plans come to fruition, the bantamweight gold will be on the line at the Sphere-held Noche UFC event this fall.

The promotion will stage its sophomore celebration of Mexican Independance Day on September 14. While Las Vegas is once again the host destination, the Octagon will be in much different surroundings this time around.

Instead of the T-Mobile Arena for the second straight year, the 2024 edition of Noche UFC is set to go down inside the unique Sphere venue. In the lead-up, UFC CEO Dana White has promised a spectacle like nothing seen before.

That hype initially left many predicting a stacked lineup to mark the occasion, but it seems those wishing for two blockbuster championship fights at the top of the lineup won’t be getting their wish granted…

Helwani Dismisses Talk Of Both O’Malley & Topuria Defending Titles At The Sphere

While Alexa Grasso’s second defense of the flyweight title has long been expected high up the card, there’s been considerable uncertainty when it comes to the other major matchups.

Most notably, champions Sean O’Malley and Ilia Topuria have gone back and forth with their respective expected next challengers, Merab Dvalishvili and Max Holloway, over potential Sphere battles.

Talk of both bouts taking place on September 14 picked up following comments on the official French-Canadian broadcast of this past weekend’s UFC Fight Night in Denver.

Unfortunately, it appears that one of those pairings won’t feature at the Sphere.

During a recent episode of his show, The MMA Hour, host Helwani provided an update on the UFC’s fall plans and addressed the rumors floating around regarding the Sphere-held pay-per-view.

“The plan was always the Grasso title defense…and then the plan has for some time been ‘Sugar’ Sean O’Malley vs. Merab,” Helwani said. “Now, both fights aren’t official just yet. They haven’t been signed. But that has been the plan.

“If they did go with that fight, then the other plan would be Ilia vs. Max most likely on the October 5 Utah card (UFC 307), which hasn’t been officially announced yet. Also on that card, we suspect, Julianna Peña vs. Raquel Pennington,” Helwani continued. “Can’t imagine they would put a Spaniard on a Noche UFC card.”

This week also saw White provide additional details on the event, revealing that the plan is for just 10 fights to take place during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show.

He also claimed the cost has already exceeded $17 million, supporting Helwani’s mention of finances as the reason why neither the possibility of Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler nor a three title fight card were entertained.

Read More: Dan Ige Makes Fresh Plea For Diego Lopes Rematch With ‘Equal Opportunity To Prepare’ At Sphere-Held UFC 306

Continue Reading Report: UFC Expected To Choose O’Malley vs. Dvalishvili For Sphere Main Event Over Topuria vs. Holloway at MMA News.

Din Thomas wants to see UFC standout Jean Silva fight Ilia Topuria after bagging two KOs in two weeks

Din Thomas is high on Jean Silva. Maybe a little too high. Two weeks removed from his second-round knockout…

Din Thomas is high on Jean Silva. Maybe a little too high.

Two weeks removed from his second-round knockout of Charles Jourdain at UFC 303, ‘Lord Assassin’ returned to the Octagon in The Mile High City for a short-notice scrap with heavy-handed Denver native Drew Dober.

Silva’s impressive speed was on full display from the get-go, peppering Dober with his left hand before busting open his opponent with a couple of perfectly timed spinning back elbows.

Despite being in the driver’s seat from the opening bell, Dober never once took his foot off the gas. Unfortunately, Dober’s cut continued to widen as the fight went on, forcing referee Herb Dean and the cageside physician to intervene and bring a stop to the contest.

Dober was understandably frustrated, but the stoppage was understandable as he had sustained one of the worst cuts in recent memory. Or at least the worst one since Mayra Bueno Silva’s nasty gash two weeks prior.

This Mayra Bueno Silva cut is wicked , TKO loss for her pic.twitter.com/Ny9sudtOeE

— ??????? ? (@StunnaXXL) June 30, 2024

With two impressive finishes in the span of two weeks, things are looking up for Jean Silva. Though he has yet to break into the featherweight top 15, former fighter turned analyst Din Thomas doesn’t care. He wants to see ‘Lord Assassin’ fight 145-pound champ Ilia Topuria right now.

“Man, I mean, Jean Silva is something else; he is absolutely nasty,” Thomas said during the UFC Denver post-show. “I was watching the fight next to Mick Maynard, the matchmaker, and I’m sitting there saying if this guy can make 145, let’s just put him in there with Ilia Topuria now. Yeah. He looks the part. His striking looks the part” (h/t MMA Mania).

Jean Silva has a long way to go

Kamaru Usman, who was also on post-fight duties in The Centennial State, quickly zapped Thomas back to reality, telling the one-time Fight of the Night winner to quit it with the title talk.

As exciting as Silva has looked over the last couple of weeks, we can’t forget that he’s still a rookie inside the Octagon, having only competed three times thus far. Not to mention he failed to make weight for his featherweight scrap with Jourdain in Las Vegas.