Ilia Topuria, the UFC featherweight world champion, and Conor McGregor, a legend of the sport and one of its most influential figures, have never seen eye to eye.
Their rivalry has only intensified, especially after McGregor’s comments during the recent MARCA Sport Weekend in Malaga, where he said, “Topuria is not Spanish; he’s Georgian. I’m more Spanish than he is.”
Topuria quickly fired back, drawing attention as he prepares for his upcoming battle against Max Holloway to successfully defend his belt.
The exchange of insults has been relentless, sometimes with microphones in hand, other times through social media.
The barbs often revolve around the sport, such as McGregor‘s defense of Max Holloway.
“He was beaten by Conor. If he humiliates you, there’s nothing you can do,” Topuria remarked to journalist Ariel Helwani.
That version of McGregor was a different fighter-one of the most skilled ever seen-though Topuria uses this as ammunition against him.
McGregor was not pleased. “He will be very hard for you to catch, little man. Don’t engage with his exchanges, he’s strong and experienced,” McGregor, the Dublin native, retorted.
“Holloway came back and earned his wins. A two-time champion, aiming to be a champion again, he won the BMF title. He’s the real deal, always has been. He became much better after losing to me. In fact, he’s one of the best of all time,” McGregor explained.
“You’re a Fake Fighter”
The feud escalated with Topuria‘s latest response, as he took shots at both McGregor and Holloway.
“Max has improved. He realized that if he wants to make a living from this, he couldn’t afford to lose to someone like you [referring to McGregor]. Nowadays, he would beat you easily,” Topuria said about the Hawaiian, targeting Conor as well.
He didn’t hold back: “Dustin [Poirier] knocked you out. Nate [Diaz] beat you twice. Khabib [Nurmagomedov] humiliated you. And Floyd [Mayweather] gave you a boxing masterclass at 50 years old. Take a seat, kid. You’re a fake fighter,” the champion concluded.
Topuria referenced McGregor‘s recent defeats, which have left him without a title and unable to claim victory in one of the UFC’s biggest rivalries.
As McGregor‘s return is anticipated in 2025, the Spanish fighter-who once challenged him-uses every point as leverage in their ongoing spat. Meanwhile, Ilia is focusing on his title defense, already in Abu Dhabi, while continuing his verbal sparring with the MMA icon.
And the feud is far from over. McGregor recently sent Topuria a photo highlighting their similarities, and the Spaniard wasted no time responding.
“I’m better-looking, a better fighter, and richer,” Topuria shot back to McGregor‘s insults. “Tell me who you walk with, and I’ll tell you who you are,” the Spaniard concluded.