Since successfully defending the UFC featherweight belt, Ilia Topuria had not appeared publicly. His first visit, one could sense, was going to be somewhere with a prime audience. And what better way to return to focus than to do it with a friend of yours, Pablo Motos, and the program he directs: El Hormiguero. There the Spanish-Georgian champion appeared to the applause of those present, very loose, as he himself said, “like at home.”
The interview, which usually has a light-hearted tone, reviewed Topuria’s historic fight against Max Holloway at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Motos asked him about the knockout and he also asked about the celebration, in which El Matador pretended to drink a cup of some product. «During the week of the fight I had received so much ‘hate’ (hatred) that I said while I have a coffee, wake him up», responded the champion smiling.
There was also time to ask him about his future. The UFC has plans for Topuria to make one more defense of the featherweight title and Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes appear on the horizon. But the fight that excites the Hispanic-Georgian the most is, without a doubt, that of the UFC lightweight champion, Islam Makhachev. «Makhachev motivates me. He’s been knocked out, but he’s never been finished. “I want to be the first to finish it,” he stated bluntly.
Furthermore, the Madrid-based champion took the opportunity to close the door on Conor McGregor, aware that it is a fight that has been moving away due to the Irish star’s lack of desire to return to the competition. «I see McGregor very finished. I see it more there than here. I don’t think it would have much merit to beat him. For him, drinking became a sport», hesitated Topuria, who recalled that he has a pending conversation with the CEO of the UFC regarding Spain: «I have a pending conversation with Dana White to convince him and bring the UFC to Spain in 2025, because he does not like stadiums» .
On the other hand, Motos asked him about the last two rivalries, that of winning the world title and that of his first defense. Which fight was more complicated? «Volkanovski was more difficult. Because he has a reach that can hit you from a distance that I can’t and he can win the fight on points,” said the Hispanic-Georgian.
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