Ilia Topuria has offered his perspective on the upcoming second encounter between Conor McGregor and Max Holloway.
Following a five-year absence from the octagon, McGregor is scheduled to make his return on July 11, facing Holloway in a five-round welterweight main event at UFC 329.
In a recent interview, Topuria analyzed McGregor’s comeback fight, predicting it will be an intense striking battle. He humorously suggested McGregor and Holloway would “hit each other like two kittens.” Topuria also acknowledged McGregor’s significant impact on the sport and his status as a major UFC star, while also noting that McGregor is in the latter stages of his career.
Ilia Topuria Hopes for a Conor McGregor Victory
The Georgian-Spaniard further stated his belief that Conor McGregor will emerge victorious against Max Holloway once again. Topuria admitted that he personally wants McGregor to win, as this outcome could potentially lead to a highly anticipated showdown between himself and McGregor later in McGregor’s career.
“It’s going to be a stand-up fight. It will be a purely striking contest, where we won’t see any wrestling or ground game,” Topuria stated. “And don’t think Conor is much worse than Max. They’re going to hit each other like two kittens. They’ll be tapping each other.”
“I think Conor is going to win, as they fought once; he got it, and this time he can beat him. He must beat him,” Topuria added. “In fact, I believe that if you were to ask me who I want to win, the one that suits me best to win is Conor because if he wins and then he has one more fight, we could end up having that fight.”
Topuria himself is set to face Justin Gaethje on June 14. Following this lightweight title unification bout, “El Matador” intends to move up to welterweight with the aim of fighting Islam Makhachev.
English Translation and Paraphrasing
Ilia Topuria has weighed in on the forthcoming rematch between Conor McGregor and Max Holloway.
McGregor is set to return to the octagon on July 11, after a five-year absence, to face Holloway again in the main event of UFC 329. This bout will be a five-round welterweight contest.
During a recent interview, Topuria, while discussing McGregor’s comeback fight, predicted that the bout would be a pure slugfest, jokingly remarking that McGregor and Holloway would “hit each other like two kittens.” Topuria also praised “The Notorious,” acknowledging his status as a major star in the UFC, while also noting that McGregor is in the twilight of his career.
Ilia Topuria Favors McGregor in His Comeback Bout
In the same interview, the Georgian-Spaniard also expressed his belief that Conor McGregor will defeat Max Holloway once more. Topuria confessed that he personally hopes the Irishman wins, as this could open the door for a blockbuster fight between the two before McGregor’s eventual retirement from the UFC.
“It’s going to be a standing fight. It’s going to be purely a striking battle, where we won’t see any wrestling or ground game,” Topuria commented. “And don’t think Conor is significantly worse than Max. They’re going to hit each other like two kittens. They’ll be tapping each other.”
“I believe Conor will win. They fought once before, and he won, and he can beat him this time. He has to beat him,” Topuria stated. “Actually, if you asked me who I want to win, it’s Conor, because if he wins and then has one more fight, we could potentially have that fight.”
Topuria is scheduled to fight Justin Gaethje on June 14. After this lightweight title unification fight, “El Matador” plans to move up to the welterweight division to face Islam Makhachev.