Following the impressive win by Ilia Topuria over Charles Olivera at UFC 317, UFC history maker Conor McGregor didn’t hold back on expressing his thoughts. Topuria’s emphatic victory built on his undefeated record, escalating it to 17 wins with no losses, symbolizing a flawless career trajectory thus far. In every moment of the spectacle, Topuria seemed to have the upper hand, demonstrating unparalleled strength and precision with every well-aimed punch.
In the initial rounds, Topuria delivered a few successful hits to Olivera’s head leading to premature bloodshed. Olivera, known for his superlative grappling techniques, tried to bring this to bear early in the face-off. However, Topuria, previous title holder in the featherweight category, proved more than able to handle Olivera’s techniques, invalidating the Brazilian’s strategy from the onset.
Olivera tried shifting the fight dynamics by pushing Topuria towards the enclosure, an effort that increased the pace of the melee to resemble that of a Formula 1 race. As the two UFC athletes wrangled for the superior position, it was Topuria who emerged victorious when both athletes ended up grounded.
Olivera didn’t relinquish his position easily as he executed an immediate assault on Topuria’s legs, aiming for a swift submission. But it was clear that Topuria’s grappling capabilities were at par with the best in the globe, effortlessly escaping the grasp of an opponent renowned for securing the most submissions in the UFC history.
Historically, Conor McGregor became the pioneer dual champion in the UFC after his wins against Jose Aldo in late 2015 and Eddie Alvarez in the latter part of 2016. McGregor and Topuria have had their misses and hits in their interactions in the past. A victory that sent ripples through the MMA community was soon greeted by a response from the Irish UFC legend in a post he later removed.
The victorious Topuria was the recipient of a tongue-in-cheek message from McGregor who congratulated him for winning the same titles he once held. He joked about Topuria’s words, suggesting a rest on Paddy’s head. McGregor acknowledged the lightweight bout as a good contest and expressed his thoughts candidly.
Conor McGregor’s admiration for Ilia Topuria became evident following the latter’s win at UFC 317. He offered his congratulations to the undefeated fighter for his remarkable achievement – 3 back-to-back knockouts. McGregor endorsed the undeniable impact of Topuria’s knockout move, expressing that he holds a particular fondness for the fighter.
Despite past instances of verbal jousts between McGregor and Topuria, certain commonalities are distinctly inherent in both fighters, one of which is their shared unshakeable self-assuredness. This is reflected in their MMA performances as well as their off-ring behaviours, contributing to their robust public images.
These similarities extend beyond their personalities to their careers. Both McGregor and Topuria achieved multi-division champion status at the fairly youthful age of 28. This admirable feat underscores their skill, determination and hard work that have both played a role in propelling them to the top of the sport.