- Ilia Topuria addressed Alexander Volkanovski’s call for a quick rematch
- “El Matador” is down to fight Conor McGregor at any weight class “Notorious” prefers
New UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria is undecided about agreeing to rematch Alexander Volkanovski but is certain about taking on Conor McGregor at any weight class.
A rematch with Volk doesn’t interest Ilia that much
Speaking to reporters in his UFC 298 post-fight presser, “El Matador” happily answered the questions about his KO win over Volkanovski. However, Topuria admitted that he is not enticed by the idea of a quick rematch. If ever, the newly-crowned champ said he might just consider because “The Great” is “such a good person.”
“He’s such a good person. To be honest, at this point I’m like, ‘Okay I’m going to give him the rematch because he’s a good person,'” Topuria said of Volk. “But at the same time, it’s time to move on. It’s time to clean up the division a little bit. It’s time for the new generation, to have new challenges, new faces and I will be looking for that but to be honest, my job is to fight. Whoever they gonna tell me I have to face and fight next, I will be there.”
Whenever Conor wants it
After dethroning Volkanovski, Topuria surprisingly called out McGregor. UFC president Dana White thinks it’s unlikely to happen as “Notorious” doesn’t seem to be coming back to 145 ever. However, “El Matador” insists that he is not fighting McGregor at featherweight. In fact, he even lets the Irish MMA superstar choose which weight class he wants to fight at.
“Who said I want to fight him at 145?,” Topuria said of fighting McGregor. “Any weight limit. There is no weight [class] if I fight him. He can choose. I give him that option. If he feels that he is ready for this level of competition, he can choose the weight. I choose the place.”
While a rematch with Volk would be up to the UFC matchmakers, Topuria’s call for a super fight with McGregor seems impossible at this point as White recently admitted that he is now unsure if “Notorious” will ever fight at UFC again.
The sensational KO win over Volkanovski saw Topuria not only becoming the new featherweight champ but also one of the biggest draws in the UFC at the moment. He also improved his flawless pro MMA record to 15-0.
See Topuria’s full presser below:
