UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria is considering inviting Lionel Messi to his next fight in Miami, as he plans to hit back at Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ronaldo, a well-known fan of mixed martial arts, had criticized Topuria before UFC 308 in October, predicting that he would lose to Max Holloway in Abu Dhabi.
The Al Nassr striker was captured on video telling former MMA champion-turned-boxer Francis Ngannou and his coach Eric Nicksick that Topuria, also known as El Matador, “speaks too much” and “hasn’t faced top opponents.”
Topuria silenced his critics by knocking out American Holloway in the third round and is now eyeing a fight in South Florida.
If the fight takes place in Miami, only one of the two football legends of their generation will be invited, and it won’t be the Portugal captain.
Real Madrid supporter Topuria expressed on Cade Cope’s El Partidazo show: “The one I’ll personally invite there [in Miami] is [Lionel] Messi because he resides there, so forget Cristiano as long as Messi is around.”
😬🍿Ilia Topuria is RUTHLESS
Ilia: “F#ck Cristiano as long as Messi exists”
Presenter: “I didn’t see this one coming, Ilia”
Ilia: “Volkanovski and Holloway didn’t see it coming either”
🎥@partidazocope 🔹 pic.twitter.com/dixly8nteU
— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) December 10, 2024
When asked about Ronaldo’s remarks, Topuria responded, “I didn’t quite understand it. I saw the clip where he mentioned me talking too much. If Cristiano is saying it, something doesn’t make sense to me. Cristiano is always vocal.”