- UFC. Ilia Topuria's message to Charles Oliveira: "He's going to suffer a lot with me..."
- UFC. Topuria warns Makhachev: "After this fight, when I have the belt... get in line"
Conor McGregor's return to the UFC is becoming increasingly complicated. The Irish fighter has not stepped into the octagon since July 11, 2021, when he suffered a serious leg injury during his fight against Dustin Poirier. Since then, 'The Notorious' has been in the news more often for his off-field scandals than for his professional achievements, and now Dana White has denied rumors of a short-term return of one of the four simultaneous double champions the company has had throughout its history.
Conor ed a video to social networks training a few days ago, in which he mentioned Dana White, stating that he had begun his tuning up. At that moment, the networks went crazy, until the boss of the company settled the issue when asked about it by Adam Glyn. "McGregor is not going to fight for now. I haven't talked to him for a minute." Again, much ado about nothing from 'The Notorious'.
I haven't spoken to him for a minute
After three years away from the octagon, 2024 looked like the year of the "greatest comeback ever seen", as the UFC announced that McGregor would face Michael Chandler in the main event of UFC 303, on International Fight Week. However, just weeks before the fight, the company was forced to cancel it due to an injury to the Irishman. Since then, videos of McGregor partying have been leaking out, so it is becoming increasingly utopian to think that he will ever fight again.
Topuria, one step away from equaling his record
Curiously, a year after his canceled fight for International Fight Week, it will be Ilia Topuria who will headline this card alongside Charles Oliveira. Should 'El Matador' win, he will equal McGregor as the youngest double champion in UFC history - 28 years old - a fact that increases the comparison between two fighters with professional paths - not personal - very similar.
Like Conor, Ilia's first belt was at featherweight, and both knocked out two legends - Jose Aldo and Alexander Volkanovski - to get it. While the Irishman did not get to defend the belt, Topuria did make a successful defense against Max Holloway before moving up in weight. However, McGregor was one of the greatest exhibitions ever seen when he knocked out Eddie Alvarez to become lightweight champion, and now it remains to be seen if Topuria can do the same against Charles Oliveira.
However, that feat was the beginning of the end for McGregor, as he decided to make a boxing superfight against Floyd Mayweather and was two years away from MMA. When he returned in 2018, nothing was the same. Khabib ran over him, and since then he has only won one of his last four fights, being finished in all his defeats - two KO and one submission. As Dana White himself has confirmed, today McGregor is neither here nor expected, as he seems more focused on his business than on returning to be the superstar that one day he became.