Before losing his belt, Ilia Topuria recorded an interview that has only now come to light. There, he was asked directly about Conor McGregor, the Irishman who once accused him of copying his style inside and outside the octagon.
Topuria’s response was not an attack. It was something sharper: “Conor is one of my favorite fighters to watch. I respect everything he has done for this sport”, he said, according to ALF Global. But then came the real blow: “If he says I’m copying him, at least I’m doing it better than him.”
Today, with Topuria no longer holding the title, that remark reads differently. Is it still a compliment with thorns, or did it end up being a promise that went unfulfilled? 🥊