Ilia Topuria has claimed that ever since he met Conor McGregor back at UFC 264 in 2021, he could feel that the Irishman had a ‘black energy’ that he’d never felt before.
Just one year into his UFC tenure, Ilia Topuria found himself on the undercard of one of the biggest stars in combat sports history, Conor McGregor. The Irishman was set to return to the Octagon for the second time that year to settle his rivalry against Dustin Poirier.
Ahead of their second meeting, McGregor and Poirier were surprisingly respectful towards each other, showcasing a change from McGregor’s usual pre-fight antics. However, as the lead-up to their trilogy match progressed, the energy shifted, and the Irishman reverted to his old ways of trash-talking his opponent.
On the undercard of this significant event, Topuria fought Ryan Hall in a featherweight clash. At the time, there was great excitement surrounding Topuria, though few knew how far he would ultimately go in the UFC. He managed to render Hall unconscious in the first round, marking his first experience fighting on such a large scale.
In the main event, McGregor unfortunately suffered a broken ankle, leading to his defeat against Poirier in the first round. Following the bouts, Topuria revealed his feelings about performing on McGregor’s undercard, noting that he sensed a troubling energy emanating from the Irishman.
“Super bad vibes,” Topuria explained, detailing his experience. He continued with an analysis of McGregor as a person, stating that while he didn’t know McGregor personally, the feeling he had when the Irishman was around was one of dread. “Keep him away! Keep him away!” He exclaimed, describing the energy from McGregor as “a terrible energy”.
Further emphasizing his feelings, Topuria described the aura he perceived from McGregor as coming from hell, adding, “I had never felt that before.” He expressed a clear desire to distance himself from McGregor’s energy during that encounter.
Since their first meeting, Topuria’s opinion of McGregor has remained unchanged, and he has expressed hopes of one day sharing the cage with him. Recently, false rumors circulated suggesting that the UFC was contemplating a match between McGregor and Topuria in 2025, but McGregor clarified that he was in discussions to fight Logan Paul in a boxing match instead.
In response to inquiries about a potential fight with Topuria, McGregor had previously claimed that he would “slap Topuria silly,” further fueling the intrigue surrounding their relationship and potential matchup in the future.
Source link
