Ilia Topuria Destroys Ducking Accusations with Dana White Hint: “Fight Whoever They Want”

Superstar Ilia Topuria is ready to fight anybody in the competitive lightweight division that the UFC matchmakers throws at him.

Ilia Topuria Destroys Ducking Accusations with Dana White Hint: “Fight Whoever They Want”

Ilia Topuria isn't scared to fight any lightweight (via X)

🔍 Explore this post with:

ChatGPTPerplexityGrok AIGoogle AI

Ilia Topuria shocked the world when he destroyed Charles Oliveira and became the UFC lightweight champion. After all, the quick knockout win solidified his dominance immediately. Soon after winning the belt, Topuria was bombarded with multiple challengers from the division, showcasing how dangerous his reign may become.

Some of the most notable names stepping forward include Paddy Pimblett, Arman Tsarukyan, and seasoned knockout artist Justin Gaethje. Topuria has already engaged in an intense face-off with Pimblett, which fans loved, but Dana White disapproved.

The Georgian-Spanish champion openly refused to fight Gaethje, insisting the veteran no longer possessed a legitimate challenge for him. Adding further controversy, Topuria consistently denied Arman Tsarukyan a deserved title opportunity, despite the Armenian holding the #2 contender spot currently.

This stance led many fans and MMA experts to accuse Topuria of deliberately ducking Tsarukyan, undermining his legitimacy as champion. During a recent WOW FC interview, the UFC champion revealed updates about his future bout, stating the final decision lies with UFC.

Honestly, I don’t really care which of the three I face. It’s just a matter of agreements with the UFC. We actually haven’t even started negotiations yet about my next fight. As soon as they call me, they’re always the ones who pick the name. It doesn’t matter to me. Whoever they want. 

Ilia Topuria via WOW FC press conference 

According to Ilia Topuria, a fight against Pimblett would be the biggest in recent UFC memory that could lead to huge PPV numbers. Their long-standing rivalry has significantly raised anticipation within the MMA community, creating a storyline fans are desperate to see.

However, experts argued Pimblett represents the easiest option, and Topuria strategically avoids Tsarukyan, whose wrestling base may pose severe problems. Tsarukyan has already tried everything possible to secure a title shot, frequently mocking and trolling the reigning lightweight champion.

Meanwhile, Gaethje has declared that the UFC owed him a title opportunity, warning of retirement if he’s denied. Despite the chaos, UFC officials have yet to announce their decision, leaving fans anxiously awaiting updates on the next fight. On the other hand, Topuria has lately been busy with another beef outside of UFC, in the world of boxing. 

UFC veteran believes Ilia Topuria would not get a shot at Terence Crawford

Ilia Topuria shocked the combat sports community when he called out Terence Crawford, claiming he would decisively knock out the undefeated boxing champion. Crawford mocked Topuria’s ambitious challenge and sarcastically remarked that the lightweight champion must be drunk for making such outrageous statements.

Ilia Topuria and Terence Crawford's beef intensifies
Ilia Topuria and Terence Crawford’s beef intensifies (via X)

Later, fans noticed Crawford allegedly walked out to the exact same entrance song as Topuria during his high-profile fight against Canelo Alvarez. That night proved historic as Crawford delivered an incredible performance, defeating the Mexican superstar to become the undisputed super middleweight champion.

Afterward, when asked about potentially fighting Topuria, Crawford clearly stated the matchup lacked genuine appeal. Crawford emphasized that Topuria does not carry the superstar draw of Conor McGregor, therefore making the fight commercially unwanted. Meanwhile, UFC veteran Michael Chandler chimed in on the situation, explaining why ‘Bud,’ would never entertain fighting Topuria.

I think his (Crawford) purse was somewhere around $50 million what he got at the weekend. Of course, he’s had a tremendous career. He’s undefeated, and he’s 37 years old. He doesn’t need to be chasing ‘money fights’ that he doesn’t even think is a money fight, at all. And he probably wouldn’t want to tarnish his own legacy.

Michael Bisping via YouTube 

Crawford has openly stated that he doesn’t even know Ilia Topuria and has never watched any of his fights personally. Topuria strongly believes Crawford was lying about not knowing him, and this bold claim has only intensified the heated ongoing beef. With Dana White now promoting TKO’s boxing venture actively, a potential crossover fight could happen if things fall into place.

Also Read: