WATCH: “Conor, if you still have balls….” Spanish superstar Ilia Topuria calls out Conor McGregor after SENSATIONAL knockout against Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298

Ilia Topuria calls out Conor McGregor to fight in Spain after knocking out the reigning champion Alexander Volkanovksi at UFC 298.

WATCH: “Conor, if you still have balls….” Spanish superstar Ilia Topuria calls out Conor McGregor after SENSATIONAL knockout against Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298

Ilia Topuria dares Conor McGregor to fight after defeating Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 (via X/Imago)

The UFC 298 event was one of the most exciting events by far. The main event saw rising featherweight star Ilia Topuria score a sensational knockout victory over dominant champion Alexander Volkanovski. The second-round finish shocked fans and delivered the 27-year-old Topuria his first UFC belt. The newly-minted champion had some words for Conor McGregor.

With the belt secured, Topuria proceeded to call out former two-division champion Conor McGregor in his post-fight interview. Topuria dared McGregor to face him if the Irish superstar still had some fight left in him. He stated he would be waiting for McGregor in his adopted home country of Spain. This is what he said:

Conor McGregor, if you still have some balls, I will be waiting for you in Spain.
Ilia Topuria in the post-fight interview
YouTube video

The opening round saw Topuria land leg kicks while Volkanovski tried closing distance with punching combinations. Topuria used his elite boxing to score points in the first round. Alexander Volkanovski made a read of Ilia’s combinations and feints to readjust to his style. He then went on his own barrage, outscouring the Georgian-born fighter in round one. 

Topuria landed a blistering right hand that hurt Volkanovski in the second round. Sensing the finish, Topuria swarmed with vicious follow-up punches that secured him the victory at the 3:32 mark. The dominant performance capped off Topuria’s meteoric rise to championship glory.

Conor McGregor’s prediction for Ilia Topuria vs. Alexander Volkanovski proven wrong by the young contender

Former double champion Conor McGregor shared his predictions for the outcomes of the main card bouts for UFC 298. McGregor took to social media to give his insights into the main card.

Conor McGregor makes his picks for UFC 298
Conor McGregor makes his picks for UFC 298 (via Imago/UFC.com)

McGregor predicted that Volkanovski would get hurt early but battle back to knock out Topuria in the second round. He envisioned an exciting back-and-forth clash before the champion’s experience prevails later.

Another prediction saw McGregor choosing Ian Garry to defeat Geoff Neal. In the bantamweight fight between Merab Dvalishvili and Henry Cejudo, McGregor simply predicted a good battle without selecting a winner. He said the same thing about Robert Whittaker vs. Paulo Costa.

https://twitter.com/TheNotoriousMMA/status/1758819095007396202

McGregor’s pick for Ilia Topuria vs. Alexander Volkanovski was shattered by the contender knocking out the champion. It remains to be seen if McGregor will respond to Ilia Topuria’s callout to fight him in Spain. The MMA community will be waiting for the reply of the ‘Notorious.’

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