Ilia Topuria channels inner Conor McGregor and claims ‘red panty nights’ await for upcoming rivals

Title contender Ilia Topuria uses Conor McGregor to reveal why other contenders want to fight him.

Ilia Topuria channels inner Conor McGregor and claims ‘red panty nights’ await for upcoming rivals

Ilia Topuria and Conor McGregor ( Image via Imago )

Ilia Topuria has made some bold comments in his recent press conferences and interviews. He will face Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298. He recently made a Conor McGregor reference in his recent UFC 298 press conference. Here is what happened:

The reporter asked Ilia Topuria about the comments Brian Ortega and Yair Rodriguez made in their recent interviews. He asked Topuria if he would consider fighting either of them now that it was a bigger fight with much more attention. To this, Topuria replied saying: 

Who doesn't wanna fight me right now? Who not? I didn't become a UFC world champion yet. I have three more days to do it. They already calling me out. Everyone. Everyone. Why? Red panty nights.
Ilia Topuria via UFC 298 media day
YouTube video

Yair Rodriguez made several comments about Ilia Topuria on The MMA Hour. Rodriguez called Topuria delusional and said that he was not even in the same world as them. He said Topuria calling out Conor McGregor was just a gimmick to market himself.

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Rodriguez said Topuria would not fight anyone he has called out. He also predicted Topuria’s career would be over after his fight against Alexander Volkanovski. Rodriguez said he would like to face Topuria at some point, and that too in Spain.

Meanwhile, Brian Ortega told CBS Sports about his thoughts on Ilia Topuria. Ortega told Shakiel Mahjouri that Ilia Topuria had to win a belt for their potential fight to happen. He said that if Topuria does win and does not give him a shot, he would ruin every other contender. According to Ortega, after Topuria’s rise up the featherweight ladder, he does not plan on giving other featherweights a title shot like the one he got.

Fans react to Ilia Topuria’s bold Conor McGregor claim for upcoming opponents

Ilia Topuria mentioning the ‘red panty night’ reference like Conor McGregor got the attention of fans on social media. The people went to the comment section to share their reactions to the video.

Alexander Volkanovski takes on Ilia Topuria at UFC 298
Alexander Volkanovski takes on Ilia Topuria at UFC 298 (via IMAGO)

Fans were definitely amused by Ilia Topuria’s “red panty night” reference. Here are some of the reactions from X:

Many have accused him of wanting to be like Conor McGregor. Some appreciated his self-confidence. Meanwhile, others criticized him for making bold statements with nothing to show for it yet. It will be interesting to see how his fight against Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 goes.

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