Ilia Topuria shoots his shot, calls for a clash with conor mcGregor in Spain

Undefeated UFC featherweight contender Ilia Topuria has officially entered the Conor McGregor sweepstakes.

McGregor has been absent from the Octagon after suffering a devastating loss to Dustin Poirier in July 2021. Since then, fans have been chomping at the bit to find out when the former two-division titleholder would make his long-awaited return. McGregor recently teased a big announcement for New Year’s Day, with many suspecting, or at the very least hoping, that it will pertain to his quote-unquote “greatest comeback in combat sports history.”

McGregor is still expected to fight former Bellator MMA champion ‘Iron’ Michael Chandler in 2024, but with no official announcements thus far, it’s always possible that the UFC could pivot to a completely different fight for the Irishman. Of the names on that short list, Ilia Topuria is likely not one of them, but that didn’t stop the Spanish standout from shooting his shot on social media.

“Topuria vs McGregor #ufcspain,” Topuria wrote on X.

Will Ilia Topuria Dethrone ‘The Great’ in 2024?

Currently, Ilia Topuria is gearing up for his first shot at a world title as he is set to square off with reigning featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski. The two 145’ers will headline UFC 298 on February 17 as the promotion returns to Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.

With 14 straight victories, six of those coming under the UFC banner, ‘El Matador’ established himself as the next man in line with an impressive unanimous decision victory over former interim title challenger Josh Emmett in June.

If Topuria manages to knock off Volkanovski in impressive fashion, his chances of bagging a fight with McGregor could vastly improve. But it would be foolish of Topuria to look past one of the pound-for-pound greatest fighters in UFC history.