Ilia Topuria has hit back at the iconic soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo after footage emerged of him picking against the Georgian.
Ronaldo appears to be an avid fan of MMA, and was in attendance at the PFL Super Fights event where Francis Ngannou knocked out Renan Ferreira in his return to the cage after almost three years. He spent a solid portion of the night in the champion’s dressing room, analyzing from behind the scenes.
And recent footage has emerged showing the former Manchester United and Juventus star giving his take on the UFC 308 main event to coach Eric Nicksick. And he wasn’t too keen on Topuria’s chances, backing Max Holloway to end his undefeated run.
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Despite landing a stunning knockout over the dominant champion Alexander Volkanovski, some viewers were not sure of Ilia Topuria’s championship credentials. Prior to his win over ‘The Great’, Topuria had only faced two ranked opponents in the featherweight division, meaning a limited experience at top level.
However, he went on to knock out Volkanovski in February in tremendous fashion to cement his spot atop the division. Even then, though, the win was believed to be the result Volkanovski coming back too quickly following his KO loss over Islam Makhachev the previous October.
Cristiano Ronaldo was picking Max Holloway to beat Ilia Topuria:
“[Topuria] speaks too much… I think when he [beat] Volk, Volk wasn’t [ready] because of that kick…
[Topuria] didn’t fight with the top guys. If he beats Max, I will respect.”
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And in a video that has since gone viral, Ronaldo appears to confirm himself as one of the many doubters of the Spanish-based Georgian’s ability. He noted the Volkanovski and Makhachev result, and told Ngannou and coach Erick Nicksick that he believed Holloway would be a more credible win.
“What do you think about the main event (for UFC 308),” Ronaldo asked Nicksick, to which he replied that he ‘leans towards Max’. “I like Max,” the soccer sensation then replied. “He’s a tough guy. (Topuria) talks too much.
“He didn’t show – I think when he beat Volkanovski, Volk wasn’t ready because of that kick (from Makhachev), and he didn’t recover. But Topuria didn’t fight with the top guys, if he beats Max I will respect him. Never KO’d. This is why Max will be tough for Topuria.”
Ilia Topuria hits back at Cristiano Ronaldo after UFC 308 pick
Topuria was not impressed when he saw the footage, taking to social media to immediately make his thoughts known. It may have hurt him even more to watch Ronaldo criticise him given that he is a diehard Real Madrid supporter; the club with which the Portugese superstar played for most of his career.
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
The champion even brought Ronaldo’s former teammate Sergio Ramos with him to fight night and weigh-ins. But he is not too happy with the Portugese striker, telling him: “I didn’t expect someone like you to be unable to distinguish between confidence and arrogance.”
However, he didn’t go too hard on the former Real Madrid star, adding: “But, at the end of the day, we all reflect our own reality onto others. I wish you the best for what remains of your career, and God bless your family.”
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