Ilia Topuria Vs. Conor McGregor Could Happen At Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu Stadium

Ilia Topuria has claimed that a fight between him and Conor McGregor would sell out at Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu stadium.
Topuria is certainly talking up a big game, but he must first overcome Alexander Volkanovski. The Australian defends his UFC Featherweight Title at UFC 298 against Topuria, with much on the line. The champion was knocked out in the first round in his last bout against Islam Makhachev. That was the second successive loss he suffered against Makhachev after moving up to lightweight to face him.
It is worth noting that Volkanovski took the fight on less than two weeks’ notice once Charles Oliveira withdrew. He also confirmed that he had been drinking before his camp for the bout, which may have hindered him. Topuria, though, will be feeling confident since he is unbeaten. He has four stoppages in his last five fights, making him a dangerous opponent. If he overcame that, then a bout with McGregor could play out as he backed himself to draw a big crowd.

Topuria Vs. McGregor
“If it was my decision, I’d fight Conor McGregor. That would be the fight I’d aim for, and that’s what I aim for. [It would sell out] In five minutes. It doesn’t matter. We got a big-big following,” Topuria said
But getting McGregor in the octagon will not be easy. He has not fought since losing to Dustin Poirier in 2021 at UFC 264. The defeat was accompanied by a broken leg, keeping him out for an extended period. McGregor then faced further problems as he had not enrolled into USADA testing in time to fight in 2023.
He eventually did so before USADA ended their relationship with the UFC. He must provide two negative samples over six months before fighting. That would mean he could fight at UFC 300. That looks unlikely, as Dana White ruled it out. White also dismissed McGregor’s claim that he was fighting Michael Chandler on June 29 at 185 pounds. The CEO of the UFC said he wanted to see McGregor have a full training camp, putting the onus on him to prepare for a return.
McGregor’s Return
“First of all, he’s coming back from one of the nastiest injuries you can come back from. How long was Anderson Silva out when he did it? How long was Chris Weidman out? The guys who break that bone…so that’s an issue right there, number one. Number two, is Conor McGregor doesn’t need the f***ing money.
“So when you don’t need the money…Khabib doesn’t need the money, Khabib retired…Only Conor knows that. These are questions for Conor McGregor, not me. I know he’s training, but I don’t know what level of training he’s doing, I don’t know what level of kicking he’s doing right now. I don’t know any of that stuff. I need to know the guy’s in a full camp, he’s ready to go, White said
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