"Conor McGregor in Bernabeu" - MMA world throw in names, including that of Spain's Prime Minister's, as Ilia Topuria asks fans to play matchmaker 

MMA fans recently presented their choices for Ilia Topuria's next rival. The list contained the names of several noteworthy UFC fighters, including Conor McGregor. But some fans also picked the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, as Topuria's next rival.

Topuria defended his UFC featherweight gold for the first time with a victory over Max Holloway at UFC 308. 'El Matador' had hurled an array of insults at his rival during the buildup to the fight. But he managed to back his trash-talking successfully as he knocked Holloway out with a vicious left hook in the third round of the encounter.

Topuria became an overnight celebrity in Spain after claiming the featherweight gold at UFC 298 to become the first-ever Spanish UFC champion. His victory at UFC 308 multiplied it several times to make him one of the most famous athletes in the country.

Topuria's recent tweet showcased that he is probably in a state of confusion regarding his next rival. The Georgian-Spaniard left it to the fans to elect a rival for him. His tweet read:

"TOPURIA VS ?"

The comments section of Topuria's tweet showcased several viable choices for Topuria's next rival. One such comment read:

"Conor McGregor in Bernabeu"

Others penned:

"Volkanovski 🤔"

"Volk rematch then Diego [Lopes] then Islam [Makhachev]"

Surprisingly, numerous fans also asked Topuria to lock horns with the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez. One of them wrote:

"Pedro Sanchez has earned a fight with you, maybe double champ status"

Check out a few other reactions:

Fan reactions to Ilia Topuria's tweet. [Screenshot Courtesy: @Topuriailia on X]

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Ilia Topuria's coach feels that his disciple will obliterate Paddy Pimblett in a fight

Ilia Topuria currently resides in Spain. But the 27-year-old also has a Georgian descent. This is why he took offense after Paddy Pimblett insulted Georgians with one of his tweets back in 2021.

Topuria and Pimblett also got into a scuffle in March 2022, which brightened the chances of an in-octagon encounter between the two. The feud between the two reignited once more after Pimblett congratulated Topuria on his UFC 308 victory along with a reminder that he would still defeat the Spaniard.

However, Topuria's coach, Jorge Climent, debunked Pimblett's opinion in a recent interview with Hablemos MMA. He mentioned that Topuria would defeat Pimblett in such a way that it would be called "abuse". An English translation of Climent's words read:

"I don't see him [Pimblett] having the quality to fight Ilia, and I don't think he deserves it... [The way in which Topuria would dominate Pimblett,] what would that be called, abuse?"

Check out Jorge Climent's interview below: