"I want to be more than Conor McGregor" - Ilia Topuria gets brutally honest about plans to avoid Irishman's mistakes en route to MMA mega stardom 

In the eyes of many MMA fans, Ilia Topuria is the rising star who mirrors the path Conor McGregor once blazed and could even surpass his global fame. The UFC featherweight champion has been advocating for a major event in Spain, and the UFC could capitalize on his growing star power to break into the Spanish market.

However, 'El Matador' has made it clear that he doesn’t aim to replicate McGregor’s journey. While McGregor was once an idol in the MMA world, Topuria is determined to avoid the same pitfalls that led to the Irishman's alleged downfall.

Weighing in on the comparison and a potential clash with McGregor in a recent episode of the FULL SEND PODCAST, Topuria said that McGregor betrayed the very values that made him successful, with his shift toward disrespect, partying, and other distractions. For Topuria, it's clear that true champions resist these temptations and maintain control over their lives. He said:

"I don't know that guy is so sick. He has some problems in his inside world you know. At the same time when he was starting in MMA, he was an idol for for all of us. He was a great fighter representing good values. He did a lot for the sport but at some point, he betrayed all the values that put him in that point."

Topuria added:

"I want to be more than Conor McGregor... The values he represents, it's not the same values I represent. So that's why I think I'm going to be even bigger than him. I'm bigger than him right now at this point."

Check out Ilia Topuria's comments below (22:00):

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Paddy Pimblett mocks Ilia Topuria's dream of lightweight championship fight next, says he's not Conor McGregor

Paddy Pimblett believes Ilia Topuria lacks the star power needed to secure a superfight with Islam Makhachev immediately. He argues that Topuria, despite his aspirations of becoming a double champion, has only defended his featherweight title once and has yet to reach the level of fame that allowed Conor McGregor to move divisions seamlessly.

Pimblett asserts that the UFC typically requires champions to defend their titles multiple times before challenging for a second belt. Weighing in on Topuria's plans in a recent episode of the Blood Red podcast, Pimblett said:

"I can’t see Ilia fighting Islam. He’s only defended the belt once, normally you need to defend the belt like three times. And he’s not that big of a star to just jump straight in. He is not [Conor] McGregor to just jump right up and fight for the other belt, so I can’t personally see that happening. But we’ll see what happens."

Check out Paddy Pimblett's comments below: