"The rumors of bout with Mchicken are false" - Ilia Topuria addresses speculations surrounding possible fight with "rapist" Conor McGregor 

Shortly after Conor McGregor denied the rumors, Ilia Topuria also confirmed that discussions for a fight against the Irishman are not happening. Topuria had initially called out McGregor after capturing the UFC featherweight title in February, but he has shown little interest in the potential matchup recently.

While the talks of a fight between the two did not gain traction, McGregor recently took to X to claim that he was negotiating a fight against Logan Paul, which is expected to take place in India in 2025. Topuria, who also dismissed the rumors about the fight in a recent post, took a jab at McGregor's recent sexual assault case, writing:

"The rumors of bout with mchicken are false. I don't fight nor am I interested in fighting with a rapist."

McGregor, who never accepted Topuria's callouts, notably criticized the Spaniard's knockout win over Max Holloway in October. In response, Topuria slammed the Irishman for disrespecting fellow MMA fighters. Although the two have interacted on social media several times, Topuria currently appears to have other career goals in mind.

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Following in Conor McGregor's footsteps, Ilia Topuria planning a move to lightweight

Conor McGregor made history by becoming the first simultaneous two-division champion in UFC history, capturing both the featherweight and lightweight titles. Ilia Topuria, who has frequently adopted McGregor's promotional strategies, appears to be pursuing similar ambition. After defeating 145-pound legends Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway in back-to-back fights in 2024, Topuria recently mentioned that he is considering a move to lightweight.

During his appearance on Submission Radio, Topuria's head coach Jorge Climent doubled down on Topuria's statement and said that the potential move is motivated by the 27-year-old's struggle to cut weight for the 145-pound division.

“Yeah, the real thing, I think, is he hates to cut weight. He does it a lot of times, and it’s very hard every time we do it. He doesn’t want to do this anymore, and that’s why he wants to go up to the next weight class, you know, because he thinks his normal weight is in that weight class.”

Check out Jorge Climent's comments below (0:31):

Topuria has expressed his desire to face Charles Oliveira in a lightweight title eliminator bout in 2025. The Spaniard believes he could be the first fighter to submit lightweight champion Islam Makhachev. However, Makhachev's coach, Javier Mendez, recently dismissed the claims.