UFC superstar Conor McGregor said that former UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria made errors in his training camp against Justin Gaethje.
In what was one of the biggest upsets of all time in UFC history, Gaethje defeated Topuria via fourth-round TKO due to corner stoppage to unify the UFC lightweight titles.
Very few people predicted that the fight would play out the way it did, as Gaethje laid Topuria to waste and damaged his eye so badly with jabs and uppercuts that the Georgian could no longer see properly, leading to the stoppage.
For McGregor, one of the sport’s all-time greats, it was mistakes made during Topuria’s training camp far before the fight took place that led to him losing his belt to Gaethje.
Conor McGregor Says Ilia Topuria Made Errors in Training Camp
Speaking to former NFL player Nate Burleson on Paramount+, McGregor spoke about the errors he felt that Topuria made in his fight against Gaethje, leading to the stunning defeat.
“I thought that’s how the fight would go. I was keeping an eye somewhat on the training methods of both men. You’ve got to be under pressure in the gym. You’ve got to get your back to the wall in the gym, and I didn’t see that in Ilia’s corner. He came out, high guard straight away, walking forward, in the very first punch with a high guard, you walking forward on the man? There were errors that translated from the training camp into the Octagon,” McGregor said.
Stay tuned for much more to come with @TheNotoriousMMA and @nateburleson
Will Ilia Topuria Ever Fight Conor McGregor?
One fight that fans would surely love to see would pit Topuria against McGregor.
Before Topuria lost to Gaethje, the thought of this fight would have been laughable. But after Gaethje destroyed him on the White House lawn, this now becomes a very possible matchup, depending on what happens with McGregor’s fight next month against Max Holloway at UFC 329.
If McGregor looks good in that fight, don’t be surprised at all if he calls for a massive fight in his next bout. Think either UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev, the new UFC lightweight champion Gaethje, or even Topuria. All of those fights would be huge matches for the UFC.
A lot is riding on McGregor for this fight against Holloway. If he can go out there and have a good performance, even if he ends up losing the fight, he would show the MMA world that he still has plenty of gas left in the tank at age 37. But if he goes out there and gets dusted by Holloway, as many expect him to, that would surely hurt his stock.
Although the betting odds don’t fancy McGregor’s chances in this rematch against Holloway, you can’t completely count him out of the fight, especially since he has legitimate KO power. Plus, after we just saw Gaethje pull off one of the biggest upsets of all time with his win over Topuria, you’d be foolish to count out anyone in any fight in this sport. Because that’s what makes MMA great.
Conor McGregor: Ilia Topuria’s Errors in Training Camp Led to Loss