Conor McGregor reacted after Ilia Topuria lost his UFC lightweight championship to Justin Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250. McGregor shared advice for Topuria that may help him move forward.
Topuria suffered a 4th round TKO loss due to corner’s stoppage after he was unable to continue. He entered the bout as a sizeable favorite, so his loss shocked the MMA world.
McGregor has gone through his fair share of adversity during his career, particularly when bouncing back from a loss. Now, Topuria is in a similar situation as he will now have to regroup after suffering the first loss of his career.
Conor McGregor Reacts to Ilia Topuria’s Loss at UFC Freedom 250
Conor McGregor did not hold back when assessing what went wrong for Ilia Topuria at UFC Freedom 250. McGregor was critical of Topuria, saying that ‘El Matador’ copied his style.
“No way, does [Topuria remind fans of me?] He has the same tattoos, he says the same stuff, he does the same [expletive] movements, he was going to scream into the thing,” McGregor told The Ariel Helwani Show. “He’s a good lad, he’s alright. I like him. Maybe [he does].”
McGregor noted that he has never suffered significant damage like Topuria did and highlighted that the mistakes stemmed from his preparation. The Irishman suggested that Topuria add more intensity to his training.
“I knew that was gonna happen to him. I just saw the training. You need to get it put on you in the gym. If you’re not getting it put on you in the gym,” he said. “I’ve been there myself. You have to kind say, ‘Listen, there’s $1,000 cash outside the octagon if you can drop me. If you drop me, you get $1,000 cash.’ Here’s the type of stuff you need to be doing. You need the guys coming at you to an extent.”
McGregor Says Topuria’s Strategy Against Justin Gaethje Was Not Wise
McGregor pointed to Topuria’s strategy of engaging in striking exchanges with Justin Gaethje as not being wise. He highlighted ‘El Matador’ positioning, particularly his tendency to keep his hands down, as a factor that contributed to the damage he sustained.
“[Topuria was] walking forward with the hands down on the opening bell. You’re going to get walloped. He’s a bit flat-footed. He has his areas,” McGregor told The Ariel Helwani Show. “He’s not fully complete, he’s not a full complete fighter. But, he’s good and he’ll make inroads.”
McGregor also emphasized that Topuria will need to do a lot of soul searching after his loss. Given the manner in which he lost, ‘El Matador’s resilience will be tested.
“[Topuria’s] face will have to heal for sure. His face, I’d say, is smashed up,” he said. “I’ve only bled my own blood once inside the octagon. So, I’ve not been in that situation. He’s got banged up bad over the course, which caused him to quit. It’s going to be a dark place that he’s in right now. He’s going to have to dig deep. Can he do it? I think he could. There’ll be motivation to do it and I wish him well.”
Conor McGregor Reacts to Ilia Topuria’s Loss to Justin Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250