Ex-UFC Featherweight Champion Ilia Topuria revealed discussions about a potential showdown with Conor McGregor during a recent appearance on “The Joe Rogan Experience.” His comments ignited speculation among MMA fans about the possibility of the Irish superstar’s return to the Octagon.
The former two-division champion hasn’t competed since breaking his leg against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in 2021. He withdrew from a scheduled bout with Michael Chandler at UFC 303 due to a toe injury.
Fans Have Mixed Feelings About a Potential Topuria vs McGregor Fight
During his conversation with Rogan, Topuria disclosed that preliminary talks regarding a matchup with McGregor had already taken place.
“Actually, we had those talks a little bit,” Topuria revealed. However, he refrained from sharing specific details on these discussions, citing concerns about potential backlash from the UFC management.
“You know how the UFC is, very specific… ‘don’t say anything to no one’…,” Topuria continued when Rogan pushed. “If they offered me a fight with Conor right now, why not?… I wouldn’t say no.”
Check out Ilia Topuria’s comments below:
Ilia Topuria says he was previously in talks with the UFC to fight Conor McGregor 👀
He also says he’d accept a fight against Conor McGregor if it was offered to him right now
“Why not? I wouldn’t say no.”
🎥 @joerogan #UFC #MMApic.twitter.com/mhGqEZtzQN
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) April 16, 2025
The revelation quickly prompted reactions across X.
One enthusiastic fan commented, “Would be a massive fight. Topuria’s stock is rising, and McGregor’s still the biggest name in the game.”
Would be a massive fight. Topuria’s stock is rising, and McGregor’s still the biggest name in the game
— SportsMaverick (@SportsMaverickX) April 16, 2025
Another said how it makes sense, business-wise, to take a McGregor fight.
At the end of the day it’s a business and all of these guys would take a fat pay check to pound him in. No one really expects Conor McGregor to win a big fit at this point.
— kyle (@kylejkoester2) April 17, 2025
Some found it hard to believe that McGregor would ever return to the UFC.
Don’t think anyone wants to see McGregor back… he’s done … never got over the beating he took from Khabib … and any fight today would be over in one round. Let him go.
— Moots (@JMooters) April 16, 2025
Others expressed skepticism about McGregor’s competitive viability, with another fan noting, “Connor is WASHED. He couldn’t even beat a top 15 fighter, let alone an ‘ex’ Champ like Topuria. Connor isn’t stupid; he’d never truly ask for this fight. He just baits at this point to bring eyes on him.”
Several commenters highlighted inconsistencies in Topuria’s previous statements, with one asking, “What happened to sitting out for Islam?!”
Another recalled, “Someone pull up the clip of him saying he won’t fight Conor even if he was offered.”
Ilia Topuria Met Conor McGregor at UFC 264
Topuria first crossed paths with McGregor at UFC 264 in 2021, where the Irishman suffered a brutal TKO defeat against Dustin Poirier. It left a lasting impression — but not in a good way.
“He simply came to work to put on a show, but the feeling I had when he was around was: Keep him away! Keep him away!” Topuria said on “The Wild Project.”
“Just a terrible energy. I swear, it felt like his aura came from hell, you know what I’m saying? I want to be away from this dude, he has black energy, I had never felt that before.”
Topuria has since distanced himself from that sentiment, focusing instead on his championship reign. Meanwhile, McGregor continues his rehabilitation and business pursuits outside the cage.
Still, a fight with McGregor, if it ever materializes, would likely be the biggest of his career and one of the UFC’s biggest paydays in recent memory.
For now, it’s just talk. But in MMA, that’s usually how the wildest things begin; today’s rumors often become tomorrow’s headlines.