Who’s the GOAT? UFC Champ Ilia Topuria Reveals ‘List of Legends’ & Dream Fights

The UFC Champ also details why his ultimate goal isn’t to become a legend himself.

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Ilia Topuria has chimed in on the ‘greatest of all time’ conversation.

On his way to becoming UFC Featherweight Champion of the world, Topuria took out an all-time great at the weight class in Alexander Volkanovski, knocking him out in the second round to capture the title at UFC 298.

RELATED: UFC 298 Results: Ilia Topuria Sleeps Alexander Volkanovski In Anaheim (VIDEO)

Holding the championship belt a couple of months after his 27th birthday, the newly-crowned Topuria hopes to create a legacy of his own in the sport and ‘El Matador’ knows just the name who would help elevate his career. 

“If it was up to me, if I could, say, send a letter to Santa Claus, it would probably be Conor McGregor,” Topuria told Europop. “Simply because he represents the first big wave of European MMA and it’s time for us to move on to the next generation. Conor fulfilled his role, he came and took the sport to a new level. It’s time for the old guard to be replaced by the new generation.”

McGregor was once the best featherweight in the world before leaving the weight class in pursuit of more greatness. 

The Irish superstar went on to win the lightweight title, racking up record-breaking pay-per-views for the UFC, millions of dollars through business ventures and now an acting debut in the new movie, ‘Road House’.

Say what you want about the lack of title defenses and losses in recent years, but there’s no denying the impact McGregor left on the world’s biggest stage and MMA as a whole. That’s why Topuria included ‘The Notorious’ among two others on his personal ‘GOAT’ list.

“That’s a tough question because I don’t want to take anything away from anyone,” Topuria said. “Conor, Jon Jones, Khabib [Nurmagomeov], they all helped bring MMA to their respective parts of the planet. Khabib to the Muslim world, Conor to Europe, partially to the US and even the world as a whole. I respect them all and they all have their spot on my list of legends.”

Jon Jones and Khabib Nurmagomedov are both virtually undefeated, with Jones’ only loss being a controversial disqualification to Matt Hamill in 2009. 

‘Bones’ was the youngest champion in UFC history at 23 years old and currently holds the most title wins in the promotion, along with the heavyweight championship thirteen years after taking the light heavyweight throne.

Nurmagomedov’s career didn’t last as long as Jones but he ushered in a reign of dominance in the lightweight division from 2012 to 2020. ‘The Eagle’ won the vacant title in 2018 and went on a hot streak of title defenses, finishing the likes of Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje before riding into the sunset of retirement at a perfect 29-0 record.

This is yet another dream fight for Spain’s Topuria, but it will likely stay a dream because of Nurmagomedov’s promise to his mother to keep the gloves off. 

“I would be happy to enter the octagon with Khabib Nurmagomedov,” Topuria told TV Imedi. “He had an undefeated record at 29-0 and he had an attractive record for me, then also history. He is a worthy and honorable champion for me. [I would 100% defeat him].”

Naming his ‘list of legends’, Ilia Topuria says that his goal isn’t to become one himself. The UFC Featherweight Champion has a different purpose with his career. 

“It will definitely be interesting,” Topuria said, when asked about what his own legacy will look like. “My goal isn’t to become a legend and sure, I will become one, if God’s willing. All I hope is that I can be a source of inspiration and motivation for the new generation. But most importantly, I want people to remember me as a patient, loving, hard-working dreamer.”

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