“I don’t think he deserved that right. I mean, you know the guy that he’s copycatting. This guy’s a copycat. Down to the tattoos, his aura, to the way he’s approaching fights. The guy’s a copycat,” said Max Holloway last year, referring to Ilia Topuria — a fighter many fans and analysts have labeled a “wannabe McGregor.” With those words, Holloway didn’t hold back, accusing ‘El Matador’ of mirroring UFC superstar Conor McGregor’s persona and rise.
Ilia Topuria isn’t bothered by the criticism, though. He’s used to being compared to others and getting into trouble. In fact, his climb through the ranks is starting to look a lot like the ascension of the man he is often accused of mimicking. The Georgian star made history last month at UFC 317 by becoming the UFC’s first unbeaten two-division champion at the age of 28. Because of this startling similarity, many MMA experts have called “El Matador” a mirror image of Conor McGregor. Chael Sonnen, a veteran of the UFC, has, however, put doubt on that analogy.
Chael Sonnen calls out Dana White over Ilia Topuria’s status
At just 28 years and 4 months old, Ilia Topuria made a powerful statement in the main event by finishing Charles Oliveira to claim the lightweight title, fulfilling a personal prophecy he had privately shared with McGregor years earlier. In a recently unearthed Instagram DM from nearly nine years ago, the Irishman revealed a screenshot where a young Topuria had written, “I am gonna be you someday.” But behind the headlines lies a technical distinction.
Although people have hailed Ilia Topuria as a two-division champion, he does not currently hold both belts simultaneously. Earlier this year, Dana White & Co. clarified that the UFC is no longer allowing fighters to hold two titles at once — a stark contrast to the Conor McGregor era. Still, the promotion’s decision to recognize Topuria as a two-division champion sparked pushback from veteran Chael Sonnen, who didn’t mince words while discussing the matter on his YouTube channel,
“The comparisons are uncanny — not to mention, same weight classes. But one was a double champ, and one was a two-time champ… I think… I think I’ve just got a hard-on that I can’t seem to let go of — that the UFC falsely gave Ilia two belts. There’s something about that that I must tell you really bothers me — because it’s wrong. He is not a double champion. He’s a two-time champion,” explained Chael Sonnen.
June 5, 2025, Madrid, Spain: Ultimate Fighting Championship UFC fighter, Ilia Topuria attends WOW 20 Madrid press conference at Teatro Amaya in Madrid. Madrid Spain – ZUMAs197 20250605_aaa_s197_022 Copyright: xAtilanoxGarciax
Earlier this February, after defending his featherweight title just once, Ilia Topuria vacated the belt to move up to lightweight. While he cited challenges with weight cutting and turning 30 as key reasons, many believe the decision was a calculated and strategic career move.
Now 28, the Spanish-Georgian seems to be taking a page from Conor McGregor’s playbook — approaching the fight game with sharp business sense and long-term planning. Echoing McGregor’s iconic mantra, “Get in. Get rich. Get out,” Ilia Topuria has already made his intentions clear, stating he “hopes to be out by 30.”
Paddy Pimblett criticizes Topuria for copying Conor McGregor
Ilia Topuria and Paddy Pimblett had been fighting for years, but their feud reached a breaking point at UFC London 2022. Things became worse that night when the two fought in a hotel hallway, which ended in a fight that is now renowned. The competition has only become worse since then. It reached another high point at UFC 317, when UFC commentator Joe Rogan summoned “The Baddy” into the octagon for a tense faceoff after Topuria won.
While the move reportedly didn’t sit well with Dana White, both fighters made it clear they were ready and willing to settle their grudge inside the cage. During their verbal exchange, Ilia Topuria channeled one of Conor McGregor’s most iconic trash-talk lines, declaring,
“I’m going to put my balls on your forehead, you little p**y!” — a phrase originally hurled at Chad Mendes by the Irishman.
That moment reignited the long-standing “copycat” claims — this time coming straight from Paddy Pimblett himself. In a recent appearance on UFC Unfiltered, Paddy pulled no punches,
“He’s trying to be Conor McGregor…He even said the other day, ‘I’m gonna put my balls on your forehead,’ which is something McGregor said to Chad Mendes. He’s just a carbon copy of McGregor. I think some people can see through that. Even though you see some people now saying he’s better than McGregor, but he’s not.”
That heated exchange and Pimblett’s recent prediction of a prime‑vs‑prime showdown have fueled divisive debate across X and Reddit, with threads ranging from fans calling Pimblett “spot on” to others insisting Topuria’s skills speak for themselves.
So, what do you think about the fight between Conor McGregor and Ilia Topuria? Is “El Matador” really better than McGregor at his best, or is it all just talk? Leave your thoughts below.
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