Al-Nassr forward Cristiano Ronaldo aimed a swipe at UFC fighter and Real Madrid fan IIia Topuria before the latter’s match with Max Holloway.
Ilia Topuria, who had proudly flaunted himself as a die-hard supporter of Real Madrid and, by extension, Spanish football, must have been surprised by Ronaldo’s comment before his match against Holloway at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Ronaldo did not only aim a swipe at IIia Topuria, but he also appeared to support his opponent Max Holloway in the UFC 308 matchup.
Giving his honest review of the main event, Ronaldo endorsed Holloway to defeat Topuria.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner claimed that Ilia Topuria speaks too much for his liking. He further added that the Spanish-Georgian’s victory in his previous match against Volkanovski back in February 2024 was a fluke since he just wasn’t ready for the kick that Topuria threw at him.
“[Topuria] speaks too much. I think when he [beat] Volk, Volk wasn’t [ready] because of that kick.”
The Portuguese further claimed Max Holloway is a star who never got knocked out; hence, he would be a tough fight for Ilia Topuria. But if the featherweight champion manages to defeat him, he will earn his respect. He said, “[Topuria] didn’t fight with the top guys. If he beats Max, I will respect him.”
Well, it surely looked like the Al-Nassr star would have to respect Topuria as he defeated Holloway via TKO in round 3 of the main event fight.
The 27-year-old delivered another masterclass against Holloway and surely proved his doubters wrong with a great performance.
The fact that he even had to prove himself to an icon from his favorite soccer club surely shows the amount of pressure he had on his mind.
Holloway pulled a strong display in the first two rounds of the fight but would later succumb to Topuria’s superior blows and tactics.
Sergio Ramos was live at the venue and could be seen jubilating as his favorite star and pal bagged another victory and heralded a new milestone in his career.
Topuria skipped Cristiano Ronaldo in his best La Liga player of all time
Notably, Topuria isn’t a close pal to Cristiano Ronaldo but is known for his bromance with top footballers, especially from Real Madrid and other Spanish footballers. We reported earlier that Sergio Ramos walked him into the ceremonial weigh-in ahead of the match.
He has also reportedly met with Jude Bellingham and other Real Madrid stars and was greeted with a heroic welcome in Spain when he won his fight against Alexander Volkanovaki in February 2024.
While the Georgian fighter may not be close to Cristiano Ronaldo, the latter is among his favorites from Real Madrid’s Hall of Fame.
And while Cristiano Ronaldo’s comment must have spurred him to take the fight to Holloway with all his energy, he was only being paid back with the same coin he issued to the footballer.
In recent footage on social media, IIia Topuria was asked who is his best La Liga footballer between Cristiano Ronaldo and Zinedine Zidane. He skipped Ronaldo and went for Zidane. And it was Cristiano Ronaldo’s arch-rival Lionel Messi that displaced Zidane.
Topuria’s victory over Max Holloway marked his 16th victory and his sixth knockout win. The Georgian has yet to taste defest and has now won all his fight.
