Illia Topuria has been crowned as the new featherweight champion at UFC 298. Going into the bout, he was a betting underdog, but he defied all odds and ultimately got a stoppage in the second round against Alexander Volkanovski. Post the victory, he was emotional to finally achieve his dream of becoming a world champion in the UFC.

Moreover, now that he is a champion, he has plenty of options in multiple weight divisions. So who does he fight next? Sean O’Malley, Max Holloway, or somebody out of the ordinary? Let’s take a look at who he called out.

Ilia Topuria with a bold call-out

Before the bout, he was having a go at ‘Suga’ Sean O’Malley and Max Holloway. However, it appears his interest is neither of the two. In the post-fight interview, he expressed his interest in facing former champion Conor McGregor. He very confidently said, “And Conor McGregor, if you still have some balls, I will be waiting for you in Spain.”

This call-out may not be a shock for the MMA world, as the featherweight champion had expressed his interest in facing McGregor before the bout. However, the likelihood of this bout taking place is less given the weight disparity between the two.

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However, we do know that the sport is unpredictable and one cannot be so deceived over it. Moreover, it bears mention that many fans think he is biting more than he can chew while calling out McGregor, but not Dana White.

Dana White weighs in on Conor McGregor vs. Ilia Topuria

According to White, this fight is not necessarily a far-fetched endeavor. According to him, Topuria has all the bargaining rights in the world to make such call-outs given the fact that he is undefeated. Before UFC 298, White was asked about the possibility of this match-up coming to fruition. In response, he did not disregard it and said it is subject to his win at UFC 298.

He said, “I think that I don’t know about that. So I think, he’s got a lot. Listen, when you’re undefeated, you’ve never tasted defeat. You know, and you’ve been on the rise that this guy is on, that’s the way you should be thinking, and that’s what your mentality should be. But, we’ll see how it plays out on Saturday night.”

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However, his response during the post-fight UFC 298 presser was in the opposite direction. White said he did not see McGregor ever returning to the 145 lbs division. Further, he wanted to see Topuria take on the contenders in his own division before turning his attention to other divisions and superfights.

Now that he won stunningly, will this bout be made? Let’s sit back to see the cards unfold and tell us your thoughts and opinions about this match-up in the comments below.

UFC 298: Alexander Volkanovski vs. Ilia Topuria – Results, News and Updates