UFC Featherweight Champion Ilia Topuria believes predictions for his upcoming title defense have helped him identify plenty of "snakes in the grass."
Eight months on from his memorable crowning in Anaheim at the expense of Alexander Volkanovski, Topuria will put his newly won gold on the line against another legend of the division.
Headlining next weekend's UFC 308 pay-per-view in Abu Dhabi, "El Matador" will share the cage with former featherweight kingpin and current holder of the symbolic BMF title, Max Holloway.
The bout is among the most highly anticipated of the year thus far, and the recent success of both men have left a variety of predictions flying around the MMA community.
Topuria, however, has frequently insisted that "Blessed" will be light work for him come fight night. And with that in mind, he's bemused by the number of UFC peers picking against him for the Oct. 26 event.
And during an appearance on Tuesday's episode of The Ariel Helwani Show on Uncrowned, Topuria took a moment to address those doubting the continuation of his reign.
While he didn't name names, the Georgian-Spanish champ suggested a number of those predicting a return to the throne for Holloway have previously interacted with him in-person.
Having seen their picks, though, Topuria has no plans to repeat that post-UFC 308...
I've watched the predictions of all the UFC fighters. They are predicting that he is going to beat me," Topuria said. "All the bums, f*ck you everyone. After I knock him out, don't even tell me, 'Hello,' if you see me around. F*ck yourself everyone.
Many, many fighters (are picking against me). I don't even want to tell you the names because I don't want to give importance about them. F*ck them all," Topuria continued. "I'm taking notes. They are all like snakes in the grass. They see you around and then they are acting like fans. But when they have to do something, 'No, Max is going to beat him.' Maybe they feel a little bit of envy.
Topuria continues to speak confidently when it comes to his first title defense, promising that Holloway won't see a second round in Abu Dhabi later this month.
Pressure will certainly be on him to deliver. But should "El Matador" do so, his journey toward top spot in 145-pound history would certainly be off to a strong start, and perhaps a desired lightweight move to challenge Islam Makhachev could await.