When looking back at the UFC division he formerly competed in and ruled over, Ilia Topuria isn’t a fan of one top contender.
Topuria recently vacated the featherweight gold ahead of a permanent move up to the lightweight class this year. The decision followed a 2024 in which he dethroned Alexander Volkanovski and became the first to knock out Max Holloway.
When it comes to both of those legends, “La Leyenda” considers himself a fan. But when it comes to a man whom both have defeated but Topuria didn’t face during his time in the weight class, the Spaniard has a different view.
During a recent appearance on Joe Rogan’s JRE MMA Show, Topuria explained why he isn’t a fan of Yair Rodriguez’s in the same way he is for the two featherweight GOAT contenders.
“I don’t know what to tell you about Yair Rodriguez. I’m not a big fan of him,” Ilia Topuria said. “He’s the type of guy that you don’t even need to take him down, he goes to the ground himself. He’s like very spectacular the way he fights, the striking, the kicks he throws and all that, but I’m not a big fan of him.
“I’m a fan of Volk (Volkanovski) and Max Holloway,” Topuria continued. “Actually, they were the smartest guys that I ever faced inside the Octagon. I felt that they were smart. They had that fight IQ. They know how to fight.”
The ship has seemingly sailed on the prospect of Ilia Topuria and Yair Rodriguez sharing the Octagon.
With the Mexican still having his sights on the undisputed featherweight gold, his attention will have recently turned from “La Leyenda” to Volkanovski, who returned to the mountaintop by defeating Diego Lopes at UFC 314 on April 12.
