There are several two-division champions in UFC history but there’s only one Conor McGregor.
Since his rise to the top, former UFC Featherweight and current UFC Lightweight Champion Ilia Topuria has been compared to Conor McGregor on many occasions.
Sporting similar tattoos as the Irish superstar, Topuria has followed in the footsteps of McGregor by stealing Alexander Volkanovski’s belt at a press conference, going 7-0 in the featherweight division before leaving and winning the same titles with masterful knockouts.
Following his UFC 317 knockout of Charles Oliveira, his third former/current champion in a row, the heavy-handed Topuria has been touted to have an even higher ceiling than superstar McGregor.
However, a legendary lightweight says McGregor still has Topuria beat in one key area.
Frankie Edgar says Ilia Topuria can’t talk like Conor McGregor
Years before Topuria entered the UFC, ‘The Notorious’ took the sport by storm.
Not only did McGregor knock out his opponents, but he called the round he said he was going to do it in. McGregor saw massive popularity after he knocked out all-time great Jose Aldo in 13 seconds for the fastest knockout in title fight history.
McGregor’s considered one of the best, if not, the best trash talker in MMA, selling millions of pay-per-views with his personality and antics.
On the topic of Topuria, former UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar said:
“There will never be another Conor,” Edgar stated on The Champ and The Tramp Podcast.
“That’s my take. Just because it’s not set up. Like, [McGregor] did it already. That’s why it’s not gonna happen again.
“Paddy’s more like Conor than Ilia is like Conor,” Edgar said of Paddy Pimblett.
“Because Ilia, he tries, he says some funny stuff. He’s not as good as Conor. Conor’s special dude. Chael Sonnen was special. If Chael lived up to everything he said. He would be the biggest star by far.
“Conor also steps over the f—— line, in my mind,” Edgar added.
Frankie Edgar admits Ilia Topuria’s haters ‘have a point’
Topuria silenced many doubters with his KO of Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 but there’s still an ongoing narrative that the UFC Champion is competing against fighters who are past their prime.
Retired for almost three years now, Edgar can understand where the criticism is coming from.
“He’s living up to the hype,” Edgar said of Topuria.
“He’s saying what he was gonna do and going out there and doing it.
“But, there’s always the people that are gonna say some s— and hate on him… And they do have a point too,” Edgar continued.
“He beat a 36-year-old Volkanovski. He beat Holloway, coming off a hard ass weight cut because he’s at 155, went back down to 145. Volk coming off a head kick knockout. And he just fought a 35, almost 36-year-old Oliveira. You know the stats, right, with the 35-year-old [curse]?”
The vast majority of fighters over the age of 35 tend to lose in UFC title fights 170 lbs or lower.