Tony Ferguson has given his prediction for a UFC fantasy fight that recently entered conversation.
Ilia Topuria joined illustrious company at International Fight Week in late June by becoming the latest to reach two-division glory in MMA’s leading promotion.
He achieved the feat in the main event on June 28, with Topuria knocking out Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 to follow his brief featherweight reign by immediately winning the lightweight crown.
The result also made him the second man to win both the 145- and 155-pound titles in the UFC, following in the footsteps of the sport’s leading superstar, Conor McGregor. That fact has unsurprisingly sparked talk of a fantasy matchup, and two prominent names are among those on team ‘Notorious’.
Tony Ferguson says Conor McGregor at his best would have Ilia Topuria ‘handled’
Appearing at a recent Hype FC press conference, both Arman Tsarukyan and Tony Ferguson gave their picks for a fantasy clash between Topuria and McGregor. ‘El Cucuy’ is coaching against the top UFC lightweight contender on the Russian promotion’s reality TV series.
Tsarukyan, who is among those vying for the first shot at unseating Topuria at 155 pounds, was the first to reveal his prediction.
“Prime Conor, due to his elusiveness, due to his distance management,” Tsarukyan said.
“At his peak, he didn’t get hit at all. He just didn’t let anyone touch him.”
Ferguson, who enjoyed his prime years in the same era as McGregor, shared that sentiment.
“I was hearing you (Tsarukyan) speak, that he likes to keep his range, right? Like, Conor is a little bit different of a fighter,” Ferguson began.
“Ilia seems to be a little bit more of a counter fighter, you know? He clipped Charles as he was walking right into it. He has punches in bunches.
“But Conor is the same way,” Ferguson continued. “He likes to wait for everybody, be poised. So I think if Conor was at the top of his game, he’s a little bit more rangy, carries a little bit more weight. I think, honestly, he would probably be handling Ilia.”
Ferguson was long considered a likely opponent for McGregor. While campaigning for the matchup, ‘El Cucuy’ once accused the Irishman of being “terrified” of facing him.
Paddy Pimblett went a step further with his Ilia Topuria vs. Conor McGregor prediction
It’s safe to say that, right now, Topuria’s biggest rival is Paddy Pimblett. The pair have long gone back and forth, and the tension between them only grew during a heated altercation in the cage at UFC 317.
Following that, ‘The Baddy’, too, gave his take on how Topuria would have fared against a “prime” McGregor while speaking on UFC Unfiltered.
He went a step further than both Tsarukyan and Ferguson as Pimblett predicted McGregor would KO Topuria.
“I think some people can see through that. Even though you see some people now saying he’s better than McGregor, but he’s not.
“In their prime, at the same time, McGregor would have knocked him out with a straight left.”