ILIA TOPURIA insists he no longer has beef with Cristiano Ronaldo and that the pair are now “good”.
The former UFC featherweight champion took exception to the footie icon claiming he “talked too much” and that he’d yet to beat a serious name ahead of his title defence against Max Holloway last October.
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He told El Partidazo Cope: “Cristiano, he always got something to say. I’m going to personally invite Lionel Messi because he lives there.
‘El Matador’ later added: “We have Messi, Ronaldo can f**k himself.”
Topuria, however, no longer bears any ill will towards the Manchester United and Real Madrid legend.
Speaking to SunSport at the UFC 317 media day, the Georgian-born Spaniard said: “Not at all, we’re [all] good.”
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Ronaldo, 40, seemingly offered an olive branch to fan favourite Topuria by following him on social media.
During an appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Topuria said of the row: “I think he said something about me when he was in the backstage with Ngannou and it felt bad, to be honest.
“But then, he started following me. So we’ll see. Maybe one day we’ll meet and chat.
“This is what I said, once he meets me in person, he’s not going to have that opinion about me.
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“That I talk too much and this and that. But maybe that’s the perception they have about me when they see me on social media.
“After all that, he started following me. Maybe he saw something different about me.”
The undefeated Topuria will be back in the octagon early on Sunday morning in the main event of UFC 317 in Las Vegas, where he’ll vie for the vacant lightweight title.
And he’s vowed to become only the tenth fighter in UFC history to hold belts in two divisions with a brutal stoppage former 155lbs champ and fan favourite Charles Oliveira.
He said of the pair’s Sin City showdown: “Charles is a great fighter.
“I’d say he’s a legendary fighter, one of the few still active in the UFC.
“But the truth is that his style fits perfectly with mine to put him to sleep in the first round.
“Because he has no mobility, he doesn’t move.”
