Ilia Topuria Not A Fan Of Cristiano Ronaldo As Lionel Messi’s Legendary Status Gets The Praise

UFC star Ilia Topuria's long standing feud with Al Nassr forward Cristiano Ronaldo continues; chooses Lionel Messi over him!

Ilia Topuria Not A Fan Of Cristiano Ronaldo As Lionel Messi’s Legendary Status Gets The Praise

MMA and football don’t usually cross paths, but when they do, the sparks can fly in unexpected ways. The world of combat sports has always attracted celebrities and athletes from other disciplines. They come to watch, support fighters, and sometimes even get involved in the drama themselves. What started as admiration can quickly turn into something much more heated when egos clash.

This is exactly what happened between UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria and football legend Cristiano Ronaldo. The Spanish-Georgian fighter once looked up to the Portuguese superstar as an idol. But their relationship took a sharp turn when Ronaldo decided to publicly doubt Topuria’s abilities before a crucial fight. What followed was a back-and-forth that showed how quickly respect can turn into rivalry, even between athletes from completely different sports.

When Cristiano Ronaldo Commented On Ilia Topuria’s Trash Talking

The feud really heated up before Topuria’s massive fight against Max Holloway at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi. Ronaldo was caught on camera during an informal conversation that was later published by the PFL. He didn’t hold back his thoughts about the upcoming fight and openly picked Holloway to win over Topuria, which was already a blow to the fighter’s confidence.

“Topuria speaks too much…He didn’t fight with the top guys. If he beats Max, I will respect.”

Ilia Topuria responds to Cristiano Ronaldo's comments about him. pic.twitter.com/5nLMbueDir
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) November 2, 2024

Ronaldo made it clear that he would only show respect if Topuria could actually beat Holloway. These comments were particularly stinging because they came from someone Topuria had long admired. The Portuguese star essentially dismissed Topuria’s entire career up to that point.

The timing of these comments made them even more painful for Topuria. He was just months away from defending his title against one of the most respected fighters in the featherweight division. Holloway had never been knocked out, making him one of the toughest challenges in the sport. Instead of receiving support from a fellow athlete, Topuria got public criticism.

Ilia Topuria’s Classy Response and Ultimate Revenge

Topuria could have responded with anger and harsh words, but he chose a different path. The UFC champion took to social media to address Ronaldo’s comments in a surprisingly mature way.

“I didn’t expect someone like you to be unable to distinguish between confidence and arrogance.”

Topuria further suggested that people often project their own reality onto others, which was a subtle but clever dig at the football star. And in another interview on El Partidazo Cope, he took another dig at the Portuguese star.

“The dream guest? The one I’m going to personally invite, because he lives there, is Messi. So f**k Cristiano as long as Messi exists.”

When Real Madrid fan Ilia Topuria chose violence on CR7 🤣#UFC317 | Saturday | LIVE on TNT Sports & discovery+ pic.twitter.com/kLC2o8g1ZF
— UFC on TNT Sports (@ufcontnt) June 25, 2025

The victory over Max Holloway was so impressive that it instantly silenced any doubts about Topuria’s abilities. He had answered Ronaldo’s criticism in the most definitive way possible. After the fight, Topuria made it clear that some bridges can’t be rebuilt once they are burned.

(Image Credit: tntsportsufc- Instagram)

Cristiano Ronaldo

Ilia Topuria

Lionel Messi

Zaid Quraishi

mma

I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!