Ilia Topuria is one of those rare fighters who wears his heart on his sleeves and is full of conviction. Interestingly, his attitude did not sit well with soccer icon Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese legend is not new to the world of combat sports owing to his friendship with MMA stars like Francis Ngannou and Conor McGregor. It is safe to say that CR7 was closely following the build-up to UFC 308 and the actual PPV itself.

Ronaldo made some remarks about Topuria and said, “He [Topuria] didn’t fight with the top guys. If he beats Max, I will respect him.” The soccer star faced some serious backlash from the fight fans for his blunt statement. However, former UFC champion Michael Bisping feels that his comments are what makes the sport of MMA interesting.

Michael Bisping throws some light on the remarks given by Cristiano Ronaldo

During the lead-up to UFC 308, fans shared a flurry of predictions, and Cristiano Ronaldo was no exception. In an interview with PLF MMA, Ronaldo was asked to pick his favorite for the 145lbs title scrap between Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway. Despite ‘El Matador’ being a fellow Spaniard and a Real Madrid fan, Ronaldo confidently chose Max Holloway as his favorite. He explained his choice to Ngannou’s coach, Eric Nicksick sharing that he’s not a fan of Topuria’s outspoken style. Ronaldo also suggested that Topuria’s victory over Alexander Volkanovski was perhaps due to the Aussie not being at his best.

So, was Ronaldo onto something? According to former UFC champion Michael Bisping, he might have been. Bisping recently shared his thoughts on the topic on his YouTube channel, where he discussed UFC 308 and Topuria’s performance. Bisping commented, “That’s a fair take, honestly. Ronaldo doesn’t believe Topuria would’ve taken down someone like Max Holloway. And if he does eventually beat him, then he’ll earn his respect. Ronaldo’s comments reflect what makes this sport so compelling—we, as fans, can have differing opinions and perspectives.”

Topuria surely proved his doubters wrong with an amazing performance at the Abu Dhabi PPV card. The fact that he had to prove himself to a legend from his favorite soccer club shows the amount of pressure he carried into the fight. It seems the 27-year-old thrives under coercion but this time he did not appreciate the comments made by Cristiano Ronaldo and had an answer for it.

Ilia Topuria responds to Cristiano Ronaldo’s claims with a tweet on X

Ilia Topuria has claimed his spot as the leader of the next generation at 145 lbs. The Spanish-Georgian carries a fabled flair alongside his top-tier fighting skills. However, that flair is sometimes interpreted as arrogance—something he addressed directly in a recent tweet aimed at Cristiano Ronaldo. Before his fight at UFC 308, Topuria boldly predicted he’d be the first to knock out Max Holloway, a promise he delivered on. But his self-assured comments didn’t sit well with Ronaldo, who has long been a huge fan of Holloway.

After the fight, Topuria took a moment to respond to Ronaldo’s criticism. He tweeted, “I didn’t expect someone like you to be unable to distinguish between confidence and arrogance. But, at the end of the day, we all reflect our own reality onto others. I wish you the best for what remains of your career, and God bless your family.” Despite his words, Topuria showed respect for ‘Blessed’ post-fight, thanking him for being a role model in the sport.

It seems ‘El Matador’ plans to carry this mix of respect and confidence forward as he continues to make his mark in the Octagon. But what do you think? Is Topuria’s attitude confidence or arrogance? Share your thoughts below!