The online feud between UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad and featherweight champ Ilia Topuria has reached new heights. In the latest exchange, Muhammad took a playful jab at Topuria, comparing him to Lord Farquaad, the short-statured character from Shrek, and mocking his height.
With UFC 308 around the corner, Muhammad added that he “can’t wait” to see Max Holloway knock Topuria out in their highly anticipated featherweight title fight. The two champions have been going back and forth for weeks, and this latest dig shows the rivalry is still heating up.
‘Remember the Name’ took to Twitter to share his feelings about Topuria saying, “Can’t wait till Max knocks this mi*get out and he goes back to acting in shrek”.
Topuria, the reigning featherweight champ, took shots at Muhammad during a recent Instagram Live, calling him a “fake champ” and predicting Shavkat Rakhmonov will beat him in their upcoming title fight at UFC 310. Topuria even threw in the claims that Kamaru Usman would easily reclaim the belt.
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Naturally, Muhammad didn’t let that slide and fired back on Twitter, mocking Topuria, just as Max Holloway had done earlier in the week. The back-and-forth between the two has since continued, even though they’re both focused on defending their titles soon.
Topuria faces Holloway at UFC 308, while Muhammad prepares for Rakhmonov at UFC 310.
It may be unlikely they’ll ever meet in the Octagon, but this champ vs. champ feud sure has sparked some drama. In the meantime, ahead of their clash this weekend a common opponent has made his prediction for Holloway vs Topuria
Volk makes his pick for Holloway vs Topuria
Topuria is gearing up to defend his featherweight title for the first time since his knockout win over Alexander Volkanovski in February, a victory that made him a bonafide star in the company.
So, going into UFC 308, Topuria is the favorite, but Volkanovski thinks Max Holloway will be too much for him to handle in Abu Dhabi.
“Ilia’s a heavy puncher with good grappling, but I think Max’s takedown defense will be too strong,” Volkanovski said on Fox Sports Australia.
“Five rounds with Max isn’t easy, and I think he’ll outwork Ilia from the outside. Topuria might catch him, but I expect it to be a long, tough night for him.”
Volkanovski believes Holloway’s relentless pace will give him the edge and lead to a new featherweight champion. If Holloway wins, it could set up a fourth fight between him and Volkanovski, even though the Aussie is 3-0 in the series.
