Ilia Topuria has once again reignited his feud with Cristiano Ronaldo, taking aim at the football legend in a fiery new interview. During a recent chat with El Partidazo de COPE, Topuria didn’t hold back when he reiterated his preference for Lionel Messi over the Portuguese star. This public slap comes after Ronaldo criticized the UFC champ for “talking too much” earlier this year.

Topuria, a lifelong Real Madrid fan, has made it clear that he’s not a fan of Ronaldo anymore, especially after a tense encounter at UFC 298. The incident took place when Ronaldo, who was in Francis Ngannou’s locker room, predicted that Max Holloway would beat Topuria, later expressing his disdain for the undefeated featherweight’s attitude. Topuria didn’t take kindly to the comments and swiftly fired back at the soccer icon, reigniting the beef between the two.

Now, Topuria has escalated things even further, stating that Messi is the true king of football and that he’ll be inviting the Argentine legend to a UFC event next. This latest jab makes it clear that Topuria isn’t letting his past admiration for Ronaldo cloud his current feelings.

However, Topuria isn’t letting the Ronaldo drama distract him from his next big move in the UFC. The featherweight champ revealed that he is officially moving up to lightweight, signaling the end of his time in the 145-pound division. His first target? None other than former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira, who Topuria is eyeing for a showdown in April or May 2024, potentially on the UFC’s Miami card.

This ambitious move to lightweight is a bold one, and Topuria is aiming to make an immediate statement by taking out one of the division’s top names. Fans are already speculating that, if Topuria defeats Oliveira, he will cement himself as one of the most hated figures in UFC, knocking out fan favorites with a ruthless precision reminiscent of WWE’s Randy Orton’s “Legend Killer” persona.

Regardless of what happens, Topuria’s move to 155 pounds is expected to make him an even bigger force in the UFC, positioning him as a serious challenger to Islam Makhachev’s lightweight title in the near future. One thing is clear: Ilia Topuria is ready to become a menace in the division, and the fireworks are just beginning.