Conor McGregor called out by Ilia Topuria who cheekily uses UFC star’s own catchphrase against him

Ilia Topuria has called out Conor McGregor ahead of a potential fight later this year while cheekily using the Irishman’s catchphrase against him.

Topuria goes head-to-head with Alexander Volkanovski for the featherweight title in the main event of UFC 298 later this month, but that hasn’t stopped him from plotting his next fight.

But with McGregor’s days as a featherweight seemingly behind him, a possible showdown between the pair is a non-starter.

'The Notorious' is set to return to the octagon to face Mike Chandler at 185 pounds but that hasn’t stopped the Spaniard from stoking the flames ahead of a possible clash and even quoted one of McGregor’s catchphrases when calling him out.

“Conor McGregor, that’s the fight I’m looking for,” Topuria told the MMA Hour. “He has a great fight with Mike Chandler. If he doesn’t get his ass whooped, he will be a pleasure to share the octagon with me.

“Maybe in UFC Spain. We’re both from Europe, and he will be able to go back home and tell his wife, ‘Baby, take out the red panties. Topuria kept us rich’.”

Ahead of Topuria’s meeting with Volkanovski, ‘El Matador’ has vowed to make quick work of the Australian by predicting a first-round knockout, despite bookmakers being unable to split the pair.

“The way I’m going to beat him, they aren’t even going to ask me about a rematch,” Topuria said. “It’s going to be a first-round knockout. You will see.”

“He’s saying a lot of bulls***, ‘There’s levels, I have this and I have that, dah, dah, dah.’ You’re right, there are levels. There are levels, then there is me. I’m going to show you where the levels are. I’m going to dominate him everywhere. I’m going to make him look like a punching bag. You will see. I will be dancing Feb. 17.”

“You are talking to the best fighter in the world,” Topuria claimed. “I’m the best. He is one of the best. You have to give him his credit. He was a great champion, he was pound-for-pound No. 1.

“He was one of the greatest, without any doubt. One of the greats in the featherweight division, and he will always be remembered like that, like one of the greatest in this division. And I’m happy to be the man who is going to give him the bad news on February 17: He’s old. It’s time to move on.

“It’s time for the new generation. He’s old. He already lost. He has all the signals that he has to retire. He had his moments in this sport and now it’s time to move on. It’s time for the new blood, and I represent the new generation. I represent the evolution of mixed martial arts.”