Conor McGregor points out Ilia Topuria's mistakes in preparation for UFC White House

Topuria and McGregor face off tensely, promoting their UFC fight. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram/UFC

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Conor McGregor did not hold back in his criticism of Ilia Topuria 's performance at UFC Casa Branca . According to the former champion, the Georgian repeated mistakes seen during his preparation and paved the way for Justin Gaethje to win the lightweight belt (up to 70,3 kg) last Sunday (14), in Washington DC (USA).

In an interview with the UFC on Paramount YouTube channel, the former featherweight (up to 65,7 kg) and lightweight champion stated that he identified technical problems right from the start of the title fight. In the Irishman's view, Topuria's approach ultimately favored the American's fighting style.

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“He started with his guard high, advancing. Right from the first punch… these were mistakes that were repeated in training and that were reflected in the fight,” said the two-time champion.

According to McGregor, the mistakes made by the then-champion allowed Gaethje to quickly find the ideal distance to land his most powerful strikes and take control of the fight. For the former featherweight and lightweight champion, the flaws displayed in the initial moments directly influenced the course of the fight.

Impact fight between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje

The defeat marked the end of the Georgian's reign in the lightweight division and ended an undefeated streak of nine wins in the octagon, a performance that solidified him as one of the organization's top names. After dominating two weight classes, Topuria arrived at UFC Casa Branca surrounded by expectations of expanding his legacy and beginning a long career as champion.

The result not only placed the American at the top of one of the most competitive categories in the UFC, but the solid performance against an undefeated champion reinforced the impression that the veteran still has the fuel to remain at the highest level of the sport.

UFC 329 will feature McGregor and Holloway in a star-studded clash.

The event takes place on July 11th in Las Vegas (USA), and will be headlined by the highly anticipated duel between Conor McGregor and Max Holloway . The fight marks the reunion of two of the most popular names in the organization's recent history. They first faced each other in 2013, when the Irishman won by unanimous decision.

Since then, both have built historic careers. McGregor became the first simultaneous two-division UFC champion, while Holloway cemented his legacy as one of the greatest featherweights of all time. The fight is considered by the organization to be one of the most important events of the year and could define the next steps for two of the sport's biggest stars.

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