A UFC champion has slammed Cristiano Ronaldo following the forward's criticism of him, praising Lionel Messi over the Portuguese superstar.
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Ilia Topuria, the featherweight champion of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and a passionate Real Madrid supporter, faced criticism from Los Blancos icon Ronaldo ahead of his first championship defence against Max Holloway earlier this year.
Before the fight in the United Arab Emirates, Ronaldo reportedly commented that the Georgian-born fighter "talked too much" and "didn't fight with the top guys" during a conversation with former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou and his head trainer Eric Nicksick.
Topuria, who is said to be finalising the details for his next title defence — set to be held in Miami — was recently asked about the 39-year-old's comments while speaking on Spanish radio.
He responded by saying he plans to invite Ronaldo's long-time rival, Messi, to his fight instead of his favourite club's all-time leading goalscorer.
"The one I'm going to personally invite there [in Miami] is [Lionel] Messi because he lives there, so screw Cristiano as long as Messi exists," he told Cadena Cope's El Partidazo.
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Speaking further about the remarks made by the Madeira native, he added: "I didn't understand it, to be honest. I saw the [video] clip that came out talking about me talking too much. If Cristiano says it, something doesn't add up to me. Cristiano always talks."
