“When we announce it, you won’t believe it. Get ready,” Ilia Topuria wrote on X last week. By ‘it’, Topuria, of course, means his next opponent– who will be his first after moving permanently to lightweight. The man Topuria wants to face is lightweight champ Islam Makhachev, but since ‘El Matador’ has said it would be someone we ‘won’t believe’, and a clash against the Dagestani won’t be all too believable, most feel it isn’t the champ. But if not Makhachev, then who?

Well, according to podcaster Brendan Schaub, “The rumors is, it’s Conor [McGregor]. That’s what they’re saying—it’s Conor. Now Conor, in hindsight, hasn’t been in camp. He’s been doing this thing with the Yayo in BKFC. Oh, him fighting at 155 would be, he’s thick right now, too… It’d be great, it’s a great way for Ilia to be introduced at 155. But I mean, hopefully, Conor can get to ’55, that’s a tough fight for Conor,” Schaub said on his ‘Thicc Boy’ podcast.

So does that mean Schaub agrees with the fans spreading this rumor? No, of course not. “I don’t think it’s happening, though,” he added. After all, Conor McGregor hasn’t fought in the past four years, has been partying hard, and not training at all in the recent past. This is not exactly what you would expect from someone looking to make his comeback in the next few months.

Topuria and McGregor do have some bad blood between them. ‘El Matador’ had even called out the bombastic Dubliner after winning the featherweight title at UFC 298 last year.

However, there is not a chance in hell that the current, four-years-off, rusty, 36-year-old McGregor can beat Topuria, who might just be the most devastating and dangerous striker in the entire promotion currently. After all, he has not only beaten but knocked out two of the greatest featherweights ever in his last two fights. So the question resurfaces—if not McGregor, then who?

Who could be Ilia Topuria’s ‘unbelievable’ opponent?

There are plenty of good fights at lightweight for Ilia Topuria. Charles Oliveira, Arman Tsarukyan, and Justin Gaethje, for instance, come to mind immediately. But none of these names are exactly ‘unbelievable’. You know what would be unbelievable? Dana White announcing Ilia Topuria vs. Jon Jones for the GOAT contender’s retirement fight.

Of course, that would never happen since ‘Bones’ competes at a 265, a weight class more than a hundred pounds heavier than the one Topuria has moved to. So who else? Topuria fighting Dustin Poirier for ‘The Diamond’s farewell fight probably in New Orleans would be a bit surprising, even though ‘El Matador’ has said that he would love to fight the Louisiana native.

There is also a possibility that Topuria may rematch Max Holloway, who still holds the BMF belt. But since ‘Blessed’ lost to the featherweight champ in their last fight a few months ago, and is rumored to be Poirier’s last UFC opponent, that too seems off the table.

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This brings us back to the question for a third time: If not Makhachev or McGregor, then who? To be honest, we have no idea, nor seemingly does anyone else, which is clear from people actually suggesting Conor McGregor as a serious possibility. What do you think about Brendan Schaub’s take on the possibility of McGregor being Topuria’s next opponent? Sound off in the comments.