Last year, Belal Muhammad created history when he became the first Palestinian champion in the UFC. But he took his win as an opportunity to spread a message of peace and express his support to the people affected in the Gaza conflict. Recently, lightweight champion Ilia Topuria shared his thoughts on the horrifying humanitarian crisis, and his stance was no different from that of Muhammad.

Ilia Topuria recently made an appearance at the Nueva Economia Forum, where we condemned the loss of lives that are taking place in Gaza. While advocating for peace not only in Gaza, but also around the world, the UFC lightweight champion poured his heart out to those who’ve been victims of this ongoing conflict. As such, ‘El Matador’ revealed that he was willing to help the people in any way he could.

“The truth is, you can never support that kind of cause. We never want anyone to die in the world. [It’s] quite the opposite. We always want nobody to lack anything, [so] that everyone has water to drink, bread to eat,” said Ilia Topuria. “And honestly, from here, we send all our support to the families in Gaza. We stand with you. If I had the chance to do something, I would stop the war right now because I don’t accept it.”

Well, Ilia Topuria isn’t the only MMA fighter to talk about the Gaza conflict and express his support for the people there. We’ve mentioned Belal Muhammad already, but another fighter who showed his support to the people in Gaza is not even in the UFC, but he was able to garner widespread attention when he spoke out about the conflict. Let’s take a look at that front.

Irish MMA fighter shows support for the people in Gaza

Just a few months ago, a Cage Warriors mixed martial arts fight in Rome got the whole internet talking. Paddy McCorry, an Irish fighter, took on Shuki Farage from Israel, who also happened to be a former member of the Israel Defense Force. The Irishman beat his Israeli counterpart via a unanimous decision, but it was what happened after the fight that caught the world’s attention.

After the win, Paddy McCorry was very vocal about his support for the people in Gaza. He celebrated his win with the Palestinian flag and even chanted in favor of the people there. This prompted the Italian crowd present at the arena to join in and echo the same sentiment McCorry expressed after beating the former Israeli Defense Force member.

It’s been almost two years, and the people in Gaza are still witnessing the destruction of lives and property in their region. Reports claim that the death toll has exceeded 64,000, which is horrifying to imagine. Nevertheless, influential people like Ilia Topuria have continued to express solidarity for them, hoping that the war would end sooner rather than later. Well, let us know your thoughts on the UFC lightweight champion’s statements in the comments section down below.