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Fans were thrilled to see Ilia Topuria and Lionel Messi take a picture together.
On Saturday night, Inter Miami of the MLS soccer league played a home game in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, against the Colorado Rapids. Despite Messi scoring a goal, the matchup ended with a 2-2 draw, awarding each team one point in the season standings.
Messi's presence tends to bring various celebrities and athletes in attendance. The latest soccer match featured UFC featherweight Ilia Topuria, who took photos with the legendary Argentian and shared them on Instagram with the caption:
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"With one of the greatest legends in the history of the sport..... An example for me.....And a role model for everyone."
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Fans took to the Instagram comment section and voiced their excitement for the superstar athletes meeting:
"My 2 idols Together"
"Messi's happy face speaks for itself, he also feels ADMIRATION for having met you"
"The kings"
Topuria made his UFC debut in October 2020, defeating Youseff Zalal by unanimous decision. Since then, the Georgian featherweight has extended his promotional record to 7-0, including five wins inside the distance.
'El Matador' made his dreams come true by becoming a UFC champion last time out.
What's next for Ilia Topuria in the octagon?
On Feb. 17, Ilia Topuria, a small underdog headed into his featherweight title fight against Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298. After dropping round one, Topuria shocked the world by knocking out Volkanovski to become the promotion's newest superstar.
At 27 years old, 'El Matador' has massive plans to solidify his legacy. Although it's unclear what's next for Topuria, he's offered several ideas, including moving divisions.
Firstly, Topuria could stay at featherweight and defend his throne a few times. The potential options include an immediate rematch with Volkanovski or potentially facing Max Holloway, depending on how his BMF title fight against Justin Gaethje at UFC 300 plays out.
Meanwhile, the Georgian world champion has also shown interest in having bantamweight king Sean O'Malley move up a division. Lastly, Topuria claimed in the past that he wanted to eventually move up to lightweight and challenge Islam Makahchev for a second world title.
