Exclusive | Ilia Topuria draws focus of Conor McGregor, fellow champions ahead of UFC 308

Eight months after capturing the UFC featherweight crown, Ilia Topuria has managed to find himself linked to champions in three of the surrounding weight classes — not to mention the most successful crossover star in the history of the sport.On the plus side is Merab Dvalishvili, Topuria’s fellow Georgian and good friend who just a month ago captured the bantamweight title, adding to a banner sports year for the small Eastern European republic. No beef there; not even a hint of it.Can’t say the same for new welterweight champ Belal Muhammad, lightweight king Islam Makhachev or the infamous Conor McGregor — who despite more than three years of inactivity maintains a strong foothold in modern MMA conversations.It’s not that Topuria (15-0, 13 finishes) isn’t focused on Saturday’s first defense of his 145-pound championship against the great Max Holloway at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.As Topuria sees it, he is entrenched seemingly in everyone’s story primarily because others invite him into it.“They all talk about me,” Topuria recently told The Post via video call from Abu Dhabi.“Conor, he came to Spain [where I live and train] because he knows that the sport is growing a lot in Spain.

He [brought] his [Bare Knuckle FC] event there, and he’s been talking a lot about me in the Spanish media.He’s been mentioning my name.

Then I said something about to move up in the lightweight division, and Belal came out, and he said something like, If you want a street fight, I’m gonna street fight you; something like that.“I’m like, Listen, kid, I’m not even talking about you.I didn’t mention your name anywhere.

Why are you talking about me? And now, ‘I’m gonna slap you around.’ Who did you slap? What makes you think that you’re gonna slap me around, or I’m gonna let you slap me? I’m gonna kill you right when I’m gonna see you.I’m gonna slap you.

Shut up, man.”In the case of Makhachev, little verbal sparring has...