Conor McGregor opened the floodgates for MMA superstars to test themselves in boxing, and plenty of fighters have followed. Now, Ilia Topuria is chasing his own chance to step into the ring, even calling out Terence Crawford. The UFC lightweight champion, who also captured featherweight gold, has built a reputation for finishing elite names like Alexander Volkanovski, Max Holloway, and Charles Oliveira inside the Octagon.

That dominance has fueled Topuria’s belief that he could carry the same success into boxing. In fact, ‘El Matador’ claims he’d knock Terence Crawford out. But the boxing icon isn’t taking him seriously. “That dude’s drunk,” Crawford said during the “Canelo vs. Crawford” media day. “A lot of MMA guys, they drink a lot. He must have been on that alcohol.” With Bud Crawford laughing off the challenge, Topuria has fired back, making it clear what rubbed him the wrong way.

Terence Crawford already knows his top pick

Yesterday, Championship Rounds took to X and shared a clip of Ilia Topuria who brushed off Terence Crawford’s dismissive comments but made his stance clear. “I have no opinion on what Crawford said. Whenever he wants to measure himself, whenever he wants to test his technique and skills, I am here to show him. What bothers me lately is that a lot of boxers come out, interfere with our game, criticise us, and try to put us down,” Ilia Topuria said during a recent WOW press conference.

He continued by pointing out the one-sided nature of these cross-sport challenges. “The truth is, there are many MMA athletes who have tried going into boxing to test their skills. But I don’t know many of the boxers that talk so much that have actually tested themselves in MMA. But in any case, whoever wants it, I’m here.” Confident at 17-0, Topuria believes in his boxing ability, though Crawford clearly isn’t convinced.

Despite Topuria being widely regarded as the best boxer in the UFC after dethroning BMF champion Max Holloway, Crawford chose to overlook him when asked for his pick. Instead, he surprised fans by naming Cody Garbrandt. “My guy, what’s his name Cody (Garbrandt), he’s the best boxer in the UFC,” Crawford told Full Send. He added, “There’s a few other people, but Cody is just one that always stuck out to me, before we were even friends. I looked at him and was like, ‘Man, this dude can box.’”

Garbrandt, however, has struggled to maintain his early success. The former UFC Bantamweight Champion, who shocked the world by beating Dominick Cruz in 2016, has gone 3-7 in his last ten fights, including back-to-back losses at UFC Atlanta. Some fans have even suggested retirement. Still, Terence Crawford seems to place more faith in Garbrandt’s boxing skills than in Topuria, who has remained unbeaten since joining the UFC in 2020. But could the 37-year-old and Ilia Topuria really find out who would win between them? Looks like they might not.

Retirement talk surrounds Terence Crawford as Canelo eyes his path

Yesterday, UFC lead commentator Jon Anik joined MMA Junkie Radio to discuss his boxing debut on the call for Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford on September 13th and how he’s preparing for the occasion. Naturally, the conversation shifted toward the speculation surrounding Crawford’s possible retirement after the fight. When asked if this bout felt like a one-and-done or if a rematch was realistic, Anik admitted, “I don’t know what the future holds for either athlete.”

He considered Alvarez’s potential path next, saying, “Neither man really loses too much, you know, in terms of matchmaking and progressing things forward. So, I do think it stands to reason that you would see it again, but I would put the percentage maybe 10% because I think for Canelo Alvarez, you know, going back to light heavyweight might be of appeal to him.” Shifting focus to Terence Crawford, Anik added, “I think it stands to reason that Bud Crawford might retire, win or lose after this weekend. I mean what else is there exactly to prove, right?”

Anik went on to emphasize Terence Crawford’s legacy and financial security. “I mean, you have funded generations in terms of generational wealth. You’re true first ballot Hall of Famer. Like if you’re Bud Crawford and you beat Canelo Alvarez, yeah maybe another hundred million dollars in a rematch sounds nice. But what else is there to do? I mean, why not ride off into the sunset at 42-0? So, yeah, I would say about 10% on a rematch.”

Finally, he addressed Canelo’s side of the equation: “I do think for Canelo, if he wins, he’s not going to want to run this thing back. So who knows? That’s why they play the games. And if we get an absolute masterpiece and the fan base wants to see a second fight, Turki Alalshikh and Dana White will probably put it together. But yeah, I think we need to enjoy this and really enjoy history in the making because it very well in my mind could be the last walk for Bud Crawford.” That said, while Crawford hasn’t confirmed anything about retirement, all eyes will be on September 13th. So do you think Ilia Topuria can beat Terence Crawford in boxing?