Ilia Topuria Told to Keep ‘Annoying’ Terence Crawford as Boxer’s Insider Confirms Interest

When Terence Crawford walked out to the ring for his fight against Canelo Alvarez in front of 70,482 roaring fans at Allegiant Stadium, his entrance song raised eyebrows and sparked speculation. ‘Bud’ walked out to the same song, ‘Canción del mariachi’, that Ilia Topuria does, which led people to think that maybe the fight choice could have been a subtle dig at the UFC lightweight champion after Topuria could be seen trolling the pound-for-pound great in the days leading up to the fight. However, Crawford immediately shut down all the rumors because, to him, the fight makes no sense.

Terence Crawford, when asked by Ariel Helwani yesterday about a Topuria fight in the future, much like Mayweather-McGregor, claimed he knew nothing about the UFC star and went further by dismissing comparisons between Ilia Topuria and Conor McGregor, stating that ‘El Matador’ will never get to the level of the Irishman. This ruined the chances of fight fans witnessing another version of the McGregor-Mayweather fight. However, Daniel Cormier, for one, has advised the Spaniard not to lose hope completely. “Every time we talk about it, every time they talk each other’s name, the better,” he said. And guess what? Cormier even shared a tip with Topuria to will the fight into existence.

Daniel Cormier advises Ilia Topuria to keep chasing Terence Crawford

Wielding his closeness with Terence Crawford, Daniel Cormier explained, “Listen guys, I got to tell you something. I know Bud Crawford. I know Bud Crawford’s sons. They wrestle… I know Bud loves MMA. I know that Bud watches MMA. That’s why Bud’s lying to y’all. He knows who Ilia Topuria is. Bud knows Ilia. The people in his circle know who he is coz they watch. I think that’s his way of no selling Ilia.” Since Crawford is in a position to pick and choose his opponents, Cormier believes he has the option to deny anyone’s merit, including Ilia Topuria, for that matter.

Furthermore, according to him, ‘Bud’s interview with Helwani indicated that “he seems annoyed by Ilia.” ‘DC’ claims there is an opening for Topuria to keep creating the buzz about a potential fight between him and Crawford. “So, if I’m Ilia Topuria, I continue. I don’t stop. I don’t relent,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel.

Daniel Cormier believes that Ilia Topuria holds the key to an eventual fight against Terence Crawford. For that to happen, the UFC double champion advised the lightweight champion to keep bringing up ‘Bud’s name whenever he’s promoting his next fight. Conor McGregor did the same, as he mentioned Floyd Mayweather in press conferences of his UFC fights, and it became a reality.

“I continue to speak about ‘Bud’ Crawford, especially when my next fight is announced, where all eyes are on me and I’m out there promoting,” Daniel Cormier added. “I’m promoting my fight, but I’m also promoting the idea that I’m in line for a super fight in a whole different sport. That’s what I would do if I’m team Topuria.”

Ilia Topuria isn’t naive, and he understands that getting a boxing match against Terence Crawford is not an easy task. So, he understands that doing what he’s done so far on social media, calling him out, is what he needs to do right now. But while this is making rounds in the news, what’s happening on the UFC front? Well, it appears that Topuria is ready to take on anyone the UFC wants to pair him up with.

Topuria welcomes Dana White’s pick for first LW title contender

Over the past few months, Arman Tsarukyan has been calling out Ilia Topuria for apparently ‘ducking’ him. The Armenian star has been touted to be the real No.1 contender for ‘El Matador’s lightweight title, and the fact that the champion has paid any mind to Tsarukyan has also led other MMA experts to echo the same sentiment that Topuria is avoiding him.

However, Ilia Topuria has dismissed rumors that he’s afraid to fight Arman Tsarukyan, or anyone else for that matter. He’s open to taking on anyone who gets a title shot, but has insisted that his team and Dana White‘s team have not discussed his next fight as of now. “Honestly, I don’t really care which of the three I face. It’s just a matter of agreements with the UFC. We actually haven’t even started negotiations yet about my next fight. As soon as they call me, they’re always the ones who pick the name. It doesn’t matter to me. Whoever they want,” Topuria said during a WOW FC presser.

Ilia Topuria may have won two titles in the UFC, replicating the same feat Conor McGregor did, but the hype surrounding his fight is nowhere near the Irishman’s level. He should continue his UFC run the way he’s done so far, and hopefully, a big win over a big name in the future can help him secure the lucrative boxing match against Terence Crawford. Do you agree? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.