The Octagon may still be home to Ilia Topuria. But the undefeated star seems increasingly tempted by the bright lights of the boxing ring. ‘El Matador’ recently traded shots with Ryan Garcia. While the fate of that potential showdown remains unclear, the Spaniard has now set his sights on Shakur Stevenson. The UFC lightweight champion recently appeared in an interview with Victor Antonio Fontanez on his YouTube channel. One thing led to another. And boom! Topuria was calling out Stevenson. 

“Who’s your favorite fighter?” Topuria asked Fontanez while getting a haircut.

“I mean, it was [Vasyl] Lomachenko,” Fontanez responded. “I really like Shakur Stevenson right now.”

“Shakur! He’s a good fighter,” Topuria said. “The only bad thing about him, he talks too much.”

“Too much?” Fontanez asked. “At what point is too much talking?”

“I don’t know,” Topuria answered. “He has some hate [for] me.”

“I hate that cuz I love both of y’all,” Fontanez responded. “I feel like there’s always some tension between boxers and UFC fighters. Like I think [some boxers think] they could do UFC and UFC fighters that think they could do boxing. So maybe it’s just I don’t know, man.”

“Honestly, I really feel that I can go to boxing,” Topuria claimed. “And really face the best fighters in the world currently.”

“Is this a dream you want to see happen one day?” Fontanez asked. 

“It’s not like a dream,” Ilia Topuria answered. “But if it happens, I will be happy. And specifically, if it’s against someone like Shakur Stevenson, someone like him who talks too much, it will be great.”

Ilia Topuria didn’t instigate this challenge, however. In February, during an Adin Ross’ livestream on Kick, Shakur Stevenson openly called out ‘El Matador’ for a boxing match. The challenge came after the Spaniard had already voiced his interest in stepping into the squared circle. The UFC lightweight champion had even traded words with Stevenson’s close friend, Terence Crawford, who quickly dismissed the possibility of the fight. 

The blueprint for these crossover spectacles was first laid down by Conor McGregor. Back in 2017, the former two-division UFC champion stepped into the boxing ring against Floyd Mayweather in one of the most lucrative crossover events combat sports has ever seen. Since then, several UFC fighters, including Topuria, have flirted with the idea. Although Dana White has shown little interest, Topuria has insisted he could convince his boss.

In any case, when fans finally came across Topuria’s recent comments about Stevenson, let’s just say the undefeated UFC star may not have expected the responses. 

Can Ilia Topuria beat Shakur Stevenson in a boxing match? Nope!

Even Topuria’s own fans turned on him. One fan posted: “He[‘d] better just calm down. Ryan Garcia is interesting for Ilia, but he’s not on Shakur’s level, boxing-wise.” While Ryan Garcia largely relies upon his power and speed to win, Shakur Stevenson is a much more technical boxer. ‘Sugar’ knows how to make small adjustments amid the action that can trip up the most experienced veterans in the sport. Ilia Topuria, while a good boxer, won’t stand a chance. 

Another user claimed Stevenson would frustrate Topuria to a point where he would do the unthinkable. “He’ll be tryna do takedowns by Round 2 after getting punched on,” the user commented. Dillon Danis tried something similar in his fight against Logan Paul in 2023. Can you imagine Ilia Topuria mentioned in the same breath as Danis? He will be infuriated. 

Someone else felt the fight wouldn’t even be worth watching. “Wouldn’t even be worth watching, Ilia won’t land more than 10 punches,” the user wrote. While he might not be able to land, people will definitely tune in to watch the fight wherever it’s aired. Maybe even on pay-per-view. 

The next user felt that Topuria’s status as UFC’s best boxer will no longer apply. “Shakur would make him look like a rookie in boxing. All he would have is punching power. Out of that Shakur footwork, jab, combos, and defense would be too much for him, unfortunately,” the user posted. Earlier this year, Stevenson made Teofimo Lopez look like a rookie. Lopez is considered one of the sport’s brightest and most dominant talents. 

Meanwhile, one fan was all for the fight. “Lol, it would be the easiest fight in Shakur’s career. Why are MMA fighters so f—king stupid and delusional?” the fan asked. It’s more about the money and less about Topuria’s true belief that he beat Stevenson. 

Perhaps a fight between Ilia Topuria and Shakur Stevenson could be made. Topuria is often mocked for mimicking Conor McGregor. And Stevenson is often compared to Floyd Mayweather. This could be a rematch in a way.