Terence Crawford just shook up the boxing world last weekend. The Omaha native walked into Las Vegas, outclassed Canelo Alvarez, and walked out as the undisputed super middleweight champion. A historic win, a massive Netflix audience, and a $47 million gate cemented ‘Bud’ as one of the greatest fighters of this era.

But instead of basking in glory, Crawford suddenly finds himself shadowed by an unlikely figure, UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria. The 28-year-old has been chirping at Crawford online, claiming he would knock him out in the boxing ring. While ‘Bud’ has been dismissive about the proposed ‘superfight’, according to UFC veteran Chael Sonnen, this strange crossover isn’t as far-fetched as many think!

Terence Crawford vs Ilia Topuria gets a surprising verdict from Chael Sonnen

In a recent video on his YouTube channel, Sonnen admitted Crawford belongs in the “argument for the greatest to have ever done it.” But he reminded fans of the shifting landscape: Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson drew 108 million Netflix viewers, more than double the 41 million who tuned in for Crawford-Canelo.

As such, ‘The Bad Guy’ confessed, “I tell you that because the idea of Ilia versus Crawford is not dead. In fact, if I was to come to you, I’m not saying to the average person, I’m not saying the man on the street, but I am saying to you, you’re probably going to dismiss that.”

He added that fans might dismiss the matchup as a gimmick, but then challenged them with a simple question, “Who would you rather see Crawford fight? That’s where you’re stuck.  You don’t know of any boxers. You don’t know for sure what weight class he’s at. You don’t know what we’re fighting about. You don’t know who’s booked, who’s not booked. I don’t blame you for that. Just nobody knows boxing. That includes you, fight fans.”

Boxing purists will argue Crawford should stay in his lane. The 37-year-old just pulled off one of the sport’s most impressive feats, becoming the first male boxer in the four-belt era to capture undisputed championships in multiple divisions. Why waste his twilight years on MMA crossovers? But the reality, as pointed out by Chael Sonnen, is that spectacle drives the fight business today.

In fact, the UFC veteran even hinted there may be more to the story than idle speculation as he further stated in his video, “But there’s some reason I keep talking about it. There’s some reason I keep asking you for questions and there’s some reason I keep asking you to leave me comments. Is that question coming from me or is it coming through me from somebody that’s very interested in potentially putting this fight together?”

Just look at Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor. At the time, it was derided as a circus by a large section of the combat sports world, yet it became the second-highest-grossing boxing fight of all time with a $55 million gate, just behind Mayweather vs Pacquiao’s $72 million. But while Chael Sonnen believes that the matchup is still within the realm of possibility, a prominent voice from the boxing world has taken it a step further with a bold prediction for their clash!

Crawford dominating Topuria in MMA wouldn’t ‘surprise’ Shakur Stevenson

Enter Shakur Stevenson, a rising star in the sport, who sees Terence Crawford not just holding his own against Ilia Topuria, but potentially dominating him in MMA!

Crossover fights have always sparked debate when an MMA fighter steps into the squared circle. But an elite boxer stepping into the Octagon remains a rare occurrence. After all, it’s not just about throwing hands. It’s wrestling, submissions, kicks, and the chess match that unfolds on the ground. Most boxers would sink in that deep water.

And yet, Stevenson doesn’t see Terence Crawford drowning. In fact, he believes the Nebraska native could flip the script. Speaking to Ariel Helwani, he stated, “I think that dude’s just different. Bud’s bigger than [Topuria], I just wouldn’t put it past him. I wouldn’t be surprised, come fight night, if they do an MMA fight, if Bud done knocked him out or choked him to d**th, something like that. I just wouldn’t be surprised.”

Stevenson doubled down, pointing to Crawford’s athleticism and his competitive edge. Long before he became boxing’s pound-for-pound king, Crawford wrestled in his youth, a skillset most top boxers don’t bring with them. To Stevenson, that background is the X-factor. He believes it could allow Terence Crawford not only to survive against a UFC champion but perhaps even submit him!

As such, Terence Crawford may not be interested in Ilia Topuria‘s challenge, but the noise around this crossover clash isn’t going away. Chael Sonnen insists the fight is “not dead,” hinting at forces behind the scenes that might be pushing it forward. Meanwhile, Shakur Stevenson has flipped the conversation entirely, suggesting ‘Bud’ could do the unthinkable, not just box Topuria, but beat him at his own game inside the cage