Daniel Cormier has now waded into the boxing vs MMA debate. It all started with Shakur Stevenson and Terence Crawford on Adin Ross’ stream, saying boxing and MMA aren’t “even close,” adding that “the skill level is different.” That line alone was enough to set off UFC welterweight Joaquin Buckley. He quickly fired back online and accused boxers of disrespecting MMA. He even suggested a street-fight to settle it.

And now, the former UFC double champion has drawn a clearer line between trash talk and the actual state of the two sports. And surprisingly, he sided with Buckley on the core point! Speaking on his YouTube channel, DC said, “Joaquin Buckley calling out Shakur Stevenson. I know that Joaquin and I aren’t always on the same page, but calling out Shakur Stevenson was the right thing to do.”

He made it clear he doesn’t always see eye-to-eye with Buckley, as they have a fiery history between them. But on this one, he felt the UFC fighter was right to push back against the idea that MMA is somehow beneath boxing.

He then zoomed out and explained the bigger picture with, “Shakur Stevenson said the UFC could never beat boxing. Joaquin Buckley was right. Like it doesn’t have to beat boxing because the reality is there’s no big fights like there were in the past.” But Cormier wasn’t taking shots at the fighters. He was talking about eras. Ali, Tyson, the Four Kings, and Lennox Lewis are those names that carried moments that defined decades.

Even Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford felt like a throwback blockbuster. But Cormier’s point was blunt, ‘Bud’ “showed once again why he is the best, but he didn’t sugarcoat the viewing experience. He felt Crawford “just controlled Canelo Alvarez… and it is just not that fun.” For Daniel Cormier and maybe many other fight fans, technical mastery doesn’t always equal entertainment, especially when the biggest stars neutralize each other instead of taking risks.

And that’s where he drew the contrast with MMA, “Whereas when you get to the UFC, it’s more fun, it’s more exciting, and it’s just better. And hats off to Joaquin Buckley for calling that sh–  out because he should have called it out. We aren’t boxing. The UFC is better. That’s just the gods’ honest truth.”

UFC cards stack ranked contenders across divisions. And upsets happen more often because styles clash in unpredictable ways with grapplers vs. strikers, wrestlers vs. finishers. Even when favorites win, they rarely cruise to an easy win, and if they do, it’s usually with a spectacular finish. That’s why the UFC veteran is backing the core idea that MMA doesn’t need to bow to boxing’s legacy to validate itself. However, Joaquin Buckley has taken it a step further by calling out Terence Crawford for a sparring session.

Terence Crawford gets called out for a “spar” by Joaquin Buckley

Joaquin Buckley didn’t just fire off tweets at Terence Crawford. He has now asked him to step up with gloves on, in a controlled setting, and with the cameras rolling. The back-and-forth took a turn when Crawford jumped in to Shakur Stevenson’s defense and labeled Buckley “clueless” for talking tough about street fights. That’s when Buckley switched lanes and tried to drag the conversation out of fantasy scenarios and into something more concrete.

In a nine-minute Instagram video, the UFC welterweight said Crawford was “talking crazy,” claiming Bud said he’d “flip the switch” in the streets. Buckley’s response was simple: don’t take this outside. “We aren’t going to do this in the streets,” he said.

‘New Mansa’ then laid out his terms. “Let’s get in the ring, let’s spar,” he said, pointing to the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, where Crawford already trains at times. Buckley even tried to sweeten the pitch, saying it would be fun for fans and that “the whole world would like to watch.”

Buckley also tried to cut off the obvious criticism before it landed. This isn’t about a payday, he insisted. He said he’d “do this for free” and added, “This is an open invitation to Bud Crawford. Let’s do it at the Apex. I’m going to try to make my way down to Vegas on March 7.”

Will Terence Crawford ever walk into the Apex for rounds with an active UFC contender? Probably not. The risk-reward makes no sense for a retired, undefeated boxing great. But the debate isn’t going anywhere. Still, the sports can coexist. The real question is which one is giving you more reasons to tune in right now and why? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!