Terence Crawford has issued a sharp response to UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria’s recent claims about knocking him out in a potential boxing match. The undefeated welterweight and super middleweight champion made his position clear following Topuria’s social media challenge that sparked widespread discussion in combat sports circles.
Terence Crawford Fired Back at Ilia Topuria
Terence Crawford initially dismissed Topuria’s prediction during media availability for his upcoming fight against Canelo Alvarez. When asked about Topuria’s claim that he would knock out Crawford “in the first contact,” the boxing champion responded bluntly: “That dude’s drunk. A lot of MMA guys, they drink a lot, so he must have been on that alcohol that day.”
The controversy began when Topuria took to social media to declare he would defeat Crawford in a boxing match. I won’t talk about what would happen between me and Crawford in an octagon, I’ll talk about what would happen in a ring. I put him to sleep in the first contact!” Topuria posted. This statement followed Crawford’s selection of Cody Garbrandt as the best boxer in MMA, which appeared to motivate Topuria’s challenge.
Crawford’s response escalated after his historic victory over Canelo Alvarez, when he walked out to “Canción del Mariachi” by Antonio Banderas – the same entrance song Topuria uses for his UFC fights. When questioned about using Topuria’s signature walkout music, Crawford claimed he was unaware of the connection, stating simply “Oh, good for him.”
This prompted an angered response from Topuria, who wrote on social media: “First he calls me drunk… then he walks out to MY song. Crawford, whenever you want, I’ll teach you how to dance that mariachi in the ring. And Canelo, I’ll save you a round after him.”
Crawford delivered his most pointed remarks during an appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, where he made clear his lack of interest in fighting Topuria. According to multiple reports, Crawford stated:
“When he saw me at the UFC and came up to shake my hand and said what’s up to me… I didn’t even know who he was. Then I see him online talking about how he’ll knock me out in the first round… That’s fake. I’m not gonna go hide behind the keyboard. I definitely think he’s trying to clout chase… He’s not nowhere near on the level of Conor McGregor, let’s be real. Stop it. Don’t ever compare him to Conor. Like I said, I don’t know this guy. I’ve never seen this guy fight.”
The boxing champion’s comments drew a clear distinction between Topuria and Conor McGregor, who successfully crossed over to boxing when he faced Floyd Mayweather in 2017. Crawford emphasized that he sees no financial incentive in fighting Topuria, questioning what money he would make from such a contest compared to established crossover stars like McGregor.
Topuria’s pursuit of a boxing match appears part of his broader ambitions beyond MMA. The Georgian-Spanish fighter has expressed interest in following the crossover path established by McGregor, telling reporters: “I hope I can fight him. It’s something I want to do, and I don’t think he would stop me from chasing a dream”.
UFC President Dana White has expressed skepticism about facilitating future crossover events between UFC athletes and boxers, stating “I certainly hope not” when asked about potential Topuria boxing matches. However, Topuria remains optimistic about persuading UFC leadership to grant him similar opportunities to those given to McGregor.
Following his victory over Alvarez, the 42-0 champion has secured his place among boxing’s elite while making clear he has little interest in entertaining challenges from MMA fighters.
