Terence Crawford has issued a pointy response to UFC light-weight champion Ilia Topuria’s latest claims about knocking him out in a possible boxing match. The undefeated welterweight and tremendous middleweight champion made his place clear following Topuria’s social media problem that sparked widespread dialogue in fight sports activities circles.
Terence Crawford Fired Back at Ilia Topuria
Terence Crawford initially dismissed Topuria’s prediction throughout media availability for his upcoming battle towards Canelo Alvarez. When requested about Topuria’s declare that he would knock out Crawford “within the first contact,” the boxing champion responded bluntly: “That dude’s drunk. Loads of MMA guys, they drink lots, so he will need to have been on that alcohol that day.”
The controversy started when Topuria took to social media to declare he would defeat Crawford in a boxing match. I received’t discuss what would occur between me and Crawford in an octagon, I’ll discuss what would occur in a hoop. I put him to sleep within the first contact!” Topuria posted. This assertion adopted Crawford’s choice of Cody Garbrandt as the perfect boxer in MMA, which appeared to inspire Topuria’s problem.
Crawford’s response escalated after his historic victory over Canelo Alvarez, when he walked out to “Canción del Mariachi” by Antonio Banderas – the identical entrance track Topuria makes use of for his UFC fights. When questioned about utilizing Topuria’s signature walkout music, Crawford claimed he was unaware of the connection, stating merely “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 track. Crawford, everytime you need, I’ll train you methods to dance that mariachi within the ring. And Canelo, I’ll prevent a spherical after him.”
Crawford delivered his most pointed remarks throughout an look on The Ariel Helwani Present, the place he made clear his lack of curiosity in combating Topuria. In line with a number of studies, Crawford said:
“When he noticed me on the UFC and got here as much as shake my hand and mentioned what’s as much as me… I didn’t even know who he was. Then I see him on-line speaking about how he’ll knock me out within the first spherical… That’s faux. I’m not gonna go disguise behind the keyboard. I positively suppose he’s attempting to clout chase… He’s not nowhere close to on the extent of Conor McGregor, let’s be actual. Cease it. Don’t ever evaluate him to Conor. Like I mentioned, I don’t know this man. I’ve by no means seen this man battle.”
The boxing champion’s feedback drew a transparent distinction between Topuria and Conor McGregor, who efficiently crossed over to boxing when he confronted Floyd Mayweather in 2017. Crawford emphasised that he sees no monetary incentive in combating Topuria, questioning what cash he would make from such a contest in comparison with 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 occasions between UFC athletes and boxers, stating “I actually hope not” when requested about potential Topuria boxing matches. Nevertheless, Topuria stays optimistic about persuading UFC management to grant him comparable alternatives to these 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.
