UFC lightweight world champion Ilia Topuria has been involved in a war of words with boxing superstar Terence Crawford recently.
Topuria claimed he would knock out the newly-crowned undisputed super-middleweight champion in a crossover boxing contest.
Crawford addressed the potential of a bout against the MMA fighter days after beating Canelo Alvarez to rule the 168 division in boxing, mentioning he is not interested and that he was not even aware of who Topuria was.
"I don't know this guy. I've never seen this guy fight and I watch a lot of MMA," the 37-year-old said on Monday's (September 15) edition of the Ariel Helwani Show.
Despite Crawford's claim, some believe the boxer is familiar with the UFC world champion as the pair were once pictured greeting one another at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas.
The Omaha native also suggested that a crossover fight with the UFC star would not benefit him in a financial sense, and that it is wrong to compare Topuria's status to that of UFC icon Conor McGregor.
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Topuria responds to Crawford's recent comments
On Tuesday (September 16), Topuria took to X to hit back at Crawford for the remarks the boxer made on the Ariel Helwani Show.
"You say you’re an MMA fan, but you don’t even know who I am, interesting. The first time we met, you told me 'Good luck this week with your fight'," the 28-year-old wrote.
The two-weight UFC world champion then reiterated his previous claim that he would cause damage to Crawford in a potential fight between them.
"Your memory fails you. And soon your chin will too. I’ll represent the entire MMA community. Pound-for-pound #1 in real fights vs the pound-for-pound boxer."
You say you’re an MMA fan but you don’t even know who I am… interesting. The first time we met you told me ‘good luck this week with your fight.’ Your memory fails you… and soon your chin will too.
— Ilia Topuria (@Topuriailia) September 16, 2025
I’ll represent the entire MMA community. Pound-for-pound #1 in real fights vs… https://t.co/eM08eo3pBu
Despite Topuria seeming keen to face off against the five-weight boxing world champion, the feeling does not appear to be mutual on Crawford's side.
Additionally, it is unclear if Crawford will even continue fighting, as at 37, he has accomplished the incredible feat of being an undisputed world champion in three weight classes.
Hence, it is hard to imagine a crossover boxing contest taking place between the two fighters anytime soon.
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