Ilia Topuria vs. Terence Crawford MMA Prediction from Shakur Stevenson Sparks Outrage: “Holy Delusional”

Top boxer backs the newly crowned super middleweight champion, Terence Crawford, to beat Ilia Topuria both in boxing and MMA. 

Ilia Topuria vs. Terence Crawford MMA Prediction from Shakur Stevenson Sparks Outrage: “Holy Delusional”

Shakur Stevenson believes Terence Crawford would be too much for Ilia Topuria, irrespective of the sport (via X)

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The combat sports community has now experienced a new beef unfolding as Ilia Topuria openly called out Terence Crawford. The lightweight champion initially hinted at a potential crossover boxing bout against ‘Bud’ while showing confidence about knocking him out. However, the champion has ultimately chosen to dismiss Topuria’s presence, which has further sparked intense debates.

Crawford allegedly walked out to Topuria’s signature entrance song during his high-profile fight against Canelo Alvarez last weekend. When asked directly about it afterwards, the new undisputed champion refused to even acknowledge Topuria’s existence and dismissed the lightweight star. 

Both fighters remain dominant at the absolute top of their respective sports, which fuels continuous fan excitement about crossover possibilities. Recently, Shakur Stevenson weighed in on the growing beef, reminding everyone that Crawford defeats Ilia Topuria regardless of the chosen sport.

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 death, something like that. I just wouldn’t be surprised. 

Shakur Stevenson via The Ariel Helwani Show 

Initially, Crawford brushed off Topuria’s callout, suggesting the MMA superstar might simply be too drunk to make bold claims. Later, when questioned about potentially fighting him inside the boxing ring, Crawford dismissed the idea, saying the purse wasn’t lucrative. He further emphasized that Topuria was nowhere near Conor McGregor’s marketability or star power to generate a massive crossover event.

According to Crawford, a fight against Ilia Topuria wouldn’t remotely replicate the spectacle that Floyd Mayweather versus McGregor produced years ago. Crawford’s fight against Alvarez was a massive hit, where he showed everyone why he’s the best boxer of this generation. Despite all the odds and disadvantages, the American put on a masterclass and toyed with Alvarez for most rounds. 

The Mexican superstar was helpless throughout the fight and agreed that he couldn’t figure out Crawford’s style. Fighting both fighters in his career, he even put ‘Bud’ above Mayweather in terms of overall skills. However, Crawford was rather humble in his approach and mentioned that fighters in different eras should be compared against each other. 

Nevertheless, his attitude against Ilia Topuria wasn’t the same, and this frustrated the current UFC pound-for-pound ace. According to the Georgian-Spanish champion, Crawford was fully aware of him and even personally wished him luck before one fight. ‘El Matador’ strongly argued that he is unquestionably the best fighter in the entire world when it comes to real combat. 

He emphasized that boxing remains only a single discipline, whereas MMA proves superior by combining multiple arts and requiring complete versatility. Crawford himself has talked about his wrestling background not being enough for an MMA bout in a podcast with Joe Rogan. The undefeated boxer mentioned that he didn’t want anybody to kick or elbow him during a fight, and laughed it off.

Fight fans react to Shakur Stevenson’s comments on Ilia Topuria vs. Terence Crawford beef 

Over the past several years, Ilia Topuria has firmly solidified his reputation as one of the most dangerous UFC fighters. Alongside his impressive grappling skill set, Topuria has become a devastating knockout artist, collecting several highlight-reel stoppages against elite competition.

Terence Crawford vs. Ilia Topuria fight discussion
Terence Crawford vs. Ilia Topuria fight discussion (via X)

He represents the modern generation of complete mixed martial artists, showcasing skills everywhere, with punching power ranked among the absolute best. Additionally, Ilia Topuria’s confidence stands out, as he consistently delivers on his bold predictions, winning dominantly and finishing opponents exactly as promised.

All this has made him a pay-per-view draw, and fans are desperate to see him fight again. As a result, Shakur Stevenson’s comments about Topuria being dominated by Terence Crawford in MMA didn’t go well among fans. 

As expected, Stevenson faced heavy mockery from fans online, who relentlessly trolled him for making such biased comments. Many argued that Topuria would need only mere seconds to finish Crawford inside the UFC Octagon completely. Supporters further highlighted that the addition of powerful kicks in MMA drastically changes dynamics, immediately putting any traditional boxer backwards.

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