Terence Crawford Calls Out ‘Drunk’ Ilia Topuria For Bold KO Claims

Undisputed welterweight champion Terence Crawford jokingly dismisses UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria's claims.

Terence Crawford Calls Out ‘Drunk’ Ilia Topuria For Bold KO Claims

Terence Crawford fires back at Ilia Topuria (via Boxing news)

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The combat sports world has often blurred the lines between boxing and MMA, with fighters from both disciplines throwing verbal jabs as sharp as those in the ring or cage. Recently, that crossover spotlight fell on boxing multi-division world champion Terence Crawford and UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria. The boxing champ had some strong words for Topuria’s recent comments.

Crawford is set to fight Mexican phenom Canelo Alvarez in a much-anticipated super fight on September 13th. However, he has been mentioned in hypothetical crossover talks before. Meanwhile, Topuria, known for his knockout power inside the octagon, has grown increasingly confident as his rise in the UFC has been meteoric. Topuria recently also called out Crawford and claimed to knock him out in the ring.

‘Bud’ was recently seen answering questions about his upcoming bout against Alvarez. However, when asked about the remarks, Crawford brushed them off in his usual calm yet cutting manner. He dismissed Topuria’s confidence as nothing more than intoxicated confidence. He hinted that the UFC champion might not have been sober when making such a bold claim.

That dude drunk. A lot of MMA guys drink a lot, so he must’ve been on that alcohol that day.

Terence Crawford via Sun Sports on X

There have been many instances in which popular MMA fighters such as Merab Dvalishvili and Tai Tuivasa were seen indulging in alcohol while partying or celebrating their victories. This could be the reference that Crawford addressed in his rebuttal.

Crawford is the reigning undisputed welterweight champion and sits at 41-0. He is widely recognized as one of the finest pound-for-pound boxers of his era. Still undefeated at 37 years old, ‘Bud’ has conquered every major challenge in front of him, including bouts against Errol Spence Jr, Amir Khan, and Kell Brook. However, he is now gearing up for his much-anticipated clash against Alvarez.

Meanwhile, Topuria has risen as one of the UFC’s most talked-about champions. He successfully fights destroyed the likes of Max Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski to pursue a move to lightweight. The Georgian-Spanish knockout artist moved up to the 155-pound division and knocked out Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 to win lightweight gold and kept his undefeated record intact.

Both men dominate their respective sports as Crawford prepares for his biggest fight yet in boxing, and Topuria is training to dominate his new division. While a crossover showdown between the two is highly unlikely, their verbal sparring adds extra intrigue to the ongoing boxing vs MMA rivalry.

Terence Crawford dismisses Ilia Topuria as the best boxer in the UFC

There has been a longstanding debate regarding who the best boxer in the UFC is, with fans often pointing to names like Max Holloway, Dustin Poirier, or even Petr Yan in recent years. However, the discussion took a new turn when Terence Crawford threw Ilia Topuria’s name into the mix, only to downplay his boxing credentials with a sharp remark.

Terence Crawford's latest physique ahead of the Canelo Alvarez fight
Terence Crawford and Ilia Topuria (via X)

Crawford was recently asked about which UFC fighter would fare well in the squared circle in an interview with popular YouTuber group The Nelk Boys. He named his favorite UFC fighters such as Jon Jones, Khabib Nurmagomedov, and Aljamain Sterling. However, when asked about the best boxer in the UFC, ‘Bud’ skipped Topuria and ranked former bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt as the best.

Yeah, he (Garbrandt) is the best. He the best UFC boxer. Yeah, I don’t know, man, Cody got them hands. We talking about straight boxing, we ain’t talking about anything else.

Terence Crawford via the Full Send podcast

The exchange has since set social media alight, with boxing and MMA fans rushing to defend their side. While the chances of the two ever meeting in competition are slim, the back-and-forth has fueled yet another entertaining chapter in the ongoing rivalry between both sports.

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