Fresh off his career-defining victory over Canelo Álvarez to become the undisputed super middleweight champion, Terence “Bud” Crawford suddenly finds himself fending off an unlikely challenger. Ilia Topuria, the unbeaten two-weight UFC champion, is campaigning for a boxing match with Crawford a matchup Crawford has no interest in entertaining.
Topuria, 28, has long hinted at trying his power in the boxing ring. Last week, he claimed he would knock out Crawford if the two ever fought. Crawford dismissed the talk as “delusional” and accused the UFC star of being “drunk.”
The Song Controversy
Fuel was added to the fire on fight night when Crawford entered Allegiant Stadium to “Canción del Mariachi” from the film Desperado, a track Topuria also uses for his UFC walkouts. The Spanish-Georgian champion immediately blasted Crawford on social media.
“First he calls me drunk, then he walks out to MY song,” Topuria posted on X. “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 laughed off the supposed walkout rivalry. “Man, I didn’t even know that was his song,” he said at the postfight presser.
Crawford Fires Back
On The Ariel Helwani Show Monday, Crawford doubled down on his disinterest, calling Topuria a “clout chaser” not worthy of mention alongside Conor McGregor, whose 2017 megafight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. broke combat sports records.
“I definitely think he’s trying to clout-chase,” Crawford said. “He would get in the ring with me for the fight check. But at the same time, I don’t know what the f— he’s doing. He’s nowhere near Conor’s level. Stop it. Don’t even compare him.”
Crawford also revealed the two briefly met at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas, where Topuria was respectful and shook his hand only to turn around and issue bold public callouts afterward. “That’s fake,” Crawford said.
No Mayweather-McGregor Sequel
Although Crawford acknowledged the financial appeal of boxing-MMA crossovers, he made clear Topuria doesn’t move the needle. “What money would I get out of fighting him? … I’ve honestly never even seen him fight. And I watch a lot of MMA.”
For now, Crawford seems locked in on boxing’s elite not crossover spectacles. As for Topuria, his pursuit of “Bud” only underscores the growing trend of MMA stars chasing boxing’s brightest lights, even if the payday may not come.
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Robert LaMar is a writer for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X via @RobertLaMar26
