Ilia Topuria makes surprising challenge to Terence Crawford after boxer claims he doesn’t know the UFC star

The unexpected rivalry between Ilia Topuria and Terence Crawford is heating up, even as Crawford celebrates a historic triumph over Canelo Alvarez. The super middleweight champion became undisputed titleholder this past Saturday, yet the attention has partly shifted toward a bizarre cross-sport feud.

The tension began when Topuria, the UFC lightweight champion, posted an image of himself with Crawford, prompting fans to speculate who would win in a hypothetical fight. What was intended as a playful engagement quickly turned into confusion and offense. Crawford labeled Topuria “drunk,” insisting he had no interest in facing the UFC fighter in the ring.

Despite Crawford’s dismissal, Topuria fired back on social media, framing the exchange as a challenge and a defense of MMA fighters’ legitimacy. “You say you’re an MMA fan but you don’t even know who I am…. Interesting,” Topuria wrote on X. “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.”

Is a crossover fight between Crawford and Topuria possible?

Topuria remains confident he could convince Dana White to allow a boxing match, leveraging White’s involvement in TKO Boxing. The UFC boss has historically opposed crossover bouts featuring his fighters, but the Spaniard believes the timing could be right.

Crawford, meanwhile, appears unconcerned with the feud. He clarified after his fight with Canelo that he had never seen Topuria compete and didn’t know who he was. “I’m focused on my boxing career and my next challenges,” Crawford said, emphasizing that a fight with Topuria is not on his radar.

The coincidence of the walkout song

Adding another twist to the story, Crawford entered the ring for his historic bout against Canelo using Topuria’s walkout song. The super middleweight champion insists it was a coincidence. “I didn’t even know that was his song,” Crawford explained, attempting to downplay any perceived connection.

Despite the dismissals, Topuria continues to push the narrative on social media, promising to represent the MMA community and challenge boxing’s elite. Fans are left to speculate whether this unlikely feud will escalate or remain a series of heated exchanges online.