![\"Terence](\"https:\/\/platform.mmafighting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/109\/2025\/09\/gettyimages-2235319874.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0,3.2951001106751,100,93.40979977865\")
<\/a><\/p>\nLAS VEGAS, NEVADA – SEPTEMBER 13: Terence Crawford is seen with his belts following his undisputed super middleweight title fight where he defeated Canelo Alvarez (not pictured) by unanimous decision (116-112, 115-113, 115-113) during Netflix\u2019s Canelo v Crawford Fight Night at Allegiant Stadium on September 13, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Harry How\/Getty Images for Netflix) Getty Images for Netflix<\/p>\n
Lee: We recently passed the eight-year anniversary of Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor and it feels like we\u2019re about due another does of that nonsense, doesn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n
No, Terence Crawford and Ilia Topuria have nowhere near the level of mainstream cachet as that infamous duo, and the landscape of combat sports has changed so much since that fight that boxing champion vs. MMA champion doesn\u2019t have the novelty it once did, but there are enough parallels here to generate some legitimate crossover buzz.<\/p>\n
Crawford is the undefeated boxing legend coming off of a win in a dream matchup with Canelo Alvarez, just like Mayweather after beating Manny Pacquiao (and, uh\u2026 Andre Berto). Topuria is the two-division UFC champion with explosive knockout power, just like McGregor. If you squint, you can really see the resemblance!<\/p>\n
This potential matchup has been amplified by public comments from both fighters in the past few months and you can picture the gears in UFC CEO Dana White and his buddy Turki Alalshikh\u2019s heads churning at the thought of making another industry-shaking splash. Even though Crawford vs. Topuria won\u2019t move the needle nearly as much as it should given their accomplishments, there isn\u2019t much standing in the way of this one happening (other than a mountain of cash for the athletes).<\/p>\n
I hate everything about this.<\/p>\n
And I hate that somehow I have to talk about it.<\/p>\n
Look, I understand why Topuria wants to do this: he wants to get paid. The reality of MMA is that the goal is not to be a UFC champion, the goal is to get to a UFC title so you can parlay it into a boxing fight and make real money. That\u2019s not his fault, but it sucks nonetheless. And on the other side of this, Crawford is treating this as completely absurd, which it is. But why any fan would care about this is beyond me.<\/p>\n
We\u2019ve done this experiment enough. The outcome is not in question. Topuria stands the exact same chance against Crawford as I would: none whatsoever. That\u2019s not me saying I can box, that\u2019s me pointing out how hopeless it is. Topuria could no more outbox Crawford than he could fistfight a rhino.<\/p>\n
If Topuria could even be competitive with Crawford in boxing, then he would be boxing. Instead, he\u2019s in MMA. And it would honestly be super cool if he would actually focus on defending a title repeatedly instead of the various flights of fancy he keeps pursuing. We already had one Conor McGregor. We don\u2019t need another.<\/p>\n
This would be the stupidest thing to happen in combat sports in a decade, and Fight Circus has held a half-dozen events. Please let\u2019s stop taking it seriously.<\/p>\n
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JUNE 28: (L-R) Ilia Topuria of Spain faces off against Paddy Pimblett in the UFC lightweight championship bout during the UFC 317 event at T-Mobile Arena on June 28, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari\/Zuffa LLC)<\/p>\n Lee: Give the people what they want!<\/p>\n I\u2019ve been the Paddy Pimblett predictor for ages, calling for both the Tony Ferguson and Michael Chandler fights well before they were on anyone else\u2019s radar, and I also said all along that crazier things have happened than guys like Pimblett receiving UFC title shots. Well, it\u2019s time.<\/p>\n You can nitpick Pimblett\u2019s r\u00e9sum\u00e9 and the recent r\u00e9sum\u00e9s of his veteran opponents all you want, wins are wins and every time the brash Pimblett has his hand raised it drives his supporters and his haters into a frenzy. Isn\u2019t that what you want in a potential B-side to a championship fight?<\/p>\n Add in the fact that Topuria and Pimblett have a longstanding beef and this one is a no-brainer. Stop fighting it, Dana.<\/p>\n Meshew: Here we have the exact opposite of stupid. Well, maybe not the opposite, but we\u2019re trending in the right direction.<\/p>\n Does Pimblett deserve a title shot? No. Sure, he\u2019s on a good win streak, but beating three 39-year-olds in a row doesn\u2019t scream \u201cI am most deserving!\u201d But would it be a miscarriage of justice if he got one? Nope! Nobody else has an ironclad case for a title shot, so if Pimblett ends up getting the call, it\u2019s fine.<\/p>\n And setting aside the personal heat between the two, I\u2019ll admit I\u2019m very interested in the fight. Sure, on paper it seems like Topuria should roll over Pimblett, but I\u2019ve thought that a lot about Paddy and he just keeps getting better.<\/p>\n On top of that \u2014 and this is the part people rarely mention \u2014 Topuria has also been feasting on old guys lately. Yes, Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira are much better than Michael Chandler and King Green and the ghost of Tony Ferguson, but they\u2019re still old in fight years. This would be Topuria\u2019s first fight against someone in his prime since Bryce Mitchell, and Pimblett is much bigger. There\u2019s some intrigue here.<\/p>\n Photo by Jeff Bottari\/Zuffa LLC<\/p>\n Lee: Look everybody, it\u2019s the No. 1 lightweight contender!<\/p>\n Technically, Arman Tsarukyan never lost his spot in line. Even in the UFC\u2019s official rankings, Tsarukyan is at No. 2, behind only former champion Islam Makhachev, who is currently chasing welterweight glory. The matchmakers are in a weird spot because obviously they don\u2019t want to give Tsarukyan another title shot right away after January\u2019s UFC 311 debacle, but no one else has made an airtight case to take his place. Also, I\u2019m confident if you did a survey asking who has the best chance of beating Topuria, Tsarukyan would come out on top of that poll.<\/p>\n But damn, the promotion for this fight would be dead on arrival if this is what\u2019s announced next for Topuria. I\u2019m not saying I never want to see it, but even Tsarukyan doesn\u2019t think he\u2019s getting the next shot<\/a>, which is probably why he\u2019s just been doing side quests<\/a> this whole time,<\/p>\n Meshew: If MMA were a real sport where merit carried the day, this is the matchup we\u2019d be getting. God love Charles Oliveira, but he lost to Tsarukyan when they fought. Tsarukyan should\u2019ve been the man Topuria had to fight for the vacant title if not for his UFC 311 issues. And while I can understand there being some consequences for that, it doesn\u2019t change the fact that the title is supposed to represent being the best fighter in the world in a weight class, and until Topuria beats Tsarukyan, his claim to that will have an asterisk.<\/p>\n This is the fight that should be made, though I have little hope it will happen.<\/p>\n LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 08: Justin Gaethje reacts to his win in a lightweight fight during the UFC 313 event at T-Mobile Arena on March 08, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari\/Zuffa LLC)<\/p>\n Lee: Deserves really ain\u2019t got nothing to do with it.<\/p>\n Justin Gaethje has already had two shots at undisputed gold, so we\u2019re not even including his interim title win back in 2020. The man is beloved and has greatly sacrificed his current and future health for our entertainment, so no one should begrudge him for wanting to stand pat in the hopes of one last title opportunity. The matchmakers, though? They\u2019re in no hurry to oblige.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Highlight\u201d turns 37 in November and he only has so many classic moments left to give us. It would just feel right to see him throw down with Topuria before it\u2019s all said and done and this is surely the most entertaining matchup on our list. I don\u2019t hate it.<\/p>\n Meshew: As a lifelong Gaethje Stan, my bias prevents me from thinking rationally about this. Rationally, Gaethje should be like, fifth in line given that he just got blown up by Max Holloway.<\/p>\n The truth is, Gaethje is only in this situation because he\u2019s the man. Gaethje appeared to have the inside track for a title shot against Makhachev after beating Dustin Poirier, but because the UFC botched the UFC 300 card booking so bad, they had to call on him and Holloway to step in on short-ish notice and save it. A loss is a loss, but Gaethje has since rebounded by again being a good soldier and fighting Rafael Fiziev on short notice. Rewarding the most exciting fighter of all time for doing you a couple of solids over the past two years wouldn\u2019t be the worst thing in the world. And since Holloway already lost to Topuria, you can kinda sell it.<\/p>\n But mostly what sells this fight is the matchup. Gaethje is the most exciting fighter who has ever lived. Topuria is the most electric talent in the sport right now. These are the sorts of matchups we live for, and not a single person would be mad if they booked this tomorrow.<\/p>\n Jack Della Maddalena vs. Islam Makhachev winner<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n