Roy Jones Jr has urged Terence Crawford to give unbeaten MMA star Ilia Topuria a chance inside the squared circle.
Crawford’s last outing saw him claim the undisputed super middleweight crown from Canelo Alvarez in the ‘fight of the century’.
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The performance and victory over Canelo solidified Crawford’s status as one of the best boxers of all timeCredit: Getty
As ‘Bud’ became the first male three-weight undisputed champion in the four-belt era, he also extended his unbeaten record to 42-0.
Attention immediately turned to what Crawford would do next, as the 37-year-old was anticipated to be retiring after his super-fight with Canelo.
Although, he has since hinted at the possibility of dropping down to into the 160lbs division.
While Crawford’s next move is unknown, UFC lightweight champion Topuria is chasing a sensational a crossover bout with Crawford.
Terence Crawford hints at weight switch to make further history after retirement admission
In an interview with Titan Play, legendary boxer Jones Jr has revealed that he thinks Crawford should give the 28-year-old a chance if he opts to remain active.
The four-weight world champion said: “I think he will retire.
“If he retires next, it’d be the best thing.
“Had I retired after I beat Antonio Tarver the first time, we wouldn’t be having conversations about the greatest of all time. And we still shouldn’t, because facts are facts.
“But if Crawford does anything more, that’s what he should do [fight Ilia Topuria].
“He deserves the reward at this time.
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Crawford’s most recent win also saw him join an elite group of five-weight world championsCredit: Getty
“Look how long he waited before he got the attention he has now. He deserves one more of those. If anything, that’s what he should do.”
Is Terence Crawford likely to fight Ilia Topuria?
At the start of the month, Topuria made the bold statement that he would put Crawford ‘to sleep in the first contact’ if they were to meet in the boxing ring.
The American responded to the knockout claim from the UFC champ with some choice words, saying he must be ‘drunk’ to believe he could beat him.
Since then, the pair have been embroiled in a verbal back-and-forth.
Although should a formal offer to fight materialise, it seems that a bout between the two champs is unlikely to get over the line.
Crawford appeared to reiterate that he has no intention of facing off with him, and simultaneously left himself open to other offers.