Boxing champ Shakur Stevenson calls out Ilia Topuria for massive crossover fight

Boxing superstar Shakur Stevenson wants to be involved in the next MMA/Boxing crossover fight against UFC champ Ilia Topuria.

UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria is considered by many as one of the greatest combat sports athletes on the planet. He’s one of a handful of UFC fighters to win titles in multiple divisions, after he knocked out Charles Oliveira for the lightweight belt at UFC 317.

Topuria, Max Holloway, and the recently retired Dustin Poirier are considered three of the greatest boxers to ever compete in MMA. Conor McGregor, who also won multiple UFC titles, is also considered an elite boxer in the cage.

McGregor made history when he fought Boxing Hall of Famer Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2017 in the coined ‘money fight’. While McGregor fell short on the scorecards, he opened the doors for Topuria and others to potentially explore crossover fights.

Boxing champ Shakur Stevenson wants to be at the center of the next boxing/MMA crossover opposite Topuria.

Shakur Stevenson to Ilia Topuria: ‘Come fight me!’

In a recent appearance on Adin Ross’ stream, Stevenson was asked about the UFC vs. Boxing debate and put Topuria’s name into the conversation.

“I saw you say that, you gotta take that back – you said that the UFC is better than boxing,” Stevenson said.

“At all – it ain’t even close. The skill level is different. Hell no. [Ilia Topuria?] Tell him come fight me.” (h/t MMA Junkie)

This isn’t the first time that Stevenson has taken shots at UFC fighters. Stevenson aimed at then-UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley in 2023, following remarks that O’Malley made about potentially crossing over into boxing.

As of this writing, Topuria hasn’t responded to Stevenson’s comments. Topuria was involved in a back-and-forth spat from afar with Terence Crawford, ahead of Crawford’s recent fight against Canelo Alvarez.

Who would win a hypothetical boxing match between Shakur Stevenson and Ilia Topuria? Let us know in the comments!