Las Vegas is buzzing, and not just because boxing’s biggest stars are converging on the Strip. The world of combat sports is ablaze with talk of cross-discipline showdowns, bold callouts, and the possibility of history in the making. At the center of this swirling maelstrom? UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria and British sensation Paddy Pimblett—two names whose ambitions and words have set the MMA and boxing communities alight.
On September 8, 2025, Ilia Topuria, the undefeated Spanish-Georgian phenom, didn’t just rest on his laurels after claiming the vacant UFC lightweight championship with a brutal first-round knockout of Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 in Las Vegas. Topuria, now 17-0 and perched atop the UFC’s pound-for-pound rankings, decided to stoke the flames of combat sports rivalry by calling out none other than boxing’s undefeated icon, Terence “Bud” Crawford.
Taking to social media, Topuria posted a photo of himself shaking hands with Crawford at the UFC Performance Institute, cheekily captioned: “Who wins in a fight?” But he didn’t stop there. In a follow-up post, Topuria declared, “I won’t talk about what would happen between me and Crawford in an octagon. I’ll talk about what would happen in a ring. I put him to sleep in the first contact!!” The audacious claim instantly set the internet ablaze, with fans from both MMA and boxing weighing in on the hypothetical matchup.
Topuria’s confidence isn’t misplaced. At just 28 years old, he’s already carved out a reputation as one of the most technically gifted strikers in the UFC. His journey to the top has been nothing short of spectacular: he dethroned Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 in February 2024, defended his featherweight title with a stoppage of Max Holloway later that year, and then moved up to claim the lightweight belt with his demolition of Oliveira. His boxing skills, forged at Climent Club in Spain and underpinned by a Georgian wrestling and jiu-jitsu pedigree, have made him a nightmare matchup for anyone in the Octagon.
But crossing over to boxing? That’s a different beast. Crawford, 37, is a legend in his own right—a 41-0 record, 31 knockouts, and undisputed championships in three weight classes. The Omaha native is renowned for his precision, footwork, and ring IQ, and he’s about to face Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in a super fight at Allegiant Stadium on September 13, 2025. Reports suggest Crawford could walk away with up to $50 million, underscoring just how lucrative these cross-sport spectacles can be.
Topuria, for his part, is undeterred by the doubters. Drawing parallels to Conor McGregor’s 2017 foray into boxing against Floyd Mayweather Jr., he told reporters, “Even if I still have fights with the UFC, you can always ask to go to boxing. They did it with Conor, why not with me?” Yet, Crawford remains unimpressed. In a recent appearance on the Full Send Podcast, he brushed off Topuria’s boxing credentials, saying, “Cody’s got those hands… when you’re talking about straight boxing skills, I just think Cody’s got the best,” referring to former UFC bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt.
Topuria’s response to the skepticism? Double down. He reiterated his vow to knock out Crawford, even as some fans labeled the idea “delusional” or a mere cash grab. Social media has been a battleground, with ESPN KnockOut polling fans on who would win in a Topuria vs. Crawford clash, and responses ranging from “Ilia’s power is no joke, this could be the next big crossover!” to “Crawford schools him any day. Stick to MMA.”
Meanwhile, back in the UFC, another storyline is brewing with just as much heat. Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett, currently ranked No. 7 in the UFC lightweight division, is hungry for a shot at Topuria’s crown. Pimblett, whose own star has risen rapidly with a seven-fight unbeaten streak in the UFC, including a scintillating TKO victory over Michael Chandler at UFC 314 in April, isn’t shy about his ambitions or his confidence. Asked about a potential showdown with Topuria, Pimblett told Standard Sport, “I finish him. It doesn’t go five rounds. I finish him. He’s a better boxer than me, and that’s about it. But we’re not boxing, we’re doing MMA striking. The longer I wait, the more I think that it’s going to be Ilia. I’ll kick him all around the cage and when he tries to storm in, I’ll end up taking him down and either elbow his head in until he’s unrecognisable, or choke him.”
Pimblett’s focus remains laser-sharp on a world title fight. Despite rumors swirling that he might return at UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi this October, Pimblett was quick to set the record straight: “It doesn’t look like it’s happening in Abu Dhabi. Nobody has got at me about a fight. I’m just sitting here waiting. I’m still training every day, but I haven’t got an opponent to focus on.” He added, “We’re fighters, we want to fight. I want to fight. This is the only fight that I do want to sit around and wait for. A world title fight. I want to be a world champion. Anything other than that, I’d rather just fight.”
The anticipation for a Pimblett-Topuria clash is palpable, with fans and pundits alike calling it the “biggest fight they can make now.” According to Pimblett, “Everyone knows it. Everyone wants to see it. There’s genuine bad blood between us. We do not like each other. That’s what sells the sport.”
Other names have been floated as potential opponents for both men. Justin Gaethje, who recently beat Rafael Fiziev at UFC 313, dismissed the idea of facing Pimblett, stating, “If that’s the route they want me to take, then I don’t believe that they need me anymore.” Dan Hooker, meanwhile, has not fought since his split-decision win over Mateusz Gamrot at UFC 305 nearly a year ago, but didn’t mince words when he called Pimblett “the worst fighter” and said a title shot for him would be “an absolute p***-take.”
With Topuria holding the No. 1 pound-for-pound spot in the UFC and Crawford preparing for a potentially legacy-defining bout against Canelo Alvarez, the lines between MMA and boxing seem blurrier than ever. Whether Topuria’s boxing bravado leads to a crossover super-fight, or Pimblett finally gets his shot at UFC gold, one thing’s certain: the coming months promise fireworks for fight fans everywhere.
As Las Vegas gears up for Canelo vs. Crawford and the MMA world waits to see what’s next for Topuria and Pimblett, the only certainty is uncertainty—and the electric anticipation that comes with it.
