The age-old debate of boxer vs. MMA fighter has persisted ever since James Toney’s ill-fated UFC clash with Randy Couture. Over the years, the narrative has evolved. From Conor McGregor stepping into the boxing ring against Floyd Mayweather to Francis Ngannou’s blockbuster showdowns with Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.
More recently, the rivalry found a new chapter when reigning UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria traded words with boxing great Terence Crawford, reigniting cross-sport tensions. Now, the storyline has taken another twist, as Topuria has been challenged by none other than Crawford’s protege, Shakur Stevenson.
Shakur Stevenson Doubts Ilia Topuria Could Compete With Him in the Ring
For those unfamiliar, Ilia Topuria has openly expressed interest in transitioning to boxing once his MMA career concludes. And Shakur Stevenson, the reigning Ring Magazine and WBO super lightweight champion, appears more than willing to welcome ‘El Matador’ into the squared circle.
During a recent livestream with streamer Adin Ross, Stevenson and Terence Crawford weighed in on the long-running MMA vs. boxing debate. As Ross attempted to champion the UFC’s rise in popularity, both boxers firmly backed their own sport, citing skill level and global stature.
“I saw you say that, you gotta take that back – you said that the UFC is better than boxing,” Stevenson said to Ross.
Ross tried to defend his stance, but Crawford quickly shut it down. “UFC will never be better than boxing,” Crawford said. “At all – it ain’t even close. The skill level is different,” Stevenson added.
“UFC is good for what they do, and we good for what we do,” Crawford said. “You gotta think, if I can’t whoop you with my hands, I can kick you, I can take you down. It’s a whole different mental capacity than just kicking, punching.”
Ross continued pressing the issue, asking whether former two-division UFC champion and consensus MMA GOAT Jon Jones could succeed in boxing.
“Hell no,” Stevenson said. “Ok, Ilia Topuria?” Ross followed up. This is when Steveson said, “Tell him come fight me.”
Shakur Stevenson tells Ilia Topuria to come fight him in boxing 😳
“The skill level is different… tell him to come fight me.”
(via @adinross)pic.twitter.com/pVAadRkQCR
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) February 10, 2026
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“He’s a crazy boxer, bro,” Ross warned. “I don’t care. Tell him to come fight me,” Stevenson concluded.
Stevenson is recently coming off his 25th professional victory, a dominant win over Teofimo Lopez on January 31 to capture the Ring Magazine and WBO super lightweight titles at 140 pounds.
Still, a crossover bout faces major hurdles. UFC CEO Dana White has not permitted a fighter to box since Conor McGregor’s 2017 bout with Floyd Mayweather. Weight is another issue: Stevenson competes at 140 pounds, while Topuria, a former 145-pound UFC champion, now holds gold at 155 pounds and has even floated a move to 170lbs in the future.
For now, Topuria remains focused on MMA, recently announcing his return to likely unify his lightweight title against interim champion Justin Gaethje later this year on the White House card in June.
Kshitiz Kumar Singh is a UFC Writer at NY Fights with over three years of experience in sports journalism and content creation. Known for his sharp storytelling and passion for combat sports, he has written in-depth features on stars like Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, and Ilia Topuria. Before joining NY Fights, Kshitiz worked as a UFC Editor at EssentiallySports while currently serving as a WWE Editor at FirstSportz. His admiration for legends like Georges St-Pierre continues to inspire his detailed and engaging MMA coverage. Whether he’s covering the Octagon or the squared circle, Kshitiz is committed to delivering accurate, high-quality content. Outside the world of sports, he’s a dedicated cinephile, often found practicing monologues from his favorite Al Pacino films, combining his love for cinema with storytelling.