Terence Crawford Surprises Fans by Naming Cody Garbrandt Over Ilia Topuria as UFC’s Best Boxer

Striking has always been the most crowd-pleasing aspect of MMA, and the UFC has produced plenty of elite boxers over the years. Names like Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier, Max Holloway, and Petr Yan are often mentioned when talking about pure boxing inside the Octagon. But today, that torch seems to be carried by none other than reigning lightweight champion Ilia Topuria. 

The Spaniard is known for his piston-like hands and preference for fluid, extended combinations rather than the standard one-two approach. With knockout wins over Alexander Volkanovski, Holloway, and Charles Oliveira, it’s hard to argue against ‘El Matador’ being the best boxer in the UFC right now. Well, it seems Terence Crawford has something to say about that and chose Cody Garbrandt as his pick for the best boxer in company history. 

Terence Crawford Favors Cody Garbrandt’s Pure Boxing Skills Over Ilia Topuria

In a recent interview with Full Send MMA, the 41-0 boxer picked the former UFC bantamweight champion as his pick for having the best hands in the MMA business. “My guy, what’s his name Cody (Garbrandt), he’s the best UFC boxer.”

Although Crawford acknowledged Topuria’s elite skills, he remained adamant about his choice. He added, “Yeah, (I’ve seen Topuria), but I don’t know man. Cody has got them hands. I’m saying when we’re talking about straight boxing, we ain’t talking about nothing else, we’re talking about straight boxing skills, I just think Cody has got the best boxing skills in the UFC. But that’s just my opinion.”

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Terence Crawford says Cody Garbrandt is the best boxer in the UFC, ranking him above Ilia Topuria 🥊🔥

(via @fullsendpodcast ) pic.twitter.com/B4QK3A9HHk

— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) September 4, 2025

Garbrandt was once considered one of the sharpest strikers in the bantamweight division, and his performance against Dominick Cruz at UFC 207 remains a prime example. The Team Alpha Male standout became the first fighter to truly solve Cruz’s awkward footwork, neutralizing his style with crisp striking en route to the title.

However, his reign ended quickly. Garbrandt dropped the belt to T.J. Dillashaw at UFC 217 and came up short again in their rematch at UFC 227. Since then, he has struggled to recapture his peak form, losing seven of his last 10 fights. His durability has also been called into question, with several knockout defeats highlighting concerns about his chin.

December 30, 2016; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Cody Garbrandt is declared the winner and new champion following his victory against Dominick Cruz during UFC 207 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Meanwhile, in the boxing world, Terence Crawford is preparing for one of the biggest events of 2025. On September 13, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Crawford will face Canelo Alvarez for the undisputed super middleweight title in a bout co-promoted by UFC CEO Dana White and will be the first event under the TKO Boxing banner. 

Crawford enters the fight with an undefeated record, while Alvarez rides a six-fight win streak. Already recognized as one of the sport’s top pound-for-pound fighters, Crawford now has the chance to cement his legacy by dethroning one of boxing’s greatest champions. After such a bold statement, it will be interesting to see how Topuria responds to it.

Currently, ‘El Matador’ is not expected to return to the Octagon till next year, owing to his brother Aleksandre Topuria’s upcoming clash at UFC Qatar. But once he does, those hands are surely expected to add more victims to the hit list.