From ring rivalry to respect: Ilia Topuria wishes Terence Crawford well

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC Ilia Topuria has stopped calling out Terence Crawford after the former boxing champion decided to retire. Crawford stunned Canelo Alvarez in September, moving up two weight classes to take on the Mexican star and claim the undisputed super middleweight crown. ‘Bud’ became the first male boxer of the four-belt era to win undisputed titles in three different weight divisions.

He stepped away from the sport three months later. Since then, one of his rivals from another corner of combat sports has dialled back the trash talk and taken a more respectful approach. Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC Ilia Topuria changes tone on Terence Crawford after retirement Topuria, a former featherweight champion and now the lightweight titleholder, has always had an interest in crossing over to boxing.

Since Conor McGregor’s high-profile bout with Floyd Mayweather, other UFC fighters have followed suit. Topuria is one of them, having built his reputation in MMA through his striking ability. He believed he could knock out ‘Bud’ if they ever fought, which led to some back-and-forth between the two.

Instead of stepping into the ring for a crossover fight, Crawford chose to retire. That decision seems to have shifted Topuria’s approach when talking about the former boxer. “Now that he’s retired, congrats to him for an amazing career that he had,” Topuria said during a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show.