Dangerous blood continues to boil between UFC light-weight champion Ilia Topuria and boxer Shakur Stevenson, as each tease a crossover.
UFC light-weight champ Ilia Topuria is arguably one of many biggest boxers in Combined Martial Arts historical past, as evidenced by latest knockout wins over Charles Oliveira, Max Holloway, and Alexander Volkanovski. Topuria will headline UFC Freedom 250 subsequent month in opposition to Justin Gaethje as he appears to be like to stay unbeaten in his profession.
Throughout his rise to superstardom, Topuria has traded barbs with a few of the greatest fighters in MMA and boxing. One such feud has been with boxing star Shakur Stevenson, who lately belittled MMA fighters like Topuria, who consider they’ll compete at a excessive degree within the boxing ring.
As Topuria prepares for his newest UFC fundamental occasion reserving, he continues to tease a possible crossover struggle in opposition to Stevenson, particularly as the 2 proceed to commerce barbs on social media.
Ilia Topuria: Shakur Stevenson ‘good fighter, however talks an excessive amount of’ as feud intensifies
In a latest look on the DeepCut Podcast, Topuria weighed in on the latest back-and-forths with Stevenson.
“He’s a very good fighter, however the one unhealthy factor about him, he talks an excessive amount of,” Topuria mentioned of Stevenson.
“He has some hate [towards] me. I actually really feel that I can go to boxing and face the very best fighters on this planet, at the moment. It’s not a ‘dream’, but when it occurs, I’d be completely satisfied. Particularly, if it’s in opposition to somebody like Shakur Stevenson, somebody like him who talks an excessive amount of, it might be nice.”
It didn’t take lengthy for Stevenson to take discover of Topuria’s feedback, as he responded in a latest tweet.
“[LAUGHS] I might beat the s*** out of u Ilia,” Stevenson tweeted.
Stevenson, an Olympic silver medalist, most lately defeated Teofimo Lopez in January to stay undefeated within the ring. After Conor McGregor’s 2017 showdown with Floyd Mayweather, something is feasible within the crossover world, and don’t be stunned if Topuria and Stevenson collide sooner or later.
How would Ilia Topuria do in opposition to a few of the high boxers at his weight? Tell us your ideas within the feedback!
