Topuria open to boxing debut against Stevenson after feud over MMA debate

UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria (17-0) has named Shakur Stevenson as a target for a potential boxing crossover, telling the DeepCuts with VicBlends podcast that the WBC lightweight titlist “talks too much” and has shown personal animosity toward him.

“[Shakur Stevenson] is a good fighter,” Topuria said. “The only bad thing about him, he talks too much. He has some hate towards me… Honestly, I really feel that I can go to boxing and really face the best fighters in the world currently. It’s not like a dream, but if it happens I will be happy. And specifically, if it’s against someone like Shakur Stevenson, who talks too much.”

The friction between the two fighters traces back to a livestream hosted by influencer Adin Ross, during which Ross declared MMA superior to boxing. When Stevenson pushed back, Ross invoked Topuria’s name and praised the Georgian-Spanish fighter’s striking ability. Stevenson responded by calling Topuria out to a boxing match — a challenge that has apparently landed.

Topuria stopped short of calling a boxing match a firm ambition, framing it instead as an opportunity he would welcome if the right circumstances arose. That measured tone stands in contrast to the more spectacular crossover narratives that have surrounded UFC stars in recent years.

The broader MMA-versus-boxing conversation has produced few clean conclusions. Boxers have rarely made successful transitions into MMA, while a number of MMA veterans have stepped into the ring after their cage careers wound down. The most high-profile active-era crossover remains Conor McGregor’s points loss to Floyd Mayweather in 2017 — a result Topuria will be aware of as he weighs any move into the sport.

For now, Topuria holds the UFC lightweight title and has given no indication of vacating it. Any boxing venture, should it materialise, would represent a side project rather than a career pivot — though his willingness to name Stevenson specifically suggests the feud has given the idea more urgency than a passing thought.