Why Terence Crawford rejected Conor McGregor fight
It seems as though the dreams of a super fight between MMA superstar Conor McGregor and undefeated boxing legend Terence “Bud” Crawford are no longer. After much speculation throughout the last few months surrounding a two-fight, MMA and Boxing crossover matchup between the two sides, Crawford has come forward saying that he recently rejected the multi-million dollar offer to step into an MMA cage against McGregor.
Crawford owns a 41-0 (31 KOs) record as the current unified welterweight champion and WBA junior middleweight champion. He’s arguably the best talent in the sport today and has built a name for himself as one of the most consistently elite boxers of all time. Conor McGregor hasn’t fought since his last loss to Dustin Poirier in 2021 and recently pulled out of his scheduled bout with Michael Chandler, but he continues to draw the eyes of millions and would be considered a huge “money fight” in any organization.
© Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Both fighters alluded that Turki Alalshikh, chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, had offered a two-fight agreement, one match in MMA and one in Boxing, for a purse that would bring in “hundreds of millions.” Alalshikh has been responsible for a number of recent boxing “super fights” including promotion of Anthony Joshua, so he’s clearly intent on bringing the fights people want to see into fruition.
In an interview with Bernie Da Boxer, Crawford spoke on the recent opportunity. “They offered me the fight. Me and Conor got on the phone and started politicking to try and figure something out. Man, I’m not getting in no f—ing Octagon with you so you can be kicking and elbowing me!”
Crawford, while having experience as a wrestler in his youth, has never competed in a mixed martial arts competition before. Conor McGregor, who was all-in on the opportunity to face Crawford, most notably made his only venture into boxing in 2017 during a monumental fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr., which he lost via stoppage in the 10th round. Nevertheless, the fight reportedly drew north of $100 million, so it’s clear as to why McGregor would be keen on stepping inside the ring once again.
Per ESPN, McGregor later responded, “[I told Crawford] They are asking for a fight,” McGregor said. “It’s going to be hundreds of millions on the line. What’s up? He said, ‘I don’t want to take a kick.’ You got to respect that.”
Terence Crawford, who is widely considered the best pound-for-pound fighter in the game today, understadningly doesn’t want to risk his health and longevity to step into an MMA ring. McGregor seemed empathetic of Crawford’s reasoning and although the two parties stand to make a ton of money, it’s clear the matches wouldn’t be too competitive with each fighter being an absolute specialist in their field.
However, this opens the narrative for more super fights and we can rest assured knowing Turki Alalshikh will be doing everything in his power to continue making the fights no one is willing to schedule, source, and ultimately pay for.
Is this a fight you would pay to see?
The post Why Terence Crawford rejected Conor McGregor fight appeared first on ClutchPoints.
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