In front of a record-breaking crowd of 70,000 at Allegiant Stadium, Terence Crawford made history by becoming the first fighter of the four-belt era to claim undisputed titles in three different weight classes, defeating Canelo Alvarez in an all-time classic. Coming in as the underdog and moving up two divisions, the still undefeated 42-0 juggernaut put on a masterclass. He shut down Alvarez’s power, refusing to let him land his trademark heavy shots. The judges ultimately scored it 116-112, 115-113, and 115-113 in Crawford’s favor. Check out our full fight breakdown:
But the fight wasn’t the only thing making headlines. Crawford’s ring entrance also sparked controversy after he walked out to Ilia Topuria’s signature track, ‘Canción del Mariachi’ by Antonio Banderas. The choice raised eyebrows, given the heated back-and-forth between Crawford and Topuria during fight week.
Ilia Topuria Vows to Make Terence Crawford Pay After Walkout Song ‘Theft’
Crawford’s walkout carried a strong Mexican flavor, appearing at first to be a nod to Alvarez’s heritage. But given his heated exchanges with Topuria during fight week, many saw it as a deliberate jab at the reigning UFC lightweight champion.
When asked about it at the post-fight press conference, Crawford insisted he had no idea the song was Topuria’s trademark Octagon entrance. Laughing it off, he simply said, “Oh, good for him.”
Terence Crawford just happened use the same song as Ilia Topuria after they were beefing this week 👀😂pic.twitter.com/HnE3m169hQ
— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) September 14, 2025
That response didn’t sit well with ‘El Matador,’ who quickly took to social media to fire back with a fiery message of his own.
The Spaniard wrote on X, “First he calls me drunk… then he walks out to MY song. Crawford, whenever you want, I’ll teach you how to dance that mariachi in the ring. And Canelo, I’ll save you a round after him.”
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First he calls me drunk… then he walks out to MY song. Crawford, whenever you want, I’ll teach you how to dance that mariachi in the ring. And Canelo, I’ll save you a round after him.
— Ilia Topuria (@Topuriailia) September 14, 2025
The remarks came after Crawford clapped back at Topuria’s bold claim that he could knock out ‘Bud’ with a single touch if they ever fought. The five-division world champion dismissed the idea, calling Topuria “drunk” and arguing that MMA fighters can’t survive in a boxing ring against elite-level talent.
Their rivalry first flared up when Crawford named Cody Garbrandt, not Topuria, as the best pure boxer in UFC history. That struck a nerve with many MMA fans, especially since Topuria has built his reputation on knockout power, stopping three legends in the form of Alexander Volkanovski, Max Holloway, and Charles Oliveira in a row.
At just 28, Topuria also became the first undefeated fighter to capture UFC titles in two weight classes. By contrast, Garbrandt’s shining moment came when he beat Dominick Cruz for the bantamweight crown, but he has since lost 7 of his last 10 fights.
Many fans are already calling for another two-division UFC champion to step into the boxing ring against an all-time great, just like Conor McGregor did in 2017 when he faced Floyd Mayweather but fell short.
However, Dana White, who promoted Crawford vs. Canelo as the launch event for his new TKO Boxing banner, shut down the idea of Topuria crossing over. At the pre-fight press conference, he said, “I certainly hope not.”
On the other hand, Topuria seems eager to make it happen. Speaking earlier this week at the WOW 22’s presser, he said, “I hope I can fight him (Crawford). It’s something I want to do, and I don’t think he (UFC president Dana White) would stop me from chasing a dream.”
With tensions escalating, this rivalry has all the makings of the next blockbuster MMA vs. boxing crossover, though whether it actually materializes is still uncertain.
