Why boxing champ Terence Crawford turned down Conor McGregor's MMA fight

Boxing champion Terence Crawford had the opportunity to take part in a major crossover fight against Conor McGregor.

Crawford (40-0), a four-division boxing world champion, currently holds the WBA and interim WBO super welterweight titles. Former UFC lightweight champion McGregor (0-1) could have been on his resume as he revealed there were once discussions with the Irish MMA superstar.

Rumors have recently been circulating about a two-fight deal with McGregor, a boxing match and an MMA fight. Crawford acknowledged that there had been direct discussions with McGregor about putting the fights together, but he decided to turn down the offer.

Although Crawford didn't reveal when these conversations took place, he explained why he won't be competing in MMA.

“I told Conor to himself; I said, 'God damn it,'” Crawford told Bernie Tha Boxer on a YouTube livestream. “They called me and offered me the fight. Conor and I were on the phone; We started playing politics, you know, trying to figure something out.

“I just told him, 'Man, I'm not getting in a fucking octagon with you so you can kick me and elbow me and stuff.' And so he starts laughing and shitting. He says, “Man, I respect that because you respect my sport just like I respect your sport, and you understand that you're going to be at a disadvantage when you get in the octagon with me.” Just like when I get in with you When I go to the boxing ring, I’m at a disadvantage.”

Although “The Notorious” McGregor, 36, understood the physical reasons for declining the fight, Crawford, 37, said the Irishman tried to appeal on his bank account.

“He said, 'But we're going to make a hell of a lot of money!'” Crawford said with a laugh, recalling what McGregor added. “I said, 'Yeah, sometimes it's not about the money.' I can make money, but you're not going to kick me out, dude. These kicks and elbows, they’re no joke.”

Financially, Crawford is doing very well in the boxing world. If all parties were on board, a crossover fight with McGregor would have been a big deal. Floyd Mayweather boxed McGregor in 2017, which proved to be a lucrative event for all involved, but Crawford preferred to focus on his boxing legacy rather than have a one-off MMA fight.

Crawford is coming off a successful performance against Israil Madrimov in August. He wants to fight Canelo Alvarez, but negotiations have not yielded any result. His next fight in the ring could be against Sebastian Fundora, which would give Crawford a chance to win three of the four 154-pound titles.

McGregor has not practiced combat sports since July 2021 at UFC 264, where he broke his leg in a first-round TKO loss to Dustin Poirier. Although he trained alongside Michael Chandler on The Ultimate Fighter and said he wants to return to action, there is no indication as to when or where McGregor will fight next, if ever again.