Shakur Stevenson has just opened the door to boxing for Ilia Topuria, in a move that follows the UFC star's growing interest in a future inside the ring.
That path hasn't become any clearer since then, but on 13th June, Stevenson (21-0) appeared on DAZN's Jabs podcast and explained how he's very open to a potential fight with 'El Matador', should he follow through on his ambitions to switch sports.
Stevenson seemed genuinely interested in the idea:
If it ever does happen, Topuria would be walking into a fight against an elite fighter. Stevenson is undefeated in his career and currently holds the WBC super lightweight title. He previously held championships at both featherweight and super featherweight before moving up divisions.
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Back in November, Topuria made the decision to step away from the UFC for a while to deal with personal matters at home.
During his absence, Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett met for the interim lightweight belt. Gaethje's convincing win set up an inevitable clash with Topuria upon his return.
Topuria's next fight could take place on a massive stage as he eyes a return at UFC White House, which would be another major step forward in terms of exposure.
The super lightweight champion Stevenson has now thrown his name into the mix, offering a potential matchup down the line.
"The skill level (between MMA boxing and boxing) is different," Stevenson said during a livestream with Adin Ross.
"Tell (Topuria) to come and fight me. I don't care (if he's a crazy boxer) tell him to come and fight me."
While Topuria doesn't come from a traditional boxing background, he's often praised as one of the best strikers within the UFC.
That said, there's a clear gap between MMA striking and pure boxing. It's still uncertain how well his skills would translate if he ever made the move into the ring.
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