)
Terence Crawford has responded to Conor McGregor's claim of a $200 million offer for a two-fight deal. According to the boxing legend, he never received a serious proposal for a bout against the Irish MMA star.
Next weekend, Conor McGregor is set to make his highly anticipated return to the octagon, facing Max Holloway in a rematch headlining UFC 329 in Las Vegas. This marks McGregor's first fight in five years, prompting numerous media appearances from the Irishman. A few weeks ago, while promoting the fight, McGregor stated that Turki Al-Sheikh had offered him and undefeated boxer Terence Crawford $200 million for two fights – one under boxing rules and one under MMA rules – but Crawford declined.
Crawford, however, remembers things differently.
"That was a lie," the Nebraska boxer told Yahoo Sports. "A complete fabrication. There was never a $200 million offer. They asked me if I would do it, and I told them, 'You're not going to kick me, Conor.' We spoke on FaceTime, and I genuinely told him that. But they never said, 'Hey, you have $200 million. You'll fight him in boxing and in MMA.' That never happened. If I had been told, I might say there was an offer, but if nothing was presented to me, I can't say what's what. In my head, he's just making up numbers," the boxer added.
Instead, Crawford continued his boxing career, establishing himself as arguably the best boxer of his generation and one of the greatest of all time, retiring from the sport as the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world. Looking back, however, Crawford, who has some grappling experience from his youth wrestling days, says that if a real offer for that sum had ever been made, he would have accepted it.
"I would have done it. Why wouldn't I?" Crawford said. "I don't need it now. Back then, it would have been a good deal. In my current position, I don't need to do it. I'm at a different stage in my life where I don't have to take those kinds of fights. Back then, I probably would have taken it. I would have said, 'Alright, let's do it.'"
"Conor isn't the best wrestler. I'm not saying I'm the best wrestler either, but I know that standing up, it would only take one good punch to put him to sleep. He'd try to kick me and go for takedowns, and we'd just do what we do," Crawford commented.
"I'm happily retired, and I don't see myself coming back," Crawford stated. "I'm done for good."
,fit(112:112)&format=webp)
&format=webp)
&format=webp)
&format=webp)
,fit(112:112)&format=webp)
,fit(112:112)&format=webp)