Former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor and undefeated boxing legend Terence Crawford are trading vicious insults following Ilia Topuria’s shocking loss to Justin Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250.
The historic UFC Freedom 250 card, held at the White House, saw Justin Gaethje brutally defeat Ilia Topuria via a fourth-round corner stoppage in the main event, handing "El Matador" his first professional loss. Topuria’s corner threw in the towel after the champion suffered severe damage to his face, including losing vision in both eyes.
Crawford, who recently retired from boxing after defeating Canelo Alvarez, was quick to mock the fallen MMA champion.
Terence Crawford / Getty Images
‘Bud’ Insults Topuria, McGregor Responds
The boxer took to X to remind fans of Topuria’s past confident statements regarding a potential crossover fight:
"This the guy that said he would knock me out and whoop me and Shakur [Stevenson] at the same time?" Crawford wrote in his post, adding laughing emojis to his verbal jab.
McGregor, surprisingly, stepped up as a defender of the younger fighter.
Despite a history of feuding with almost every UFC contender, the Irishman showed rare solidarity with Topuria:
He specifically called out the boxer’s hesitation to ever step into the Octagon despite a background in wrestling.
"What the f— are you saying? You can wrestle, yet you are afraid of an MMA fight," McGregor fired back at the boxing champion.
He then doubled down on questioning Crawford’s overall combat sports courage, saying, “That to me is pitiful.”
The former UFC champion’s defense of Topuria centered on the fundamental difference between the two sports.
"The kid was beaten in an MMA fight, of which you don’t have the courage for," McGregor wrote about Topuria, implying MMA fighters have more courage than boxers.
Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP via Getty Images
McGregor made it clear that he will side with fellow MMA fighters when boxers come to insult them or assert their sport's dominance.
The Back-and-Forth Continues
Crawford responded swiftly, dismissing McGregor’s claims:
The boxer immediately pivoted to attacking McGregor’s personal life and professional decline.
"Shut yo drunk a— up and get ready for yo fight," Crawford retorted, referencing McGregor's long history of out-of-cage controversies and lengthy hiatus from active competition.
The exchange quickly escalated into the familiar territory of the boxing vs. MMA debate. Crawford made it clear he feels no need to prove himself in a different arena that pays athletes far less than boxing.
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"I don’t have to come and fight in the cage," Crawford wrote. "That’s the joy of boxing, y'all come to us, we don’t have to come to y'all.”
McGregor responded with another repost, this time referencing the famous words of Nick Diaz:
Crawford and McGregor Beef Not Settled
Crawford concluded with a reminder of the pecking order in combat sports:
McGregor responded once again, prodding the retired boxer:
McGregor’s defense of Topuria is notable given their stylistic similarities and Topuria expressing interest in fighting his idol (via Championship Rounds on X):
Nevertheless, in the face of a common enemy from the boxing world, McGregor chose loyalty to fellow UFC fighters over personal grudges.
