Ilia Topuria Challenges Terence Crawford After Canelo’s Defeat and Hints at Historic UFC Event at Santiago Bernabéu

UFC lightweight world champion, Spaniard Ilia Topuria, issued a direct challenge to American boxer Terence Crawford on Tuesday, confident that he would emerge victorious if they faced off in the ring.

The challenge comes days after Crawford defeated Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez in Las Vegas, stripping him of the super middleweight world titles and becoming the first boxer in history to hold undisputed titles in three different divisions.

“For many years, I’ve wanted to test myself in boxing. Now that we have a legitimate pound-for-pound fighter like Terence Crawford, I’d love to face him, and I have no doubt about the outcome: it would be a victory for me,” Topuria said during a press breakfast at the New Economy Forum in Madrid.

At 28 years old, Topuria is at the peak of his career. In June, he captured the UFC lightweight title by knocking out Brazilian Charles Oliveira in Las Vegas, and previously, in 2024, he won the featherweight world title by defeating Australian Alexander Volkanovski.

In addition to his challenge to Crawford, Topuria also hinted at a historic event: the possibility of the UFC hosting a major fight card at the Santiago Bernabéu in 2026.

“We’ll almost certainly have a UFC event in Spain; it’s a done deal. The growth of the sport in our country is huge, and all the events by WOW (UFC’s promoter in Spain) sell out. Only a few logistical details remain, but I’m confident it will happen,” said the undefeated fighter, born in Germany, raised in Georgia, and trained in Spain.

Canelo Álvarez’s Plans Revealed

Saúl "Canelo" Álvarez has just suffered a painful defeat against Terence Crawford, prompting many to wonder if it’s time for him to retire or if the boxer himself is considering stepping away after the performance that saw him lose his super middleweight titles.

Turki Alalshikh, president of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, has provided clues about the Mexican’s future, indicating that he will soon take a break to move past what happened in Las Vegas.

Turki Alalshikh’s Visit to Canelo

“I just visited the champion at his home. He’ll soon start a vacation with his family. He has two more fights with Riyadh Season in 2026. We offered him to work with us until he retires,” the sheikh said on his official X account. “I want to especially thank Canelo for the very special gift. He gave me the gloves from the fight, and I’m very grateful for it.”

This suggests that Turki Alalshikh confirmed we’ll see the Mexican back in the ring for at least two more fights, and as early as Monday, more details about the plans for him reportedly emerged.

Canelo Álvarez vs. Terence Crawford 2.0

Although after the fight at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Turki Alalshikh sent a direct message to David Benavidez to gauge if he could make the weight to face his new champion, reports indicate there could be a second fight between Canelo and Crawford.

This was revealed during the Monday Night Football broadcast on ESPN, where John Sutcliffe commented that Canelo and Crawford could face off again in Saudi Arabia.

On Saturday in Las Vegas, Terence Crawford decisively defeated Canelo Álvarez, securing a unanimous decision victory (116-112, 115-113, 115-113). With this win, “Bud” made history as the first boxer to win undisputed titles in three different divisions and only the sixth to claim titles in five weight classes.