The age-old debate between boxing and MMA has erupted into a full-blown war of words, with UFC welterweight contender Joaquin Buckley at the center of a heated exchange involving boxing champions Shakur Stevenson and Terence Crawford.

The controversy began when Stevenson and Crawford appeared on Adin Ross's live stream earlier this week, where the two boxing stars boldly declared that the UFC would never be better than boxing. Stevenson specifically stated, “UFC would never be better than boxing at all. It ain't even close, ever,” dismissing the streamer's opinion that MMA fights are more entertaining.
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Buckley didn't take kindly to the disrespect. The UFC contender unleashed a blistering response on social media, directly calling out Stevenson with profanity-laced commentary. “You a h*e. Stop disrespecting us, bro. We are way more entertaining than y'all,” Buckley fired back. He continued his tirade by claiming MMA fighters possess superior combat skills in real-world scenarios, provocatively stating, “If we came outside, I could kill you”.

Bud Crawford Enters the Conversation

Canelo Alvarez (black/gold trunks) and Terence Crawford (black/red trunks) box during their super middleweight title bout at Allegiant Stadium.
Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

The situation escalated when boxing superstar Terence Crawford jumped into the fray, responding to Buckley's street-fighting claims with his own pointed message. “He must've forgot they make switches for them kind of tough guys,” Crawford posted on X, suggesting that real-world confrontations don't play out like sanctioned fights. Crawford also questioned Buckley's relevance, writing, “Yeah, I can see why he's nowhere near the top. This guy is clueless”.

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Rather than continuing the hypothetical street-fighting rhetoric, Buckley pivoted to a more professional proposition. The UFC welterweight issued an official challenge to Crawford for a sparring session at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on March 7th. “Bud talking crazy, we ain't gonna do this in the streets. Acting like he gonna do something with a switch. He gonna need one playing with me,” Buckley said during a recent livestream.

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Buckley made it clear this isn't about money or publicity. “This ain't got nothing to do with payday. I'm willing to do this for free,” he emphasized, adding that Crawford regularly trains at the Apex facility. “I think it'd be fun. I think the whole world would love to watch it,” Buckley stated, framing the sparring session as a legitimate test of skills rather than social media posturing.

As of now, Crawford hasn't publicly responded to the March 7th sparring challenge. Whether the retired boxing champion will accept remains to be seen, but Buckley has made his intentions crystal clear—if boxing's elite want to prove their superiority, they can do it where it matters most: in the ring.
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