Terence Crawford and Conor McGregor are trading heavy verbal shots over a massive $200 million crossover fight that never materialized. The combat sports world lit up when McGregor dropped a bold claim regarding a two-fight offer with the boxing legend.
In late June, McGregor appeared on The Ariel Helwani Show. During the interview with Helwani, he recalled and detailed a proposed $200M deal that was being arranged alongside Saudi boxing broker Turki Alalshikh, which would have seen him face Terence Crawford.
The proposed agreement involved a two-fight series. The first bout would have taken place inside the Octagon under MMA rules, before the pair squared off in a boxing match in the second fight.
He claimed Crawford declined the opportunity strictly because he wanted no part of MMA kicks. McGregor openly questioned how any true combatant could refuse to test themselves for that kind of money.
Three weeks later, Terence Crawford came on the The Ariel Helwani Show, Helwani asked Terence Crawford about a claim Conor McGregor had made during his own appearance on the program. “McGregor was in our studio, and he sort of blew my mind because he said there was an offer from Turki Alalshikh to have a two-fight deal to fight you in boxing and MMA. Two hundred million. They called you. What’s that?” Helwani asked.
Crawford quickly shut down McGregor’s side of the story. The retired Boxing Champion fired back, labeling McGregor’s claims as complete fiction.
The pound-for-pound king made it very clear that a nine-figure contract was never formally presented. He admitted he absolutely would have taken the deal if $200 million had actually been on the table back then.
The boxer did not stop at calling out the financial figures. He took direct aim at McGregor’s skills inside the cage, dismissing the idea that he would struggle against the Irishman in an MMA setting.
It was cap. There was never no $200 million offer. They asked me what I would do, and I told them. Me and Conor were on FaceTime, but they never said, ‘Here’s $200 million to fight him in boxing and then fight him in MMA.’ That was never the case…If it was said to me, then I could say it was an offer. But nothing like that was ever presented to me. He’s making up numbers in my head…If they had come to me with $200 million for a two-fight deal, one MMA fight and one boxing match, yeah, I would have done it. Why wouldn’t I?
Conor’s not the best wrestler. I know it only takes one shot, and I’d put him to sleep.” (Timestamp: 9:09-11:06)
The bad blood reignited after Crawford mocked Ilia Topuria following his recent loss to Justin Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250. McGregor rushed to defend Topuria, sparking this current back-and-forth.
Crawford stepped away from professional boxing in December 2025. Unless Alalshikh presents an actual contract, this matchup will remain nothing more than internet trash talk.
