The age-old debate between boxing and MMA has erupted right into a full-blown disagreement, with UFC welterweight contender Joaquin Buckley at the middle 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 2 boxing stars boldly declared that the UFC would never be higher than boxing. Stevenson specifically stated, “UFC would never be higher than boxing in any respect. It ain’t even close, ever,” dismissing the streamer’s opinion that MMA fights are more entertaining.
Shakur Stevenson tells Ilia Topuria to return fight him in boxing 😳
“The skill level is different… tell him to return fight me.”
(via @adinross)pic.twitter.com/pVAadRkQCR
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) February 10, 2026
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’re far 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 got here outside, I could kill you”.
Joaquin Buckley went OFF on Shakur Stevenson for saying boxing is healthier than the UFC:
“You a hoe. Stop disrespecting us bro. We’re far more entertaining than y’all… If we got here outside, I could kill you.” 😳
(via @Newmansa94) https://t.co/B8NkOVsfiq pic.twitter.com/04nNNh2oqD
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) February 11, 2026
Bud Crawford Enters the Conversation
The situation escalated when boxing superstar Terence Crawford jumped into the fray, responding to Buckley’s street-fighting claims together with his own pointed message. “He must’ve forgot they make switches for them sort 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 highest. This guy is clueless”.
Terence Crawford responds after Joaquin Buckley said he could k*ll Shakur Stevenson in a street fight 👀#MMA pic.twitter.com/qTKcey3gzl
— Sportskeeda MMA (@sportskeedaMMA) February 12, 2026
Fairly than continuing the hypothetical street-fighting rhetoric, Buckley pivoted to a more skilled proposition. The UFC welterweight issued an official challenge to Crawford for a sparring session on the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on March seventh. “Bud talking crazy, we ain’t gonna do that within the streets. Acting like he gonna do something with a switch. He gonna need one fidgeting with me,” Buckley said during a recent livestream.
Joaquin Buckley challenged Terence Crawford to spar in Vegas on March seventh 👀
“Bud talking crazy, we ain’t gonna do that within the streets. Acting like he gonna do something with a switch. He gonna need one fidgeting with me.” pic.twitter.com/Kmhci1GEZL
— Glad Punch (@HappyPunch) February 12, 2026
Buckley made it clear this is not about money or publicity. “This ain’t got nothing to do with payday. I’m willing to do that at no cost,” he emphasized, adding that Crawford usually trains on the Apex facility. “I feel it might be fun. I feel the entire world would love to look at it,” Buckley stated, framing the sparring session as a legitimate test of skills reasonably than social media posturing.
As of now, Crawford hasn’t publicly responded to the March seventh sparring challenge. Whether the retired boxing champion will accept stays to be seen, but Buckley has made his intentions crystal clear—if boxing’s elite need to prove their superiority, they will do it where it matters most: within the ring.