"The UFC don't pay" - Fans react as Ilia Topuria doubles down on boxing move

Ilia Topuria has long dreamed about crossing over to boxing and has even called out the likes of Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford in the past. Now it appears 'El Matador' is eager to make the switch, and the news has riled up fight fans.

During a recent interview with MARCA, Topuria doubled down on his pugilistic dreams, claiming that his MMA journey would soon come to a close and that he would then transition to boxing:

"I don’t think I’ll stay in MMA too long. It’s no secret I always wanted to go and test my skills in boxing. I want to finish my story in MMA first. At this moment, in MMA, I don’t think I’m going to be [here] too long if I’m honest. I’ll make my transition to boxing, and I’m going to surprise people." [H/t @HappyPunch on X]

Check out Ilia Topuria's comments below:

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Suffice it to say, the proclamation has sent shockwaves through the MMA fandom, with many taking to social media to share their thoughts and opinions.

@JesusDailyArmor wrote:

"Good for him, the UFC don't pay, his boxing ability will take him far."

@kovesh888 opined:

"Ilia would do good against close-range boxers, but champions like Jaron Ennis would be a nightmare for him."

@birth_of_state chimed in:

"Come on man, why do MMA guys have to do this? Just make MMA bigger instead of trying to switch to the bigger thing."

@WhoKnows_85 commented:

"Congratulations, Dana, another top UFC fighter wants to go to boxing because you only pay them 17% of the revenue."

Check out a few more comments below:

When Ilia Topuria said he'd knock out Terence Crawford

Ilia Topuria believes he has what it takes to beat Terence Crawford. In a post on X ahead of 'Bud's' much-awaited clash against Canelo Alvarez, 'El Matador' proclaimed:

"I won’t talk about what would happen between me and Crawford in an octagon. I’ll talk about what would happen in a ring. I put him to sleep in the first contact!!"

During an interview with Full Send MMA earlier this year, the Georgian-born Spaniard also claimed that he could capture a boxing world title with just six months of preparation.

Topuria is considered one of the best boxers in MMA, having secured knockout wins over credible strikers like Max Holloway, Alexander Volkanovski, among others.