Terence Crawford denies $200M McGregor MMA offer ever existed

Terence Crawford says there was never a $200 million offer to fight Conor McGregor in both boxing and MMA, contradicting claims the Irishman made about a deal brokered by Saudi power player Turki Alalshikh. Crawford called the proposal "cap" during an appearance on the Ariel Helwani Show, but his version differs sharply from what he told Bernie Tha Boxer back in October 2024.

"That was a lie. It was cap," Crawford said, per MMA Mania. "It wasn't never no $200 million offer. Now they asked me what I do, and I told them. I said, 'Man, you ain't about to be kicking on me, Conor.' Because we was on FaceTime, and I did tell them that. But they didn't say, 'Hey, you got $200 million [if] you fight 'em in boxing and fight them in MMA.' That was never the case."

What Crawford said about the deal in 2024

Two years ago, Crawford painted a different picture. He described a conversation where McGregor pitched the financial upside while Crawford hesitated over the cage rules. "I said, 'Yeah, sometimes it ain't about the money. I can make money, but you ain't about to be kicking me, dude. Them kicks and elbows, that s— ain't no joke,'" he told Bernie Tha Boxer. That account suggests actual talks took place with specific terms discussed.

Crawford now claims he would have accepted if a formal offer had landed. "Yeah, I woulda did it. Why wouldn't I?" he said. But the welterweight champion added that his financial position has changed since the hypothetical deal first surfaced. "I don't need to do it," he explained. "Back then, it would have been a good deal. Right now, where I'm sitting at right now, I don't need to do it."

Few boxers have crossed into MMA with success. James Toney lost badly to Randy Couture at UFC 118, though Ray Mercer knocked out former UFC heavyweight champ Tim Sylvia in 2009. Crawford said he believed his standup power would carry over but acknowledged McGregor's kicking game and grappling posed real threats. The two-fight format McGregor described would have tested both men outside their primary disciplines. Crawford's next move remains unclear, but a cage debut appears off the table.

Reported via:

• MMA Mania — Terence Crawford claims there was never an offer to fight Conor McGregor, but his past interviews say otherwise