Terence Crawford explains why he rejected unprecedented Conor McGregor fight offer worth ‘hundreds of millions’

Terence Crawford insists he won’t be squaring off with Conor McGregor in the Octagon.

The dual-weight UFC champion revealed earlier this week that he was in talks with Crawford over an unprecedented two-fight deal in boxing and MMA.

Crawford and McGregor were made a money-spinning offer to face each other in boxing and MMAGETTY

McGregor said during a live stream with Duelbits: “Crawford is very slick, he also has a wrestling background pedigree.

“You know they’re always talking to me about bouts. I’ve already boxed a boxer, and the best boxer in MMA is me.

“You know what I mean? I generate the most. We were talking back and forth about a two-fight deal.”

Despite McGregor insisting that the fight would generate ‘Hundreds of millions’, Crawford shut down the offer.

And he explained why to Bernie the Boxer, saying: “I told Conor, ‘Hell no’. They called me and they offered me the fight and me and Conor got on the phone and started trying to figure something out.

“And I told him, ‘Man I ain’t getting into no Octagon with you so you can be kicking me and elbow me and s***’.

“He started laughing and s*** and he said ‘Man, I respect it.

“‘You respect my sport just like I respect your sport and you understand that if you get in an Octagon you’re going to be at a disadvantage.

“‘Just like if I get into the boxing ring with you, I’m going to be at a disadvantage’.

“But he was like, ‘We will make a s*** ton of money’. I said, ‘Yeah, sometimes it ain’t about the money, I can make money but you ain’t about to be kicking me, dude’.

Crawford is chasing three-weight undisputed statusMark Robinson / Matchroom Boxing

“Kicks and elbows man that s*** ain’t no joke.”

For now, Crawford is fully focused on his boxing career.

In his last fight, Crawford snatched the WBA super welterweight title from Israil Madrimov via unanimous decision two months ago.

He was also awarded the WBO ‘interim’ title in the process and as a result, was made mandatory for WBO and WBC champion Sebastian Fundora.

On August 28, the WBO ordered Fundora to defend his titles against Crawford with both parties given 30 days to negotiate a deal.

They have since been granted a ten-day extension period until October 10 before a purse bid is ordered.

If the fight gets over the line and Crawford manages to get his hand raised, then he will take two steps closer to becoming the first three-weight undisputed champion of the four-belt era.

The only other belt left to collect would be the IBF strap, which is currently in the possession of Bakhram Murtazaliev.

Boxing WhatsApp channel

Get the latest fight news, reaction and the best opinion from talkSPORT pundits in our Boxing WhatsApp channel.

Follow our Boxing channel HERE.