Ilia Topuria is eyeing up his boxing debut, naming Canelo Alvarez or Terence Crawford as his ideal first opponent.
The undefeated two-weight UFC champion, Topuria, has set his sights on whoever wins the super-fight on September 13 in Las Vegas.
Topuria’s knockout win against Charles Oliveira last month saw him take the top spot on the UFC’s pound-for-pound rankings.
He is making a huge impression as a superstar in the octagon, with his legacy even being likened to that of fellow UFC fighter Conor McGregor.
Topuria recently revealed, during a live stream with the Nelk Boys, that he is hoping to make his boxing debut against a huge opponent.
He said: “They did it with Conor, why not with me? I would love to go to boxing.
“I would love to go against the winner of Canelo and Crawford, Canelo, because he was my idol.
“There’s always respect for everyone, but I have to try, why not? I feel like I can do it.”
Topuria would require permission from the UFC to compete in the boxing sphere, as he still has five fights remaining on his deal.
McGregor was given the green light to enter the professional boxing scene in 2017 for his lone bout against five-weight world champion Floyd Mayweather.
He lost his debut via knockout and hasn’t been seen in the boxing ring since.
Topuria went on to say of a crossover to boxing: “We’re gonna do it, now is the best time.”
Canelo has also spoken on the prospect of fighting the MMA superstar.
In a press conference promoting his bout with Crawford, he explained: “First of all, I have never seen him fight a full fight, but I really love him and respect him a lot, and I admire and thank him.
“I have a lot of gratitude for fighters that take a little bit of my fighting and respect it, it’s awesome to see other fighters like me.
“Let’s see, in terms of fighting him, first things first, let’s worry about this now.”
While big names in boxing are also vying for the winner of Canelo vs Crawford, both contenders have said that they are looking no further than their bout on September 13.
What’s at stake for Canelo and Crawford?
Crawford is making the jump up two weight divisions to challenge Canelo for his undisputed super-middleweight title.
‘Bud’ is vying to become the first three-weight undisputed champion in the four-belt era after previously unifying the super lightweight and welterweight divisions.
In his last fight, he won the WBA super welterweight title, but rather than focusing on mopping up at 147lbs, he has moved up to 168lbs instead.