Conor McGregor may be ready to return to the boxing world as he sees multi-million-dollar fights with Terrence Crawford. The UFC star has been sidelined since their trilogy defeat to Dustin Poirier in 2021, when he broke his leg.

He was scheduled to return to the Octagon against Michael Chandler in June, but was forced to withdraw from the fight due to a broken toe. The star confirmed he won’t fight in the UFC until next year during an interview with Ariel Helwani during Anthony Joshua’s heavyweight bout with Daniel Dubois last month, and it appears the former double champion is pursuing other options as he waits for his return. for mixed martial arts.

In a recent live broadcast, McGregor claimed that WBA and WBO welterweight champion Crawford turned down a $200 million multi-fight contract with him in both disciplines. The Irishman admitted: “We talked back and forth about a two-fight deal. The day after the fights, he calls Crawford before me.

“I get a call and I say, ‘Crawford, they’re talking about me and you [fighting]. A two-fight deal, first MMA, then boxing. I know you have a lot of wrestling experience and balls the size of a Bengal tiger. They are asking for a fight and hundreds of millions will be at stake. What’s going on?” I asked and he replied, “I don’t feel like starting the match Conor McGregor‘, that’s what he said. You have to respect that.”

Sam reflecting on this event Bernie BoxerCrawford explained: “I said to Conor, ‘Hell no.’ They called me and offered me the fight, and me and Conor called and started thinking of something. I told him, ‘Man, I’m not, I’m not getting in the octagon with you so you can kick me, elbow me, and fuck me.’

“He started laughing and f***ing and said, ‘Man, I respect that. You respect my sport as much as I respect your sport and you understand that if you get into the Octagon you will be at a disadvantage. It’s just that if I got into a boxing ring with you, I would be at a disadvantage.”

Despite initially rejecting McGregor’s public offer, it appears the 37-year-old heavy-hitter is now considering a deal with the MMA legend. In a recent comment on Instagram, McGregor wrote: “Much respect to @tbudcrawford! $100 million for a fight, 1 in MMA, 1 in boxing. $200 million!”

To which Crawford simply replied, “Tempted,” while tagging another player. Despite having a wrestling background that was easily transferable to the world of MMA, Crawford decided to pursue a career in professional boxing.

He made his debut against Brian Cummings in 2008, winning by knockout in the first round. Swift forward to 2024, and Crawford has compiled a flawless 41-0 record that includes 31 knockouts and ten decisions, defeating the likes of Errol Spence Jr, Kell Brook, and Amir Khan, to name a few. He most recently defeated Israil Madrimov in August to win the interim WBA and WBO welterweight titles.

Meanwhile, Mcgregor made a brilliant career in the world of mixed martial arts. He rose to fame with Cage Warriors in 2011 and 2012, winning the organization’s featherweight and lightweight titles, before making his UFC debut against Marcus Brimage in 2013, which he won via first-round TKO.

The 36-year-old won the UFC featherweight belt in 2015, defeating top-ranked Jose Aldo in just 13 seconds, and then achieved “champion” status by beating Eddie Alvarez for the lightweight title a year later. He was ultimately stripped of both titles due to inactivity and has since failed to achieve champion status.

No stranger to the boxing world, the southpaw also ventured into the squared circle in 2017 to face boxing great Floyd Mayweather Jr in a professional 12-round fight in August 2017 – he went ten rounds against the 50-0 fighter before being stopped by TKO.

Boxing promoter Frank Warren has slammed Gary Lineker, asking the former England footballer “What are you talking about” in a fiery response to the BBC host’s stance on migration in the UK.

Last year, Lineker was controversially relieved of his Match of the Day hosting duties when he compared the Conservative government’s migration plan to that of Nazi Germany.

The government tried to stop tens of thousands of migrants from crossing the English Channel each year with a fresh law that barred asylum from people who reached the UK through unauthorized means and deported them “to their home country or a secure third country”.

Lineker was suspended by the Beeb after he described the plan on X (formerly known as Twitter) as “extremely cruel” and called the government’s language “similar to that used in Germany in the 1930s.”

And now Warren, a proud Londoner, believes Lineker was wrong to speak out about the policy, insisting that “the floodgates have opened”.

“And it is changing the structure of our society, there is no doubt about it,” he said Telegraph. “I don’t think you should be ashamed of being British. But if you’re a white guy over 50, you start being treated like an outsider, like you don’t matter. “

Asked if he saw himself as an outsider, the 72-year-old replied: “Not really. I’m lucky. I run a company where people want free tickets. But I see the problem elsewhere and I don’t think it’s right. I disagreed with Gary Lineker, who last year tweeted about the Conservatives’ asylum policy, saying it was similar to Germany’s in the 1930s.

“Seriously, what the hell are you talking about? Nazi Germany? We let people in, not take away their property. We are a hospitable country. But we should welcome legal immigrants and force them to pass through. This illegal dimension changes the dynamics around schools, housing and hospitals. This is completely unacceptable.”

Warren was one of the chiefs who signed off on the Saudi anthem played before Anthony Joshua’s defeat by Daniel Dubois at Wembley. He defended the decision as a matter of record, given that the event was paid for by Riyad’s season, as Eddie Hearn stood by the decision.

“Of course I want to be there and celebrate the British national anthem,” Warren added. “When I was growing up, Britain didn’t have a world heavyweight champion. Now we dominate this league. However, I believe that we have lost something as a nation.

“Iranians say America and other Western countries are enemies – they don’t even mention us. We’re not there. Then Ben Wallace, former Secretary of Defense, says we don’t have the shooting equipment to shoot down the rockets falling on Israel. We are a diminutive island, but we have resisted oppression for centuries and still maintain our identity. So where has our position gone?”

Warren has been a boxing promoter for more than 40 years, but he downplayed the challenges of being a public figure in an ever-changing social landscape.

“No, not me,” he said. “I couldn’t give a damn. And people who constantly talk about freedom of speech should support each other more. If you appear on TV or radio, don’t be cautious just because you’re afraid of losing your job.

“It’s an awakening. I guess I’m an aged guy now. Look at it another way. Do I want my 10-year-old granddaughter going to Wembley and having to employ the same bathrooms as men going out for a beer? No, no.

Jai Opetaia has beaten everything put before him in his 25 professional boxing bouts, but he faced a knockout punch in his latest appearance on Sky Sports. The 29-year-old, who currently holds the Ring Magazine and lbF ineal cruiserweight titles, is preparing to face Jack Massey in his latest title defense.

The two will compete on October 13 in Saudi Arabia during the main event of the Dimitri Bivol vs. Artur Beterbiev fight.

Opetai’s defense against the European and Commonwealth cruiserweight champion will be his third straight fight in the Middle East and is considered the toughest test of his career to date.

The Australian appears to be taking an aggressive approach to this, if his latest TV interview is anything to go by. Ahead of his first fight since defeating Mairis Briedis in May, he didn’t hold back when talking about his career on Sky this week.

“I used to think that this attitude: when I win the world title, it will solve all my problems,” he said. “But unfortunately I had a few run-ins with some filthy promoters and things didn’t always go according to plan. “I won the world title and the next day I woke up the same. You can’t eat fucking gold belts.”

This comment was deemed inappropriate for live broadcast and was immediately interrupted by the presenter. “The broadcasting rules are a bit different here, you can’t swear,” he said. “Sorry”.

Not that the Sydney star was too concerned. After accepting his low answer, he continued: “It means something to me, it lifts my spirits. We have suffered a lot of pain and sacrifice for these things.

“The belts are just bonuses now, I used to strive for them, but I only think about winning these fights. We want to be the undisputed cruiserweight champion. We want to collect belts and then we want to move up and get more belts in bridgeweight or heavyweight.”

Opetaia was again warned on Sky that the “broadcasting rules are slightly different”, but not before he stressed his desire to destroy his excellent professional achievements. His clash with Massey will be part of a star-studded card in Riyad that will also feature Chris Eubank Jr vs. Kamil Szeremeta and Fabio Wardley vs. Frazer Clarke.

“A three-division world champion sounds good. I am the best cruiser in the world,” he added. “It’s effortless to say that. I just have to keep proving it. I have to prove it again on December 12, prove it in my next fight and continue to collect these belts.”

Opetaia, who represented Australia at the 2012 London Olympics and the 2014 Commonwealth Games, was named the best vigorous cruiserweight in the world by The Ring magazine. However, he is not the only boxer to have breached Sky’s screen policy – the likes of David Haye and Tyson Fury have previously been warned for their language while appearing on air.