Terence Crawford says he absolutely would've fought Conor McGregor in MMA for $100 million
Drake RiggsUncrownedWed, July 1, 2026 at 10:14 PM UTC·4 min readTerence Crawford is denying Conor McGregor's recent claims that they were once offered a $200 million mega-deal to compete against each other in MMA and boxing.
In a recent appearance on Uncrowned's "The Ariel Helwani Show," McGregor claimed the two-fight offer was made to him and Crawford by Saudi Arabian fight financier Turki Alalshikh in 2024. McGregor claimed Crawford ultimately declined the offer, citing the MMA aspect of it. Speaking Wednesday on "The Ariel Helwani Show," Crawford admitted there was a conversation between the three, but said no such offer was made to him.
AdvertisementAdvertisementIf there had been, Crawford said, he would have accepted.
"That was a lie. It was cap. There was never a $200 million offer," Crawford told Uncrowned. "They asked me what I'd do, and I told them, 'You ain't about to be kicking on me, Conor.' We were on FaceTime and I did tell him that. But they didn't say, 'Hey, you got $200 million. You fight him in boxing and MMA.' That was never the case.
"If it was said to me, I could say there was an offer, but if nothing is privy to me, I can't say what is what. He's making up numbers, in my head. I would have done it [had there been a real offer]. Why wouldn't I? I don't need to do it [now]. Back then, it would have been a good deal. Right now, where I'm sitting, I don't need to do it. That's the thing.
"I'm in a different space in my life right now, where I don't have to take those fights," Crawford continued. "Back then, I probably would have taken it. Conor's not the best wrestler. I'm not saying I'm the best wrestler either, but I know standing up it's only going to take one good shot and I'm going to put him to sleep. He's going to try to kick me, and takedowns, we're just going to do what we do."
AdvertisementAdvertisementCrawford, 38, went out on top of the game, retiring as a pound-for-pound great following his big win over Saul "Canelo" Alvarez on Netflix in September. After the win, Crawford sailed off into the sunset with an unblemished record in 42 boxing matches since 2008.
Meanwhile, the former two-division UFC champion has been absent from competition since he suffered a gruesome leg break at UFC 264 in July 2021. He returns to rematch Max Holloway at UFC 329 on July 11 in Las Vegas.
In addition to Crawford's incredible acumen as a boxer, he owns a notable wrestling background, which always made the thought of him crossing over into MMA intriguing. However, Crawford said the idea was never truly considered at any point in his decorated combat sports career.
"I have friends that were in MMA, friends that made it to the UFC, and you get $20,000 to show up and $20,000 to win," Crawford said. "So you walk out with $40,000, and back then, they were getting $100,000 in sponsorships all together. [The UFC] took that away, so now it's like, I get $40,000 if I win a tough fight. OK, so while you're getting $40,000, I'm getting 10 times that [in boxing].
AdvertisementAdvertisement"I just always felt like the amount of trauma that [MMA fighters] gotta take their body through and gotta endure, for the least amount of money, it's not smart. It doesn't make sense to me."
It's been a comfortable life in retirement for Crawford thus far, as he's enjoyed the spoils of his success and remained present around the fight game. That doesn't mean he's gotten the itch to return. With no serious offers made to make a comeback, Crawford is holding to his departure from in-ring action.
"I'm happily retired, and I don't see myself coming back. Done, done," Crawford said.
"I've been approached on a couple of occasions about a couple of fights, things like that, but it just wasn't a serious conversation. Just talk."
Twins top prospect Walker Jenkins carries young fan off field after collapse during national anthem
Story by
Jack BaerStaff writerThu, July 2, 2026 at 12:37 AM UTC·1 min readMinnesota Twins minor leaguer Walker Jenkins stepped up before Tuesday's St. Paul Saints game in a way that had nothing to do with his top prospect status.
Jenkins, the No. 14 overall prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline, went viral on Wednesday via a video that showed him taking care of a young fan who collapsed while standing with the players during the national anthem.
AdvertisementAdvertisementJenkins noticed the fan wobbling and was soon carrying him off the field, eventually giving him to a staff member at the dugout.
The Saints, the Twins' Triple-A affiliate, confirmed Wednesday morning that the boy, named Lincoln, is doing well and has received some team merchandise.
After helping Lincoln, Jenkins proceeded to go 3-for-5 with a double, triple and three runs scored in a 12-6 win over the Buffalo Bisons. He was a home run shy of the cycle.
The Twins selected Jenkins fifth overall out of South Brunswick High School in North Carolina in the 2023 MLB Draft. He quickly developed into one of the best prospects in the minors, showcasing five-tool talent while playing well above his age at each level.
AdvertisementAdvertisementThis season, Jenkins, 21, is slashing .273/.394/.436 in 30 games with the Saints.
Philadelphia 76ers among teams expressing interest in LeBron James: Source
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6 Potential Landing SpotsBest Place To Sign?Record 24th SeasonLA LegacyWarriors Make SensePhiladelphia 76ers among teams expressing interest in LeBron James: Source
LeBron James and Joel Embiid shake hands after a February game between the Lakers and Sixers. Adam Pantozzi / Getty Images
By Tony JonesJuly 1, 2026 8:39 pm EDT UpdatedThe Philadelphia 76ers have expressed interest in acquiring free agent forward LeBron James, a league source who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe ongoing deliberations told The Athletic.
On the heels of Wednesday night’s blockbuster trade for Jaylen Brown — which sent Paul George and multiple draft picks to the Boston Celtics — the Sixers have thrown their hat into the proverbial ring for the star forward, who became an unrestricted free agent after eight seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Philadelphia makes sense from a basketball perspective. The 76ers have enough scoring, depth and ballhandling at the top of the roster to allow James to ease into a role. And with James — or even without him — Philadelphia projects as a championship contender. The Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat are also considered among the frontrunners for James’ services.
James, 41, remains an All-Star-caliber player and one of the league’s most impactful talents. The 76ers were eliminated in the second round of last season’s playoffs by the New York Knicks, who went on to win the NBA championship.
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Tagged To: NBAPhiladelphia 76ersPacers' Ivica Zubac Trade Looks Even Better After Lakers Acquire Walker Kessler
Pacers' Ivica Zubac Trade Looks Even Better After Lakers Acquire Walker Kessler
Indiana was heavily linked to Walker Kessler before the trade deadline, but acquiring Ivica Zubac instead may have been one of the franchise's smartest decisions.Alex Golden|
In this story:
Indiana PacersLos Angeles LakersUtah JazzLos Angeles ClippersOn Wednesday, July 1, 2026, the Los Angeles Lakers agreed to a lucrative four-year, $130M deal with Utah Jazz big man Walker Kessler. Los Angeles and Utah have agreed to complete a sign-and-trade that will send Kessler to the Lakers for two unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, and two first-round pick swaps in 2028 and 2030.
This is a massive haul that the Lakers are paying to solidify the now and future of their center position, going after the best five man on the open market. Indiana was once rumored to have interest in the Jazz's big man during the NBA Trade Deadline period, but Utah reportedly declined the Pacers offer. This was the exact same offer that Indiana ended up sending the Los Angeles Clippers for Ivica Zubac.
While there are reasons to believe that trading for Kessler would have been the better move for Indiana, there is no denying that Indiana in retrospect made the right move in February. While Kessler is a solid young player with plenty of room to grow, he is making an average annual value of $32.5M. Indiana's big man, Ivica Zubac is making $20.3M this season, and $21.7M the folliwing season according to SpoTrac.com.
Being able to acquire a center that is just as good, or slightly even better for $11M less this season is a steal in itself, and it allowed the Pacers more financial flexibility to sign another free agent in the offseason.
If the Pacers had acquired Kessler at the trade deadline and agreed to the same exact deal the Lakers agreed to, Indiana would have been a first-apron team, and would not have been able to inked Kelly Oubre Jr. to the two-year, $17M contract they signed him to -- unless they elected to move off of Jarace Walker's $8.4M contract.
Nobody knew exactly how much Kessler would demand on the open market, and maybe the Lakers had to overpay to keep the Jazz from matching the offer, but for a Pacers team that is trying to win a championship next season, adding Zubac and Oubre Jr. for almost $4M less than what the Lakers will be paying Kessler in his first season was a no-brainer decision.
At the end of the day, the Pacers feel the best way to build a roster is with depth. By focusing in on acquiring a player at the Trade Deadline who fits perfectly into their budget, fills a hole on their roster, and has the skillset to elevate this team's ceiling, Indiana was not only able to address their starting center need, but their backup wing depth.
The Pacers front office of Kevin Pritchard, Chad Buchanan, and Ted Wu have done a terrific job of targeting the right players with the right skillset to ensure that this team is strong enough to compete in the improved Eastern Conference. There would have been other holes to fill had Indiana tied itself to an overpay for Walker Kessler, especially when it can get similar -- if not better-- production from Ivica Zubac for $11M less per season.
You can follow me on X @AlexGoldenNBA and listen to my daily podcast, Setting The Pace, wherever you get your podcasts.
Published 22 minutes ago
ALEX GOLDENI was born in Indianapolis, Indiana and I am the host and creator of Setting The Pace: A Pacers Podcast. I have been covering the team since 2015, and talking about them on the podcast since 2018. I have been a credentialed media member since 2023.
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