Shakur Stevenson said he is open to a crossover bout with Ilia Topuria after his latest title win elevated his profile in the sport.

Undefeated Stevenson recorded what has been described as the biggest victory of his career by dominating and dismantling Teofimo Lopez to become a world champion in a fourth weight class this past weekend,  further enhancing his standing among boxing’s pound-for-pound elite.

Amid the attention, Stevenson was asked about the possibility of facing Ilia Topuria, the reigning UFC champion who has expressed interest in moving into boxing. Speaking to streamer Adin Ross, Stevenson responded: “You have got to take that back – you said that the UFC is better than boxing.

“Not at all – it ain’t even close. The skill level is different. Hell no. Tell him [Ilia Topuria] to come and fight me. I don’t care [if he’s a crazy boxer]. Tell him to come and fight me.”

Topuria has captured two UFC titles and is targeting a return on the proposed UFC White House card, where he has been linked to a potential bout with interim champ Justin Gaethje. He has also been mentioned as a possible future opponent for Islam Makhachev should he move up in weight.

The Spanish-Georgian fighter has previously spoken about testing himself in boxing and once called out former undisputed champion Terence Crawford before Crawford announced his retirement. However, Topuria indicated that any transition would only come after he completes his objectives in mixed martial arts.

“It’s no secret that I’ve always wanted to try my hand at boxing, but I think something I’ve always applied to my life is that if you try to catch two rabbits, you end up catching neither,” Topuria said. “So, I want to finish my story in mixed martial arts, in MMA, first, and once I’m done, then make my complete transition to boxing.

“I can’t be preparing for an MMA fight, then leave, prepare for a boxing match, come back. I don’t think that would be very professional, would it?”