Nigerian UFC superstar Israel Adesanya has showered praise on American boxer Terence “Bud” Crawford following his historic victory over Canelo Alvarez in Las Vegas.
Crawford, 37, delivered a tactical masterclass on Saturday night, earning a unanimous decision to become the new undisputed super-middleweight champion. The win cemented his place in the sport’s history books as the first male fighter to unify three different weight divisions, while also adding his name to the elite list of boxers—alongside Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao—to have captured world titles in five or more weight classes.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Adesanya could not hide his admiration.
“Most people don’t know much about boxing, but Crawford does,” Adesanya said. “From the second round, I saw Canelo backing off while Crawford controlled the ring. He was sharp, smart, and proved why he’s one of the best of all time.”
The former UFC middleweight champion highlighted Crawford’s clean, calculated style, describing him as a fighter who makes very few mistakes and embodies the “sweet science” of boxing.
With the victory, Crawford now sits firmly among the sport’s pound-for-pound kings, alongside names such as Oleksandr Usyk and Naoya Inoue.
Meanwhile, Adesanya is preparing for his own return to the Octagon. Reports suggest that the “Stylebender” is expected to face Brazilian rival Paulo Costa on October 25 at UFC Abu Dhabi, marking his highly anticipated comeback fight.
