Bob Arum Wants Conor McGregor and Terence Crawford to Fight Two Crossover Bouts

Everyone wants a piece of Conor McGregor now that he's returned to fighting. On Wednesday, legendary boxing promoter Bob Arum got into the mix by proposing a series of fights between his prized pupil Terence Crawford and McGregor.

Arum is suggesting a pair of fights that he would promote in conjunction with UFC president Dana White. The first bout would take place under MMA rules inside the Octagon, and the follow-up fight would be a straight boxing match. It's a novel idea but there's almost no way it would take place.

Crawford is arguably the top pound-for-pound boxer in the world, but he's simply not as a big a name as guys like Floyd Mayweather or Manny Pacquiao. A McGregor fight with either of those legends would be worth far more than any fight he did with Crawford, regardless of the rules.

Crawford is also in the middle of his prime at 32. He's 36-0 with 27 wins by knockout. McGregor would have zero chance against him in a boxing ring and would likely get destroyed quickly. Mayweather and Pacquiao are long past their primes at 42 and 41 respectively. McGregor could likely hang with both for a bit, making for a better show.

Arum's crossover idea is really a good one, and it would be fascinating to see a boxer step into the Octagon against a top-level MMA fighter. But Crawford likely isn't a big enough draw to interest McGregor. The crown jewel would be a fight with Mayweather under MMA rules, but that will never happen.