Dana White Thinks He Can Coax Terence Crawford Out of Retirement

Dana White reckons the retirement door isn't fully shut on Terence Crawford. Speaking on Nightcap, the UFC president and Zuffa Boxing frontman said that if he brought Crawford the right fight, Crawford would take it — though he pointedly declined to name an opponent.

That's a big claim for a fighter who walked away on top. Crawford, now 38, retired last December at a flawless 42-0 (31 KO), just months after moving up two divisions to dethrone Canelo Alvarez by unanimous decision at 168lbs. That win made him a three-weight undisputed champion and, for a lot of observers, one of the greatest to ever do it.

Why Come Back at All

The honest answer is there's almost nothing left to prove. Crawford collected undisputed status across three weight classes and beat the sport's biggest star while giving up size. On paper, the resume is done. The only real hole anyone can point to is the one fight the internet keeps demanding.

That fight is Jaron 'Boots' Ennis, and Crawford himself has been poking at it. 'Bud' recently used social media to ask Ennis directly whether he'd be up for a showdown — hardly the behavior of a man who's mentally clocked out for good.

The Promotional Snag

Here's the complication. Ennis, the unified super-welterweight champion, is signed with Eddie Hearn and Matchroom. White runs Zuffa Boxing and clearly has his own plans. Two rival promotional camps sitting on either side of a fight this size is exactly how these things stall for years.

So take White's confidence with a pinch of salt. Plenty of fighters would jump at a Crawford payday, but nobody has confirmed 'Bud' is actually returning, and the man himself has offered a tease rather than a signature. A comeback is on the table. It's just not on the calendar.