Last week, Top Rank's CEO Bob Arum made plenty of headlines when he detailed his desire to match WBO welterweight champion Terence Crawford in a cross-sport clash with UFC superstar Conor McGregor.

Arum's idea is to match Crawford against McGregor in the UFC's octagon, under mixed martial arts rules. And then the two of them would meet in a second fight, taking place in a boxing ring.

McGregor crossed over to boxing in August of 2017, when he suffered a TKO defeat at the hands of Floyd Mayweather at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. After the loss, McGregor would return to MMA but he constantly discusses his desire to box again.

The bout between Mayweather and McGregor was the second most financially successful combat sports event in history, so it's no surprise that Arum is looking at the same scenario.

Arum believes Crawford, due to his wrestling background, can more than hold his own against McGregor under MMA rules.

One has to wonder if the fights can be made, since UFC President Dana White despises Arum - although their respective companies are contractually tied to ESPN. 

“Terence Crawford will do McGregor in the octagon, and then three months later they can do it in the boxing ring. The octagon would be first because I don’t want them to think we’re playing around,” said Arum to Little Giant Boxing.

"Let the octagon be first, because Terence Crawford is a really tough dude who has a wrestling background, so it’s not like a guy like Mayweather who’s just a great boxer and would be lost, pretty much, in the octagon. Crawford would not be lost in the octagon because he comes from a wrestling background. He is, I think, a world-class wrestler. So let’s see. Let them take the challenge. I think it would be massive."