Conor Benn sends clear message to UFC fighters: boxing YES cage NO

Hot-headed boxer Conor Benn went out of his way to call out UFC champion Ilia Topuria on August 7, offering out 'El Matador' for a bareknuckle scrap, but ruling out an MMA appearance.

Benn is set to rematch Chris Eubank Jr. this November, following their fight of the decade candidate earlier in April this year. In the mean time, 'The Destroyer' is throwing verbal jabs at his contemporaries in the UFC, notably, their lightweight kingpin, Topuria.

17-0 Topuria is known as being one of the best boxers in the promotion, last knocking out Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 in June. Could he follow Conor McGregor's footsteps into boxing?

Dustin Poirier confirms return to UFC in new job on major PPV

Ilia Topuri — Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Conor Benn puts UFC fighters on blast for taking liberties, owns up that he'd get beaten up in MMA

Taking to social media this week, Benn issued a blanket challenge to Topuria and his fellow UFC fighters: Knuckles or gloves, I'll beat you in boxing, but 'I'd get my arse handed to me' in MMA.

"Whoever these f------ UFC fighters wanting to come over to boxing, it's a dangerous game," Benn showed off his combinations on the heavy bag. "For any of these MMA lot who wanna come over to boxing, if you fancy something you can come and get it... Nasty.

"Bare knuckle. . . I see a lot of people tagging me in that [Ilia Topuria], I got these hands, brother. . . . Listen I ain't stupid enough to get in the cage, you wouldn't catch me dead in the cage, I'd get my arse handed to me. But, for them thinking they can come over and do that to us, that's a f------ liberty."

Top-ranked featherweight fighter Arnold Allen chimed in, remarking, "Was gonna say I would literally bum you in MMA if I wanted to but fair play for acknowledging [that you'd lose]"

MMA to Boxing: a 'liberty' or a necessity?

For many MMA fighters, transitioning to boxing is more than just a challenge. High-profile boxers out-earn high-profile UFC fighters to an unbelievable ratio.

Conor McGregor- albeit in one of the biggest fights of all time -earned nine-figures for fighting Floyd Mayweather, but was woefully underpaid in the UFC. 'The Notorious' earned seven-figure purses for some of his biggest fights in the UFC, including those against Nate Diaz, Jose Aldo, and Eddie Alvarez.

Because of this, UFC was sued by disgruntled former fighters who alleged the promotion used unfair business practices to put a stranglehold on the market and underpay their talent.

This was settled to the tune of $375 million going into the pockets of roughly 1,200 fighters, presumably including a large share for the Irish star.

The litigation doesn't end there, several new class-action lawsuits have cropped up this year.

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