Terence Crawford has claimed that the UFC intentionally misidentified boxer Shakur Stevenson during a live broadcast at UFC 329. Stevenson was labeled as basketball player Jalen Williams, an error Crawford insists was deliberate rather than an accident.
The incident occurred when Stevenson appeared on screen during UFC 329, only for the broadcast graphic to identify him as the Oklahoma City Thunder player. Speaking on the Ring Champs podcast, Crawford rejected the idea that the mistake was a simple production oversight. He suggested Stevenson’s promotional ties were the primary factor behind the mix-up.
Crawford stated: “First thing I said was they did that on purpose when it happened. I’m like, but why? Because he’s signed to Zuffa. They did that on purpose,”
Crawford pointed out that both fighters are regular visitors to the organization’s training facility. He added: “How can you get Shakur confused? We both be at the UFC gym.”
Similar errors have occurred before.
Crawford experienced a comparable issue during UFC 306, where the broadcast showed his image on screen but identified him as rapper Kendrick Lamar. That previous mistake came up during a subsequent meeting with singer Rihanna. Recalling their conversation, Crawford shared her response to the television graphic: “She was like, ‘Oh, they got your name wrong.’ She said, ‘Yeah, I didn’t like that. They was disrespectful for that.’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, I ain’t tripping.’”
While podcast hosts suggested the graphic errors might be designed to generate discussion and spread online, Crawford maintained his belief that the mislabeling was intentional. The UFC has not issued an official response regarding the broadcast graphic.
