Terence Crawford, the undefeated world super middleweight champion, announced his retirement from boxing on Tuesday, hanging up his gloves three months after defeating Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in a match that defined his career.

In a video shared on social media, the 38-year-old Nebraskan, who defeated Mexican legend Alvarez in Las Vegas in September to win the undisputed super middleweight title, revealed his choice.

“I’m stepping away from competition, not because I’m done fighting, but because I’ve won a different type of battle,” Crawford wrote in a message of retirement. “The one where you walk away on your own terms.”

After defeating Alvarez by unanimous decision in a brilliant performance, Crawford (42-0, 31 knockouts) retires as the current WBA, IBF, and WBO supermiddleweight champion.

A dispute over sanctioning fees led to Crawford’s removal from the WBC super middleweight title earlier this month.

Crawford said in his video that his career has been motivated by a desire to continue “proving everyone wrong.”

“Every fighter knows this moment will come, we just never know when,” Crawford said.

“I spent my whole life chasing something. Not belts, not money, not headlines. But that feeling, the one you get when the world doubts you but you keep showing up and you keep proving everyone wrong.”

“I fought for my family. I fought for my city. I fought for the kid I used to be, the one who had nothing but a dream and a pair of gloves. And I did it all my way. I gave this sport every breath I had.”

Crawford’s career spanned three decades. The southpaw made his professional debut in 2008 and quickly rose to prominence as one of boxing’s most promising fighters.

In 2014, he defeated Ricky Burns of Scotland to win the WBO lightweight title, his first world title.

After defeating Alvarez, Crawford won 18 world titles across five weight classes.

He never gets officially knocked down in a fight before retirement.

All of his 42 victories have come by means of unanimous decision or stoppage, with no judge ever scoring in favour of an opponent during his career.