Five Current Mixed Martial Artists That Might of Had Some Success in Boxing
By Rich “Lite It Up” Lopez
I love the sport of boxing at most and anybody that knows me can concur. Generally I like combat sports overall. My second favorite sport is MMA and I respect the fighters in that sport too. I figure I try something a little different here. Looking back, Anderson Silva tried professional boxing sometime back and most recently Conor McGregor attempted it last year. I have put a list of five MMA fighters I think might have done well in boxing based on their striking game.
1. Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson (27-2-1): He is the current UFC Flyweight Champion and the current #1 pound for pound fighter in the sport. For good reason he is the best MMA fighter right now as he tied Anderson Silva’s record of 10 title defenses. He has the best technical skills I have seen and beats his opponents on his speed. He also has very good foot work and great conditioning. Speed and good footwork goes a long way in boxing. Johnson deserves more recognition from the MMA fans.
2. Stipe Miocic (18-2): Miocic is the current UFC Heavyweight Champion and just broke a record of successfully defending the title three times (a record in the UFC world). Miocic prefers to stand and trade punches. He stopped top fighters Fabricio Werdum, Alistair Overeem and Junior Dos Santos. Recently he went to distance with the dangerous Francis Ngannou and showed he can take a punch. Supposedly, Ngannou has the hardest punch in MMA and Miocic took the shots well. Also note Miocic was a Cleveland Golden Gloves Boxing Champion.
3. Daniel “DC” Cormier (20-1): Cormier is the current UFC Light Heavyweight Champion and a 2004 Olympic Bronze medal winner in wrestling. He is best known for his wrestling game but has had a lot of success in the striking dept. Even in fights where he won by submission, they were setup by punches. Cormier has a decent jab and uses it in his fights. His only setbacks were to Jon Jones who was considered the top pound for pound fighter at that time.
4. Cris Cyborg (20-1): This wrecking machine from Brazil is the current UFC Featherweight Champion. She was also the former Invicta World Champion and former Strikeforce Champion. She loves to strike and has been stopping her opponents. She is aggressive and has power. Out of her 20 wins, she has 17 by KO. Only recently she was taken to distance by the former boxing and MMA Champion Holly Holm. Cyborg showed her toughness and was able to hang in there with one of the best female fighters in the world.
5. Nate Diaz (20-11): Before Floyd Mayweather was tagging Conor McGregor in a boxing fight, Diaz was getting the best of McGregor in the UFC with his striking. Diaz prefers to stand and trade. He also uses the jab and goes to the body well on his opponents. He can be sloppy with his punches and tends to slap with them, but actually has had success with it in the Octagon. He has also sparred with the great Andre Ward.
Honorable mentions: BJ Penn, George St-Pierre, Cain Velasquez, Fedor Emelianenko, Gegard Mousasi, Mirko Cro Crop and Frankie Edgar.
Don’t get me wrong here, I do not compare the striking skills of MMA fighters to boxers. It’s not even close; MMA does not stand a chance to boxing when it comes down to striking. I just think with the proper training and starting off slow, these MMA fighters could have done well in boxing. Besides if Eric “Butterbean” Esch had some success in boxing after his tough man days; why not these MMA fighters? Just a thought.
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