Who could follow in Conor McGregor's footsteps?
MMA – and UFC in particular – is hugely popular right now and has possibly even taken a few boxing fans that prefer the grappling involved. There have even been MMA fighters that have tried their hand at swapping codes and stepping into the boxing ring – usually with decidedly disappointing results.
But there are some UFC fighters that are known as boxers and use skills more common in a four-cornered ring to outwit and out-power opponents in the octagon. Many of them believe that they could do well against the very best in our profession. But could they really go toe to toe with the current champions? The UFC betting sites certainly think so – and here are five that think they could bridge the divide.
Jorge Masvidal
This American welterweight actually has a professional boxing record in his past. In 2005 he won his one and only fight in four rounds. He had already begun his MMA career at that point but soon returned to the different shape ring and competed for a number of organizations, including UFC.
Masvidal actually holds the record for the fastest ever knockout in UFC history – at just five seconds. But that was thanks to a flying knee and that wouldn’t go down so well in our sport. He is a huge fan of boxing though, after coming up street fighting in Miami. If UFC hadn’t come calling, Masvidal may well have become an accomplished boxer instead.
Nick Diaz
Diaz is another MMA fighter that has one boxing bout on his record but decided to concentrate on the UFC to make his money. His boxing skills are evident in the way he fights though – and he could translate that into a boxing ring. He has sparred with some of the very best welterweights and has always had favourable reports.
As with many of the fighters on our list, Diaz is getting a little old to make a switch back to boxing and is starting to lose his MMA fights in UFC. Unusually for MMA, Diaz employs a volume punching style, varying the amount of power used. This could be because of his extensive boxing training in the past.
Stipe Miocic
Many of the heavyweights in UFC think they can compete with the best in boxing but don’t have the technique or patience required to become a real star. But Miocic might have a better claim than most. He actually trained as a boxer when he was younger and is a former Golden Gloves champion.
His power and strength took him to the very top of the MMA game, becoming UFC heavyweight champion in 2016. It was his punching power that helped him remain champion for three defences, breaking the record of the time. He then lost to Daniel Cornier before retaining his title in a rematch.
Francis Ngannou
As powerful a champion Stipe Miocic was, he was no match for The Predator. Ngannou trained as a boxer in his native Cameroon, looking up to Mike Tyson as his hero. But it was when he moved to Paris that a new trainer saw his MMA potential and convinced him to change codes to make more money.
Ngannou finally won the UFC heavyweight championship in 2021 when he knocked out Stipe Miocic. He then went on to defend his title in January of this year. He has been injured for much of 2022 but has also refused to sign a new contract with UFC, raising speculation that he could come back to boxing when he is finally fit again.
Israel Adesanya
Adesanya is a former boxer who recorded a 6-1 record in his native New Zealand before switching to UFC. As a boxer he was a cruiserweight, but competes in the middleweight division of UFC where he is currently the undisputed champion. He has also fought at light heavyweight in MMA.
The Last Stylebender has also enjoyed a prolonged and successful kickboxing career in his time and he is well known for his diverse range of styles as a mixed martial artist. Whether he could revert to a more disciplined approach as a boxer remains to be seen – but he definitely has the punching power needed.