MMA News Forums » MMA Forums » Noob Jack City

[Fedorlei Gomipierre]

All this talk about Golden Boy and Arlovski, the previous talks of Anderson fighting Roy Jones Jr, got me to thinking, is there a professional boxer(past or present) who could successfully succeed in MMA???

I mean, regardless of them being stunning strikers and most can take a good shot, most top tier boxers today also have stellar athleticism and natural agility. Looking at the greatest boxers of the past 25 yrs or so, are there any that come to mind, who could make a splash in MMA?

Think about the PPV buyrates that some of these boxers could draw. Japan was always famous/infamous for boxer/wrestler fights with Ali/Inoki or Berbick/Takada and I'm sure several revered boxers who might be past their prime to challenge for a boxing title wouldn't mind a nice paycheque in MMA.

I got to thinking and here were a few names, if they chose to dive into MMA, begin some rigorous training, might just make an impact. Also, I'm assuming these fighters are around 32 or so when they enter MMA, not their current age, just past their boxing prime.

#1: Riddick Bowe
Mike Tyson
Khaosai Galaxy
Bernard Hopkins
George Chuvalo
Arturo Gatti
John Ruiz
James Toney
Chris Byrd
Mickey Ward
Kelly Pavlik
Roy Jones Jr.
Ray Mancini
Marvin Hagler
Evander Holyfield
Michael Spinks

Aside from Bowe, they're in no particular order.

So, who ya got...?

[KevoOnTheRadio]

No mayweather? He is the first to come to mind. He would have probabaly fought featherweaight right?

[Fedorlei Gomipierre]

yeah, I was seriously thinking Mayweather, but didn't know if there was a weightclass with enough honest to god competition to challenge him in MMA.

these are just boxers I was thinking of, give me your thoughts and opinions why.

also, totally unrelated but I really love this NCIS show, watching it right now and seriously, Tony is hilarious!

[Omoplata]

I'm a huge Hagler fan... that guy had some of the heaviest hands ever. He was as feared than Tyson at one point. I'd pick him.

[jlruthven84]

Mayweather, if he had started some years ago and learned a serious ground game, could have excelled. His hands are notoriously fragile, but they're fast as hell; he also wrestled back in the day, so he's not totally unfamiliar with that aspect of the sport.

[phunt]

If MMA would have been around in the time of Rocky Marciano, he would have made a great transition. After retiring from boxing he began coaching wrestling (which he did in High School). A guy with brick hands and wrestling skills, sounds like a good base to me. Throw in some jiu jitsu and you have a winner

[KevoOnTheRadio]

Out of everybody on your list, you gotta love 'ol Boom Boom Ray Mancini. That guy was a beast and scrappy as hell. Love catching him on ESPN Classic. He kinda reminds me of a Forrest Griffin, tough as nails, scrappy as hell, and a heart the size of the moon.

WAR BOOM BOOM!!

[greggo]

I'd put my bet in for Sugar Ray Robinson. He fought well over 100+ fights, with losses of course, but was never truly KO'd/TKO'd (he lost via TKO to Joey Maxim in a LHW fight in which he was outweighed by 20 pounds, because he past out in the 14th of 15 rounds due to heat exhaustion).

He was so ahead of his time, I think he could've pulled it off.

[Leeroy Jenkins]

Mike Tyson would rip Anderson Silva's heart out and eat it. I would put Iron Mike up against a Gorilla and still bet on him.

[Qball1974]

Mkie Tyson would be a monster at 205.