Home Boxing News Boxer vs MMA, mma turned boxer, boxer turned mma –...

Boxer vs MMA, mma turned boxer, boxer turned mma – A look at the past and present crossovers

Say what you like about the Floyd Mayweather-Conor McGregor clash on August 26 but it has captured the public’s imagination in a massive way and everyone has an opinion – whether positive or negative. Promotionally-speaking it has already surpassed the build ups to Mayweather’s clashes with Manny Pacquiao and Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez and I reckon it could slide past the former when it comes to American Pay-Per-View sales too. Considering that one of the combatants has never before set foot in a boxing ring makes it all the more fascinating and intriguing.

While no one has switched sports on such a huge stage before, boxers and MMA competitors have flirted across codes in recent years. The fanfare and interest has never threatened to reach the kind of fever pitch generated by Mayweather-McGregor, which is entirely understandable given the status of both men, but switches have taken place, without great success it must be said.

Faded boxing legend James Toney moved over to UFC in 2010 to take part in a co-main event in his only MMA fight and was beaten soundly. Toney was given a sharp introduction into the world of mixed martial arts by former UFC heavyweight/light heavyweight champion Randy Couture. Blubbery Toney, whose best boxing days were long behind him, was easily felled by the UFC veteran and quickly found himself in an arm lock and only had the strength and wherewithal to tap out early.

“You will see how James Toney boxes. You will see that James Toney hits hard,” Toney had told ESPN.com before the bout. “You will see why James Toney hardly ever gets hit.”

Unfortunately nothing was further from the truth. Even though James would’ve been in his element in a boxing match, he was way out of his depth in this discipline.

For so long the wild man of boxing, Nicaragua’s Ricardo Mayorga was a meek imitation of the fighter that intimidated and splattered the likes of Vernon Forrest and Andrew ‘Six Heads’ Lewis during his brief foray at the pinnacle of the noble art. Mayorga had four MMA bouts in 2013 against relatively unknown opposition and lost three, with one no-contest. The brazen Nicaraguan lost twice to Sergio Ortiz Rodriguez and was choked out by Rene Martinez, while the bout with Wesley Tiffer was declared a no-contest. Hardly inspiring stuff.

A little closer to home, a dilapidated version of David Haye was last seen hopping out of battle with Tony Bellew in March. Haye will more than likely return to the boxing ring while his name still holds a certain degree of currency with the general public and a shot at Hughie Fury -should Fury dethrone WBO king Joseph Parker on September 23- has been talked about. Failing that, Haye’s name has been linked with British UFC star Jimi Manuwa and talks have reportedly taken place ahead of a potential bout. How Haye’s dodgy knee will fare in the rough-and-tumble world of UFC is open to debate.

“It would be a couple of steps down from [Mayweather-McGregor] but it would be massive. Another cross-codes MMA, boxing fight,” Manuwa buzzed in the Daily Mirror.

“We’ve discussed when Haye is ready and when he gets his injury sorted. Then we’ll fight. Until then, I’ll keep fighting in UFC. I’m looking forward to that and I’m confident that the fight would happen.”

Finally, on a smaller scale, Japan’s Hiromitsu Miura started in MMA before switching to boxing and then returned to MMA. Miura found it difficult to garner any great success in either code, if truth be told, but did claim a ‘King of Pancrase’ crown in Japanese MMA. When boxing he drifted up to up as high as light-heavyweight and ended with a 9-1 record (four knockouts), while enjoying five of those bouts in America where his name carried slight value. Debuting in 2010, his final bout took place in 2012 in his native Japan where he was stopped in an OPBF super-middleweight title effort.

Competing in MMA as a welterweight, Miura amassed a 12-7 record over his two stints (that began in 2004). He was last seen getting knocked out in two rounds by Daichi Abe in early July, 2017.