Opinion: 5 Boxers Who Could Smoothly Transition to MMA

Editor’s note: The views and opinions expressed below are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Sherdog.com, its affiliates and sponsors or its parent company, Evolve Media.

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Which sport is better, boxing or mixed martial arts? It’s a silly question, but the debate figures to rage until the end of time. Over the past few years, a handful of former MMA legends have ventured into the squared circle. Conor McGregor, Tyron Woodley, Anderson Silva and others come to mind. When will a wave of boxers put their hands to the test in the cage? Probably never. From the advanced skills required to the underwhelming drop in earning potential, world-class boxers have little reason to switch to MMA. However, there are a few pugilists who I believe could make an impact if they wanted to make the flip.

Here are five boxers that could smoothly transition into MMA:

Oleksandr Usyk

The reigning WBC, WBO, WBA and Ring Magazine heavyweight champion makes his return this Saturday when he rematches former lineal heavyweight titleholder Tyson Fury in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Usyk is a former Olympic gold medalist and undisputed cruiserweight champion. Despite being undersized for today’s era of heavyweights, Usyk has baffled the boxing world with his power and phenomenal footwork. He may be a heavyweight, but he moves like a lightweight. Usyk’s gas tank could make him a force in the Octagon. In his first fight against Fury, Usyk started slow but wore down “The Gypsy King” as the match progressed. Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweights have notoriously shallow gas tanks and would hit nothing but air if they tried to trade with the Ukrainian. If I had to compare him to a current heavyweight, Tom Aspinall might be the guy. Aspinall’s ability to float in and out of range makes him a dangerous and unpredictable striker. Usyk would have to make his game more well-rounded, but at heavyweight, his boxing would be so ahead of the curve that it’s not far-fetched to see him dominating.

Terence Crawford

To many, the Omaha, Nebraska, native is the world’s top pound-for-pound boxer—and for a good reason. The four-division champion is a slick, switch-hitting boxer-puncher with power in both hands. He has a savant-level understanding of the fundamentals of boxing but is known to pull off advanced techniques on the sport’s best fighters. Crawford is so much more than just a boxer, however. He respects wrestling and understands the importance of physicality in the ring. He uses frames and clinch work to set up his shots and pick his opponents apart. He’s strong as an ox, and despite being skilled enough to outpoint his opponents, he has a dogged mentality that leads to many exciting knockouts. Crawford’s comparison would be the current UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria. Like Crawford, Topuria uses fundamental boxing to dictate the distance and land fight-ending blows. He’s patient but never hesitant, and that makes him extremely dangerous.

Vasiliy Lomachenko

There isn’t a fighter alive with better footwork than Lomachenko. The two-time Olympic gold medalist and three-division champion breakdances on the opposition. There was a period in his career when fighters would simply give up fighting him because they were so overmatched. Lomachenko was forced by his father to study dance as a kid, and it was a sound investment. His use of angles and tempo changes makes it nearly impossible to hit him clean, and he would make the current crop of UFC bantamweights look foolish. Just ask T.J, Dillashaw, the fighter I would compare closest to Lomachenko. Like Lomachenko, Dillashaw was known to have elite feet, and the two men even sparred. As good as the former UFC bantamweight champion’s footwork was against MMA competition, “The Matrix” showed him that there were still levels he had yet to reach.

Naoya Inoue

Watching Inoue fight is like watching anime in real time. How could a man so small be so explosive? After starting his career at 108 pounds, Inoue has claimed titles in four weight classes. The Japanese superstar has an 89% knockout rate and can box with some of the best styles in the world. What makes Inoue a true “monster” is how effortlessly he fights. His technique is so fluid and efficient that it only takes one mistake from opponents for him to put them away. Thinking of him in four-ounce gloves would be a nightmare in the flyweight division. Of all the men on this list, Inoue is the toughest fighter for whom to find a comparison. Demetrious Johnson does not carry the same power level as Inoue, but they both share a computer-like approach to dismantling opponents. Both fighters are highly efficient in the way they fight, but they are willing to dive into their bags of tricks to give the fans a show.

Caleb Plant

Of all the fighters on this list, only one has experience with kicks. Before claiming the IBF super middleweight title, Plant was an amateur kickboxer with a 37-8 record. Plant might be the least decorated fighter on the list, but make no mistake, he operates on a world-class level. He’s slick, fast and has a deceptive level of pop in his punches. Plant has given Canelo Alvarez and David Benavidez two of the most challenging fights of their careers and would have little trouble on the feet with UFC welterweights. Going from boxing to kickboxing is difficult, but Plant would transition smoothly due to his experience with the sport. All he would have to do to carry himself well in the cage is fine-tune his grappling.