Boxing and MMA are two of the craziest sports in the world, where at any given time an unexpected outcome can take place. This is one of the factors it makes the two sports so exciting. But the idea of having stars from both the worlds collide in the same platform would be even more satisfying to watch. This has however happened only once in the UFC as multiple-division champion James Tony made his octagon debut against Legendary UFC Fighters Randy Couture, in a losing effort. Despite, this being a huge flop of what could have been an unforgettable clash (with Tony’s idea of not wanting to learn any other disciplines like BJJ or wrestling, and hence being tapped by Couture in round 1), fans simply love to fantasize about their favorite boxers stepping inside the Octagon to face the likes of Conor McGregor and Max Holloway. Here is a list of top dream fights between boxers and MMA fighters that fans would love to see them clash in the Octagon:
1. Vasyl Lomachenko vs Conor McGregor: Lomachenko is such a genius at striking that he compared to the character ‘Neo’ from the movie ‘The Matrix’. The Ukrainian fighter is so fluid in his moments that his opponents find it hard to even lay a decent combination of strikes on him. Joe Rogan considers him to be the best boxer ever to live, and he also considers ‘The Notorious’ Conor McGregor to be the greatest 145 pounds fighter in the UFC. With McGregor known for his powerful left hand and lighting speed punches, a match between the two young fighters would be a once in a lifetime clash to witness. McGregor has the size advantage and Lomachenko has the Olympic level world class boxing skills. If this fight happens it should happen in the Octagon.
2. Guillermo Rigondeaux vs Cody Garbrandt: Rigondeaux is by far one of the best defensive boxers in the world and is a two-times Olympic Gold medalist in boxing. Cody Garbrandt, on the other hand, is one of the best strikers of his division which he proved it against his former foe Dominick Cruz, by taunting him in a very playful fashion. ‘No Love’ is very agile on his feet and his ability to chase his opponent and strike with wild punches at any given time. Rigondeaux is known to make his fights look easy and with his rich boxing experience, he would be a perfect opponent for Garbrandt to test his boxing skills.
3. Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez vs Conor McGregor: Canelo has previously stated that he would have no problem-fighting McGregor. There were rumors of this fight actually taking place but later died down as McGregor moved on to fight Mayweather. ‘Canelo’ fights at 154 pounds division in boxing and ‘The Notorious’ one fights at 155 pounds in the UFC. Both the fighters are known for their style of chasing their victims in the ring. Canelo has the high endurance that could be an advantage for him against the Irishman. Moreover, Alvarez is the current biggest active star in boxing besides Anthony Joshua and Manny Pacquiao, so it would be only wise for the UFC to have one more Boxing star vs MMA star clash.
4. Anthony Joshua vs Stipe Miocic: Anthony Joshua is an Olympic Gold medallist and an undefeated world heavyweight champion at professional boxing. His most notable victory came over legendary Vladimir Klitschko. Miocic, on the other hand, has defended his world heavyweight title three consecutive times and is the first one in doing so. Joshua is one of the hardest hitting heavyweights in the history of the sport. Moreover, he is lean and has amazing physic which helps him in managing the distance between himself and his opponent. Miocic is has proved that he is the greatest heavyweight in the history of the UFC with back to back finishes top heavyweights like Fabricio Werdum, Junior dos Antos, Alistair Overeem and his recent domination over Francis Ngannou. The firefighter of the UFC has the dangerous striking skill which he uses as he cuts the ring and tries to corner his opponents, only to unleash series of strikes irrespective of the opponent’s size. Joshua would be a perfect test for Miocic, and this would be an ultimate clash of two heavyweight fighters which could be nothing less than an epic battle.
5. Deonthay Wilder vs Daniel Cormier: Daniel Cormier is a former Olympian who made his MMA debut at the age of 30. Despite, such a late start he successfully made it to the top of the sport and has really good striking skills. Wilder, on the other hand, has a lethal-punching skill which literally has fatally injured his opponents in the past. Cormier who is tough as granite, has been unbeaten in the heavyweight division and has dismantled some of the toughest fighters in the UFC. Both the warriors are considered as the most feared men of their respective sports. Fans would surely want to see the UFC’s ‘Hulk’ take on the boxing’s ‘King Kong’
6. Manny Pacquiao vs Dominic Cruz: Pacquiao is considered as one of the pound for pound greatest fighter in the history of boxing. Many of his opponents have complained that they couldn’t see his punches which were at lightning speed. Moreover, he is one of the most aggressive boxers in the game. The UFC’s bantamweight great is known for imitating footwork from Boxing legend Willie Pep who has a very odd style of changing angles but at the same time is very effective. Pacquiao has lately been facing lower ranked opponents. As he has shown interest in boxing McGregor, if he is little more encouraged by his team to try MMA, Cruz can be a perfect debut opponent for the Filipino Legend.
7. Andre Ward vs Yoel Romero: Both the athletes are medal winners in the Olympics at their respective sports. Ward is an excellent boxer who is undefeated in the ring. Whereas, Romero has an excellent resume with knockout wins over former champions. Ward may have the perfect skill and agility to tackle a scary finisher like the Cuban fighter. Romero, might lack conditioning when compared to that of the ‘Son of God’ but when he lands a punch, most of his opponents go down. This fight between the two former Olympians would be an interesting match to watch.
8. Manny Pacquiao vs Max Holloway: Had this been a year back, the pick would have been Jose Aldo, but since the Brazilian legend has lost twice to new champ, Holloway makes the list. The ‘Blessed’ one has showcased that he has everything to take down a legend who can be far more experienced than him. In his recent fights he has proved that he is one of the toughest strikers in the UFC who is not afraid to trade shots with his foe. Holloway deserves a money fight, and Pacquiao could be the right opponent. Pacquiao has proved time and time again that he can fight anyone at any given weight class. Moreover, the legend has the perfect plan to take down Holloway with constant change in angles that might confuse the younger fighter. But one can’t underestimate Holloway after what he has done to Aldo.
9. Manny Pacquiao vs Conor McGregor: The Notorious had said it number of times that he wanted to box ‘Pacman’, but UFC President Dana White didn’t approve of this idea. Since this would have been an easy fight for the Filipino, Pacquiao had tweeted out his interest to lock horns with the Irish superstar in the squared circle. But since this isn’t possible, the only way the eight-division boxing world champion could fight McGregor is in the Octagon. Two of the most contemporary sensational strikers in the fight world going against one another would be something fans would remember for a long time, and this would mean millions of dollars for the UFC. But Pacquiao doesn’t like the idea of fighting MMA. But maybe if White could get in good terms with Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum, and simultaneously make a hefty payment offer to the Filipino, hopefully then there could be some chances of this fight taking place.
10. Gennady Golovkin vs Georges St Pierre: The war of the two middleweights’ champions is going to be classics war. GSP is one of the best well rounded fighters in the UFC, whereas, Golovkin is known for his cutting-edge style of moving forward and attacking. Both men are known for their good sportsmanship which is as good as their fighting skills. Golovkin has fought at 160 pounds and GSP has fought at 170 pounds. If the two could come to an agreement to fight at catch-weight, then it would be profitable for all. This fight is a must to watch and should happen if Golovkin is somehow lured into the UFC.
- Floyd Mayweather vs Conor McGregor: McGregor has made the jump to the boxing world and has performed beyond people’s expectation. Now, it’s Mayweather’s turn to come to McGregor’s world of MMA and fight him in the Octagon. Mayweather had mentioned earlier that he would fight in the UFC but this wasn’t a serious comment. If the UFC does make an enormous offer to the ‘Money’, it would be interesting to see how Mayweather would use defensive Shoulder Rolls and long jabs inside the Octagon. Moreover, how well he would be able to adapt to the grappling game in MMA. McGregor has previously mentioned that Mayweather has got what it takes to fight inside the Octagon. If the two ever collide inside the Octagon it would be the biggest money- generating fight in the history of combat sports.
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