The UFC may serve as the pinnacle of elite mixed martial arts, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t a few good boxers floating around.
As a promotion, we’ve seen a string of crossover fights and events take place between the UFC and boxing. That shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, either, given how much UFC president Dana White adores the sport.
One of the key traits needed in MMA, outside of wrestling, is a good pair of hands – and we’re pretty confident in saying that these five individuals would light up the squared circle.
Jorge Masvidal
Jorge Masvidal began his career as a bare-knuckle boxer and we’d actually be surprised if he doesn’t test the waters with some kind of boxing return before hanging up his gloves. The welterweight title may now be out of his grasp but “Gamebred” is willing to throw down with just about anyone and he wouldn’t be afraid to walk headfirst into the fire.
Dustin Poirier
One of the primary reasons why Dustin Poirier has been able to beat Conor McGregor twice this year is due to his boxing. Oh, and while we’re at it, it’s also the reason why he defeated Gaethje & Holloway before causing Khabib Nurmagomedov some real problems on the feet. “The Diamond” has improved massively across the last five years and we don’t think that progression is over just yet.
Amanda Nunes
When you’ve got the steel to call out someone as established as Claressa Shields, you must be feeling confident about your abilities. Nunes is about as well-rounded as they come and even though it’s easy to point to her success on the ground, everything gets set up from her incredible striking. Precision, power, composure – she’s got everything required to go on a good run in the boxing realm.
Max Holloway
The performance against Calvin Kattar alone just screamed “this man is the best boxer in the UFC” and if you don’t believe us, go back and listen to Max say it himself. It’s not about power with “Blessed” because instead of knocking guys out with one punch, he puts the kind of beating on them that will leave scars to last a lifetime. It sounds extreme, but that’s the kind of level we’re talking about here.
Petr Yan
“No Mercy” is the perfect nickname for Petr Yan because the guy just doesn’t stop coming forward. His jab is excellent, he hits like a train and he has a world-class chin. Sure, he’s going to get hit quite a few times in the name of powering forward, but Yan fears no man in this world and he’d give a lot of pro boxers a good run for their money.
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