da chin checka

Well. If Roy Jones in his prime was to fight in MMA, he would do well. Why is that? Because he already got his boxing skills in tact, obviously no one in MMA even comes close to how good he was with his boxing.So he would not really have to focus on that area. So he would do what any intelligent fighter making such a big transition would do. He would get a MMA trainer and the MMA trainer would teach him sprawl and brawl. Just like Chuck Liddell whose hand skills don't even match up to that of a boxer but yet has use the sprawl and brawl to successfully defend against take downs and knock guys out. The same sprawl and brawl that former kickboxers Maurice Smitch and Mirko Cro Cop use to be successful in MMA.

Now acourse Jones would be given a good amount of time to train for a MMA fighting debut. And as atheletic as he is, Jones would have no problem adapting to defending takedowns. Aside from his super quick side steps also.

If you want to see a good example of how good Jones would do in MMA without even having to grapple, watch Belfort's old fights especially when he knocked out Silva.

Robert_Lake

I know that Chris Lytle has a pretty good pro boxing record.

If you were to take a Professional boxer and put them in an MMA match against an average fighter id say the pro boxer would probably knock him out, but against a veteran MMA artist i just can't see it happening.

__________________
RIP Rick James

Blazed_Fury

What? Lots of MMA fighters come from a strong boxing/kick boxing background. Boxing is an essential part of MMA. Everyone who trains in MMA uses many training techniques first used by boxing coaches, and not just striking techniques. From stances to jump rope.

grawl

the mma fighter would pretty much win every time. the only way the boxer would win is in the first ten seconds or so. other than that the mma fighter would take the boxer down and it's game over.

daywealldie

i think that if pride actually used tysons contract and put him to fight, he could litterally kill someone. think about it. tyson has brutally KO'd people with 12 oz. gloves. imagine the type of damage possible if even one of his haymakers landed. considering that in most mma they use little 3, 4 oz. gloves. to answer your question. yes. a pro boxer could DEF. take on an average mma fighter.

dakim

It is really hard to compare the two because there are no stand up fighters in MMA that can match the stand up abilities of a great boxer such as Roy Jones Jr. in his prime.

Just from watching the two, even great stand up fighters in the MMA have very sluggish hand speed and coordination versus someone like Roy Jones. Reaction time and footwork also are in advantage of the boxer ("Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee). I think Roy Jones would be quick enough to get away from the shoot and punching power and accuracy would be more than enough deal with any one coming towards him. Power, is debatable; however, I wouldn't want to get hit by a punch from Roy Jones Jr. when you take those big boxing gloves off (Now imagine Iron Mike Tyson back in the 80's delivering a clean hit with a bare fist). And of course there is the issue of stamina and endurance. Boxers are trained to for 12 - 3 minute rounds.

After all, you pay for what you get. A great boxer gets paid millions for a single fight whereas how much does an MMA fighter make?

In my opinion, someone of Roy Jones Jr.'s calibre is too much for an MMA fighter.

But to give MMA fighters their credit; if a grappler did manage to get inside and get a good hold of the boxer or even take him to the ground, the boxer would no longer stand any chance. (But I think it'd be too difficult to do that to a GREAT boxer.)

(Just my opinion, don't get pissed off.)

dakim

Very true. And even Belfort's hand speed is nothing next to Roy Jones Jr. In his prime.

Robert_Lake

This is an excellent thread thread. Some very good posts.

I would deffinetly have to agree about Roy Jones Jr. having the bast hand speed if he were in MMA. However being strictly a boxer and going into an pro MMA fight, especially in the UFC or Pride, against a top fighter would not be something the boxer would want to do. THe boxer would have to block kicks, knees, elbows, and stomps and soccer kicks if it's Pride, aswell as punches. Not to mention if a great muay thai fighter were to geta boxer in the muay thai clinch and started feeeding him knees i doubt the boxer would be able to do much of anything.

That's IF the boxer is using boxing and nothing else. If Roy Jones Jr. was in his prime right now and fought Georges St. Pierre i can almost guarantee you St. pierre would win by submission. Same goes for if Tyson in his prime fought Fedor in MMA.

Let's say Roy Jones JR. were to go and train at one of the best MMA camps. Instead of just boxing training there would be wrestling, jiu jitsu, and Muay Thai as well as the boxing. This would be a much smarter thing to do, however not training boxing all the time im sure sould make a difference in his boxing skills. Just look at all the K-1 kickboxers who convert to MMA. Once they start training kick boxing half the time and Jiu jitsu the other half, or possibly more, you can tell in the ring.

I for one would love to see the #1 boxer in any weight class try and jump ship to MMA and see how he does. I still think he'd have a rough time either way. If someone is good on the ground chances are the boxer gets tapped. If its a good stand up fighter the boxer is fighting then he has a better chance however a high kick to the head is not something a boxer is used to blocking, or even leg kicks for that matter. 2 or 3 good leg kicks on a boxer would deffinetly open him up for the superman punch.

Just my opinion though. Cheers

__________________
RIP Rick James

Oleg Ostrovski

Outside the obvious disadvantages of a boxer usually not being equipped to take attacks below the waist and takedowns and submissions (and various clinch-fighting techniques), there are also less obvious differences.

Let me first say that I have done seminars for MMA in top gyms. I was once sambo champion in Belarus, and have belts in BJJ (Machado), and have competed in muay thai. I have also collaborated with western boxers to develop stiking that is more geared towards MMA.

One main difference between the two is first off where you put your hands. They cannot be as high as in traditional muay thai, nor can they be placed too close to the face like some western boxers. Obviously if your hands are higher, you are more susceptible to a takedown. One must posture lower too depending on standing height (taller means you have to hunch down more). The hands can be placed both to the cheek like a western boxer, but in my opinion this is not the most favorable. "Pushing" or stiff arming an aggressive striker in MMA is better done with hands further away from the face. Against a very aggressive flurry, guarding the face as in boxing with tiny little gloves is going to get you seriously hurt (see Rampage Jackson vs. Silva).

Because the gloves are smaller, the punches tend to fly faster (try boxing with 20oz gloves, then try it with just handwraps or with 4oz MMA gloves and you will immediately notice a difference in speed). This also means a tight guard will only cover a smaller percentage of your face. Guarding and moving about while in the danger zone is a sure way to get hurt (see Tito vs. Chuck Liddell when Tito covers up but doesn't move out of the danger zone). In boxing you can cover up and move your glove and arms about to block body shots head shots with the glove, forearm and elbow quite effectively. BLOCKING IS MUCH LESS EFFECTIVE IN MMA. The punches are faster, and the chances of glove hitting glove decreases significantly with smaller gloves.

Another difference: Because there is less cushioning on the gloves and because most hits are going to be undeflected (in boxing the likelihood of the glove deflecting even slightly off a glove is very high given their very large sizes) most hits are going to be more powerful overall. In addition, the small area of contact translates to fight ending bone breaks or fight-deciding eye swells (see cro cop vs silva where his eye is completely swollen shut), and (cro cop vs. Sapp where the orbital bone is broken). Forearm blocks can be seriously damaging to someone doing the block (can numb the entire arm).

This extra power means that MOVING OUT OF THE WAY IS FAVORED OVER BLOCKING much more so than in boxing. Thus boxers and kickboxers who know how to move away or back (rather than blocking frequently) tend to do better in MMA than those that have a habit of blocking.

Getting out of the way usually means one of five things: Closing the distance and clinching (over under, double underhooks, Thai collar), shooting for a take down, moving/rocking back, moving side to side, or changing horizontal positioning. Each has its strengths and weaknesses.

Usually when one is getting dominated in the standup, or if one is stunned from a few good strikes, closing the gap and either clinching or shooting for a leg is the smartest thing to do (unless it is anticipated).

Moving back is a risky move because it takes the power out of each punch, and if an opponent is able to punch out an accurate flurry, one might find himself in trouble (see Wanderlei vs. Vitor Belfort). Some fighters can peddle backwards and still throw knockout punches (Liddell vs. Babalu). Rocking back in particular requires great balance and a good grappler will capitalize on the lack of balance. Overall rocking back and retreating is probably harder to utilize in MMA than in boxing because balance is even more important in MMA than in boxing. Stiff-arming or pushing off with the jab hand while moving back is definately better than simply moving back with the hands at guard position. The arm can be used to deflect a punch, and hooks generally lack the reach if a stiff-arm/push is executed properly. Generally taller fighters with greater reach are going to have a better chance at maintaining a safe distance with the push. Shorter fighters are probably not going to use any kind of stiff arm or push as overhands and haymakers may still land. For a typical look at an effective push while moving out of the danger zone, see Mirko Filipovic's fights (he uses his front stiff arm very very frequently to maintain proper distance).

Moving side to side, OR circling used in conjunction with moving back and forth is still a very useful technique. Moving back and forth is not as bad as described above if mixed in with circling and stiff-arming. Quick circling allows a standup fighter to not get pinned against a corner or a wall. Cutting off the ring against an opponent, or alternately circling out of a corner to disallow your opponent from cutting off your ring is very very important in MMA as it is in boxing. A striker confined to the corner or a wall has nowhere to sprawl. There is not much of a difference here between MMA and boxing. Generally controlling the center and cutting the opponents space, or defending against this by circling out is a good idea just as in boxing (see cro cop vs. fedor emelianenko). In a cage, a striker definately does not want to get pinned against a wall, as he can be slid down to the ground (Couture vs Liddell 1; Couture vs. Belfort). In a ring, a pin against the corner can frequently lead to a stalemate (knees to the thighs, short powerless strikes to the head, no way to really slide an opponent down). For a fighter pinning an opponent to the corner, the best bet might be in feinting a takedown, then pushing away and unleashing a flurry of shots to the head. Going too low for a leg while not pressing an opponent down can be dangerous as knees can land decisively to the head.

Finally in boxing you see a lot of bobbing and weaving and ducking. Moving vertically up and down to avoid shots is a good idea as long as the opponent is not known to throw effective knee strikes. A fighter known to use traditional Western boxing bobbing and weaving (or similar techniques like rolling in to throw hooks) is Rampage Jackson. Against an opponent who throws mostly head shots and very little knees, this is a very effective technique set (see Jackson vs. Liddell). However, rolling, ducking and bobbing makes one more vulnerable to knee strikes and getting pressed down with a Thai clinch (which is why in Muay Thai matches you see much less bobbing and weaving). An MMA fighter is better off using less bobbing and weaving against a fighter known to have devastating knees and superior Thai clinch skills (see Rampage vs. Silva or Rampage vs Rua).

Against a Thai clinch, the best bet is to push out hard, clinch with double underhooks very tight by advancing forward, or pummeling quickly for an inside Thai clinch. Inserting the forearm to raise the elbow works to loosen a Thai clinch and to put an arm between an opponents knee and your face, but it is only a last resort escape. Generally though, bobbing and weaving against a fighter with devastating knees is not the best idea. CONCLUSION: BOBBING AND WEAVING CAN BE DANGEROUS AGAINST A SKILLED KICKER/KNEE-TECHNICIAN.

The most important difference other than the fact that boxers are not going to be trained for kicks and takedowns is the idea that power punches should not be blocked. In boxing a cross that is loaded up and not crisp or a haymaker can easily be blocked. Every punch is faster in MMA, and every punch is harder to block. Thus moving out of the way of a haymaker is a must. Because power punches have a greater chance of landing in MMA vs. boxing, strikers in MMA are correct in sacrificing a BIT of speed or a bit of accuracy for added power. Why? If two fighters are slugging it out, and one fighter is landing more crisp punches because he has a 'clean' boxing style, and the other fighter is throwing slightly slower, slightly less crisp punches, but each shot with knockout power, in boxing the sloppy fighter is going to land none of his punches despite each fighter standing in the other's danger zone because haymakers and telegraphed crosses can easily be blocked while the other hand is landing crisp punches. However in MMA, you often see a crisp striker land a flurry of clean shots, but each lacking knockout power, the slugger knocks the crisp striker out with one or two haymakers or loaded crosses. CONCLUSION: IN BOXING THE EMPHASIS IS GREATLY PLACED ON ACTUALLY LANDING A PUNCH WITH BOTH FIGHTERS WEARING LARGE GLOVES. IN MMA THERE IS LESS OF A HINDERANCE IN ACTUALLY LANDING A PUNCH, THUS POWER MUST BE EMPHASIZED MORE.

Of course it is not suggested that one throw all haymakers. Jabs are still very useful in setting up combinations. However, if you watch the successful MMA strikers, Takanori Gomi, Chuck Liddell, Fedor Emelianenko, Mirko Filipovic, you will see that they have one thing in common: They make each shot count, and they care less about landing a series of crisp punches. Mirko Filipovic has probably the most crisp standup out of this list; however, in K1 he was known to put full weight into each punch thus being unable to throw crisp 3-4 hit combinations in K1 (compare to Ernesto Hoost or Andy Hug who threw more shots when inside). Mirko has always picked spots to throw a single hard cross or a powerful one-two. Up to a degree, one can improve crispness, speed, power, and accuracy; however there is undoubtedly a tradeoff. Haymakers are the most powerful, slowest (counting from first motion to landing), and possibly the least accurate punch in MMA.

Oleg Ostrovski

In pure boxing accuracy matters a whole lot more because if a punch is a few centimeters off, a glove will skim off a glove, effectively deflecting a haymaker. In MMA, if a punch is off a few centimeters, the haymaker will hit the mouth rather than the eye. The only downside to biasing punches more for power is that they are still easily evaded. Thus against crisp strikers, power punchers will often simply take some hits, throw less shots, let the opponent tire out. Watching Guy Metzger of Alistair Overeem fight Chuck Liddell and you see the crisper fighter landing clean but not devastating jabs very frequently. Chuck looks like he is losing out on every exchange, but he is certainly not throwing away energy. Later when both fighters are less agile on the feet, Chuck turns up the heat by throwing more and more haymakers. A single long hook knocks out both Alistair and Guy Metzger. CONCLUSION: PUNCHES THAT ARE SLIGHTLY OFF IN ACCURACY IN MMA STILL HAVE A DECENT CHANCE AT LANDING. THUS POWER PUNCHING AT THE COST OF SOME ACCURACY IS CALLED FOR IN MMA BUT NOT IN BOXING.

The long hooks, the looping hooks, and the long overhand have another added advantage in MMA. In boxing striking from unconventional angles by looping in a jab into a long hook, or throwing a long stiff or looping hook, or throwing a long overhand often does not work because only a sharp angle hook or a perfectly straight jab or cross can get a punch past a boxer's guard. This makes a 90 degree hook the most effective hook available to the boxer fighting with large gloves. In MMA, 135 degree hooks, and jabs that turn in at the end in a looping fashion and wide angle overhands slip past the guard with ease. There is no longer a bias towards a 90 degree punch angle. UNCONVENTIONAL-ANGLE PUNCHES WORK TO CONFUSE THE OPPONENT AND LAND MUCH MORE IN MMA THAN IN BOXING.

For a good primer on MMA striking, Chuck Liddell's instructional on the long hook (available on YouTube) is a decent place to start. Of course the standard punches (in my opinion) should be in everyone's arsenal. However, volume punching even with crisp boxing skills is generally a horrible idea in MMA. CONCLUSION: EVERY PUNCH MUST BE MADE TO HURT WITH THE EXCEPTION OF A SETUP JAB. If you watch striker vs. striker matches, you will see that 90% of the time a power puncher/striker ends up getting the KO over the clean combination fighter.

Of course there must still be balance. A fighter that emphasizes power too much will have serious disadvantages just as in boxing. My point is simply that compared to boxing, power must be emphasized MUCH MORE. The best counter to a fighter who emphasizes power too much in MMA is to adopt an in-and-out style to move out of the danger zone; or to bob and weave (if the fighter is not known for knees). Getting out of the danger zone, and allowing the slugger to fatigue is a well-known boxing strategy (out-fighter>slugger). While a slugger is loading up, a quick one-two before moving out of the danger zone can be quite effective. An out-fighter may simply pick shots at the right time and land them while a slugger is loading up (1-2-out). Of course the out-fighter must have good cardio to keep moving away out of range from the slugger. (See Sapp vs. Cro Cop).

In conclusion MMA striking is going to have different optimum strategies compared to straight boxing even when leaving out take downs and throws and submissions. Unconventional strikes and power strikes are much more useful in MMA mainly because of the smaller gloves. Well, happy training all!