Transitions to the each other’s worlds

It is possible if a match-up is made, preparation and training would increase the chances of either fighter in either settings. A boxer need just learn basic defense against ground game and kicks to level the game. An MMA fighter would switch to only upping the boxing skill, and no doubt with a past of learning various martial arts the learning curve could be incredibly quick to level.

Boxing to MMA

There have been a few boxers who have tried to transition into MMA, and those that did, were not all very successful. Some examples follow.

Jame “Lights out” Toney with a pro boxing record of (77-10-3) lost to Randy “The Natural” Couture (19-11-0) in his debut in MMA. Couture brutally put the former middleweight, super middleweight and cruiserweight boxing champion to shame in the first round while laying on top of him. Rightly so after Toney’s said pre MMA entrance “I ain’t going to allow none of them boys to lay on me like a lil’ fag”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30BdmJ8-3fk

If the match is kept on the feet however, it could be all over very quickly for the MMA fighter. For example as seen when Ray Mercer, a former heavyweight boxing champion, knocked out UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia (31-10-0) with 1 no contest on record, in only 8 seconds. However Mercer with a boxing record of (36-7-1) lost his first MMA bout against Kimbo Slice (5-2-0) with 1 no contest on his record two years earlier.

Mercer vs Sylvia

Mercer vs Slice

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=869uhpde9Yg

Eric “Butterbean” Esch is one who has made a good transition to MMA. With a pro boxing record of (77-10-4) he moved to achieve a MMA record of (15-10-1). Many of his wins have been via submission which shows that a boxer can transition to the realm of MMA successfully not only by stand up but by ground game as well.

There was also the MMA bout between Julius Francis, a former heavyweight boxing champion with a boxing record of (23-24-1) and MMA’s Gary Turner (4-2-1). Though Francis did a good job of defense against take downs, once he was on the ground Turner dominated and beat the boxer into submission – literally.