10 Top MMA Fighters with the Potential to Become Boxing Superstars

MMA Legends Who Could Become Top Boxers

Combat sports fans know that MMA and boxing are totally different ball games. You need different sets of skills for each one, but some of those skills overlap. Having good reactions and dodge ability, for example, helps both in the octagon and the boxing ring. So does strong striking power, and the ability to take hits without getting knocked down.

That’s why a lot of MMA and boxing fans dream of seeing the best fighters and boxers cross over to the other sport and compete against each other. We’ve seen some awesome examples of this in recent years, like when Conor McGregor battled Floyd Mayweather, for instance.

It’s not always easy for MMA fighters to switch to boxing. Similar to chess or 1Win Aviator, it demands tactical awareness and timing. Good boxers need to be able to read their opponents and manage fights well.

And there are no guarantees of success. But certain fighters seem much better-equipped than others to make the transition. In this guide, we’ll look at 10 such examples, like Jon Jones and Dustin Poirier, and see what could make them beasts in the boxing ring.

Criteria for a Successful MMA-to-Boxing Transition

Before we get into the list, let’s look at what an MMA fighter needs to potentially be a big boxing success:

• Striking Skills/Fundamentals: Every boxer needs to be able to hit hard. It’s one of the fundamentals of the sport. Luckily, lots of MMA fighters are more than capable of packing a punch, as they spend lots of time training arm and upper body muscles.
• Fight IQ: Boxing is almost a game of strategy. 
• Stamina and Endurance: Some MMA fights are often in literally seconds. The same goes for boxing bouts, but in-ring fights sometimes last several rounds. Boxers need to be able to go the distance.
• Defense and Footwork: In MMA, fighters can grapple and force their opponents to the floor. But in boxing, you have to stay on your feet, blocking and dodging well. This is one of the biggest skills for MMA fighters to master if they want to be good at boxing.

Top MMA Fighters Who Could Excel in Boxing

Without any further ado, let’s have a look at some of the best MMA legends that might have the right sets of skills for boxing greatness.

Jon Jones

Jon Jones easily deserves a spot in the UFC Hall of Fame. He’s been rated by fans and experts alike as the best pound-for-pound MMA fighter of his generation, if not the greatest of all time. He’s the current UFC Heavyweight Champion and has been Light Heavyweight Champion in the past.

What makes Jones a potential demon in the boxing ring is his mixture of attributes, including his phenomenal reach, his strong striking ability, and his ability to adapt to different opponents and fighting conditions. He’s got loads of experience of high-pressure fights, too, so he’d be able to cope with the pressure of an MMA battle.

Israel Adesanya

Nigerian-New Zealander Israel Adesanya was born to fight. He’s excelled in MMA, kickboxing, and boxing over the course of his life, though he’s spent most of his time in the MMA arena. There, he’s become UFC Middleweight Champion, and he’s been feared by many opponents for his hugely powerful strikes, both with his hands and with his feet.

He’s great at moving around the area, making the most of the space available to get his opponents right where he wants them. Plus, he’s got big height and reach advantages over a lot of competitors, and that would be a big aid in the boxing ring. His actual boxing appearance (6 bouts, 5 wins) also put him in a good place for boxing stardom.

Max Holloway

Honolulu-born Max Holloway has consistently proven himself as the kind of fighter who doesn’t give up. He doesn’t have a flawless record, having lost a reasonable number of fights. But he’s always been able to bounce back from hard times, improve his skill set, and adapt to beat the fighters in his way.

All of that would make him a fearsome fighter in the boxing ring. Plus, he’s got that distinctive high-volume punching style and phenomenal cardio, which could help him overwhelm and overpower his opponents. Even in MMA fights, he almost moves and hits like a boxer, so that would also help him out.

Dustin Poirier

With 30 MMA wins to his name, Dustin Poirier is a legend of the fighting scene. He’s been part of UFC since way back in 2010 and remained a big name throughout his many years of career. That’s a testament to his fortitude, endurance, and natural fighting acumen.

If he were to transition to boxing, Poirier might do very well. He’s clearly got good fundamentals – footwork, stamina, and striking power. He’s proven that he can knock people out with his punching, and he’s fought a lot of elite UFC fighters in his time, demonstrating that he can take punches, as well as dish them out.

Jorge Masvidal

Jorge Masvidal is a unique entry on this list, as he actually is one of a few former UFC fighters to switch over to boxing later in his career. He’s well-known for his time in the UFC as a record-maker, when he scored the fastest ever knockout in just five seconds, and he’s had experience in pro wrestling, too.

Clearly, this is a guy who loves fighting in all its forms, and feels right at home in rings and arenas of all shapes. He comes from street fighting roots, so he knows how to brawl, and has huge explosive power and punching speed. He’s already shown that he can box well in his high-profile 2024 bout with Nate Diaz.

Alex Pereira

One of Brazil’s best ever fighters, Alex Pereira is a menace in the MMA world. He’s the current UFC Light Heavyweight Champion and has been Middleweight Champion in the past. He’s also been ranked in the top 3 pound-for-pound fighters. On top of all that, he’s a former Glory Middleweight and Light Heavyweight kickboxing champ.

Alex Pereira has devastating knockout power. He can put so much power into his limbs, he would likely win a lot of boxing fights by knockout or TKO. He’s also got long arms, giving him a reach edge over rivals, and a decent jab, too.

Kamaru Usman

Former UFC Welterweight Champion and The Ultimate Fighter 21 winner, Kamaru Usman is another MMA hero who could make a name for himself in boxing, if he ever decided to go that way. He’s got an awesome MMA record, winning the vast majority of his fights, often by knockout.

He’s also a fighter who has shown a great ability to learn and improve. He’s gotten much better during the course of his career, showing adaptability and willingness to learn. And he’s got solid boxing fundamentals – good jabbing ability, a strong clinch game, and lots of power in his fists.

Robert Whittaker

Aussie MMA legend Robert Whittaker is another of the many UFC fighters with the potential to make their mark in boxing. He’s the former UFC Middleweight champ and has historically been seen as one of the UFC’s best all-round battlers, with a great mix of power, stamina, and fight smarts.

If you watch the way Whittaker fights, it’s easy to see that he’s already got a good boxing base. He moves well around the octagon and knows how to time and pace his punches to get results, without wasting energy. He’s got a good defense, too, and the ability to launch ferocious counter-attacks when his opponents make a wrong move.

Nate Diaz

Nate Diaz is another of the few former UFC fighters who actually dared to give boxing a try once he left the octagon. He had a high-profile boxing bout with YouTuber Jake Paul, which he lost by unanimous decision, and then had a second boxing matchup in 2024 against Jorge Masvidal, which Diaz won.

Diaz has a strong chin, which is always invaluable in the boxing ring. He’s got great reach, also, and amazing cardio, so he’s more than capable of going for round after round and maintaining the same high rates of punching and strong defensive footwork. All in all, his skills are some of the best as far as MMA fighters-turned-boxers go.

Charles Oliveira

Last up, another Brazilian following in the footsteps of his countryman, Alex Pereira, Charles Oliveira is a fantastic MMA fighter with a strong jiu jitsu background. He’s been the UFC Lightweight Champion and holds a lot of UFC records. He’s notably known for winning more fights by submission than anyone else.

Of course, boxing doesn’t allow for submission holds, but that doesn’t mean that Oliveira couldn’t be a brilliant boxer. He’s fast, strong, and has great adaptability, which he’s proven time and again over his career. He’s also an aggressive fighter, often on the front foot, and could use that to pressure opponents.

Challenges of Transitioning from MMA to Boxing

Of course, switching from MMA to boxing isn’t easy. It has challenges, like:

• Completely different styles of fighting stance and movement – boxers have to stay on their feet and don’t rely on the same kind of “ground game” as MMA fighters.
• Longer fight durations, more often than not, and different types of pacing, as boxers need to be able to go round after round with the same or similar intensity.
• No elbows, no kicking, no clinches or submission holds. This is a big challenge for an MMA fighter to lose so many weapons from their arsenal.
• An adjustment to strategies that are purely about boxing – punching and defending – and removing all of the other tactical MMA-exclusive elements.

Notable MMA-to-Boxing Transitions in History

We’ve seen some great examples of boxer vs MMA fighter clashes and former MMA fighters trying their luck in the boxing ring, such as:

• Conor McGregor vs Floyd Mayweather: Mayweather (boxer) won the fight after 10 intense rounds.
• Francis Ngannou vs Tyson Fury: Fury (boxer) beat Ngannou (UFC) after a 10-round classic. 
• Anderson Silva vs Julio Cesar Chavez Jr: Silva (UFC) overcame his boxer opponent via a split decision. 
• Nate Diaz vs Jake Paul: Diaz (UFC) lost to YouTube boxer Paul via a unanimous decision.

Conclusion

As you can see, from Jones to Poirier, there are clearly several MMA fighters with a lot of potential for success in boxing. And, as the likes of McGregor, Silva, and Ngannou have shown, there’s a lot of hype and desire to see MMA fighters head to the boxing ring and give the sport a try. Surely, some other UFC fighters will be tempted to give it a go in the years to come, and more fights are believed to be in the pipeline for Ngannou and others.