Apparently UFC fighters against boxers is the new trend…
Boxers joining the UFC is not a new craze, and usually they don’t do well at all. Back when James Toney fought Randy Couture, we saw exactly how disabling the most basic of ground control can be.
When talking about MMA fighters crossing over to boxing, it’s relatively new territory. Stars such as Anderson Silva and Vitor Belfort have made that switch before, but against unknown boxers.
Aside from the obvious Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather super fight, there are other storms brewing…
Stipe Miocic vs. Anthony Joshua
Recently crowned heavyweight king Anthony Joshua has been getting a lot of attention lately. Rather unexpectedly, most of that attention has been coming from UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic.
After blasting through Junior dos Santos in his latest title defense, Miocic’s camp indicated a move to boxing. Now the UFC heavyweight boss goes a step further, issuing a challenge to Joshua during an interview this week:
Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
“Lets Do It”
“If the fight happens, me against Joshua would be a great fight,” Miocic said appearance on “The MMA Hour.” “I think I’d surprise a lot of people, I think it’d be an amazing fight … let’s do it! He’s a great guy. He’s tough, he’s a champion for a reason. I think I’d give him a run for his money.”
“I do a lot of boxing and I’ve boxed before, working on my boxing I think I’d be fine. “He’s a tough guy, he’s the best in the world. But, I’m pretty tough, too.”
Well, well, well. Outside of Miocic and Joshua, there’s been discussion of David Haye joining the UFC and fighting against a renowned knockout artist:
Jimi Manuwa vs. David Haye
“Myself and Dana spoke to David Haye on a conference call while I was in Vegas,” Manuwa said to WHOA TV. “We’ve crunched pay-per-view numbers and Dana is very interested in the fight. The fight between me and David Haye will probably happen either before the end of this year or early in 2018 because of his injury. It will possibly be a cross promotion between Hayemaker Promotions and the UFC on pay-per-view.”
“We are both from London so it will be a packed crowd if we stage this at the O2,” Manuwa said. “Everything is going forward slowly, in the meantime we are getting Boxing licenses ready and everything is looking good.
“David Haye is a former world champion. The British Board of Boxing Control will sanction the fight as I’m a professional fighter and I fight all the time. I box with Dillian Whyte, a pro boxer, I have a pro boxing coach, it’s not as big a mismatch as the Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor fight.”
Quote source: Bloody Elbow
