In the lead up to the Mayweather Vs. McGregor fight, many people pondered whether or not an MMA fighter could successfully fight in a professional boxing match. After everything was said and done, the outcome was one we all predicated. However, I think the early success McGregor had in the fight surprised many people. This type of performance silenced many doubters who didn’t believe MMA fighters could successfully transition into boxing.
The truth is, there are many great boxers who compete in MMA today. Just as there are many great Jiu-Jitsu specialists and Muay Thai fighters. Sports are constantly being sized up next to each other, could Lebron compete in the NFL? Could Tim Tebow play in the MLB? These type of hypothetical questions will always be asked by sports pundits worldwide. Today, however, we’re going to talk about the best boxers in MMA who would have the easiest time transitioning into a professional boxing match.
The 10 Best Boxers in MMA
Conor McGregor
You didn’t actually think we would leave off the UFC’s golden boy on this list, did you? In all seriousness, Conor McGregor has some of the best boxing MMA has ever seen. He has a good jab and a powerful left hand that he uses to stun his opponents. If there was anyone from the UFC that I would pick to successfully transfer his skills to the boxing ring, Conor McGregor would be the fighter of choice. He has excellent stand-up skills and is primarily a counter fighter who can get in his opponent’s heads.
Cody Garbrandt
Cody Garbrandt has the fastest hands on the east side of the Mississippi. Seriously, he has some incredible boxing skills that he learned from his uncle. Garbrandt actually has a 32-0 amateur boxing record that he amassed before becoming an MMA fighter. There’s no doubt in my mind that Cody Garbrandt could easily transfer into professional boxing if he wanted to. However, don’t hold your breath, Garbrandt continues to have massive success in the UFC.
Anderson Silva
Anderson “The Spider” Silva is the GOAT (greatest of all time), of course we were going to include him on this list. We actually also included him on our best Muay Thai fighters in MMA list as well. He is a multi-dimensional striker who uses his range and high fighter IQ to completely dominate his opponents. Many believe Spider Silva is the best of all time, I tend to agree with those people. I also know that he’s one of the greatest boxers in MMA of all time which is why I included him on this list.
Nick Diaz
Nick Diaz may be a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt, but that’s not all he can do in the octagon. Diaz has some lightning fast hands and uses his range well. Standing in a southpaw stance, he is known to continually push forward towards his opponents without fear. This is why people love the Diaz brothers because they are fearless brawlers who don’t take shit from anyone. Both brothers actually have great boxing skills which could possibly transfer to a boxing ring if they wanted.
Jon Jones
Jon Jones may go down as the greatest MMA fighter to ever live. He has phenomenal stand-up techniques that he credits to his Boxing and Muay Thai training. He has actually stated in the past that he could compete with the best boxers in the world after 2 years of strict boxing training. Whether or not that’s true, you have to admire someone who is willing to compete with the world’s best boxers. I believe Jon Jones will continue racking up knockouts in the octagon.
Georges St. Pierre
Georges St. Pierre is another fighter that could possibly go down as the greatest of all time. He is in a short-list of the best MMA fighters who could also compete in a boxing ring professionally. He might not be known for his stand-up, however, his boxing coach Freddie Roach believes Georges has phenomenal boxing technique. Freddie Roach is a highly respected boxing coach, known for training fighters such as Manny Pacquiao. I believe St. Pierre will be back and better than ever soon enough.
TJ Dillashaw
Tj Dillashaw is a well rounded MMA fighter with great Muay Thai and Boxing stand-up technique. He’s a “Bang Muay Thai” fighter who trains under Duane Ludwig. Tj is known for his phenomenal stand-up technique and his wrestling which was sharpened through years in college and training at Team Alpha Male, a gym which was included in our Best MMA Gyms in the World list. Tj proved he could hand with the best after videos surfaced of him sparring with Vasyl Lomachenko.
Jorge Masvidal
Jorge Masvidal is another MMA fighter who has actually competed in a professional boxing ring. He has been successful in the ring as well as the UFC’s octagon. Masvidal is also known for his street fighting days on Youtube, which included the late Kimbo Slice cheering him on. Many people already knew about Masvidal’s superior Boxing technique, that it wasn’t much of a surprise when he dominated Muay Thai fighter Cowboy Cerrone.
Holly Holm
Holly Holm is the lone woman on this list, however, this doesn’t mean she couldn’t hang with the best of the boys either. Holm has absolutely phenomenal Boxing and Muay Thai technique. She has competed in Boxing professionally and has amassed over 30 wins in the ring. Holm is mainly known for the head kick heard around the world, ending the hype that was surrounding Ronda Rousey. Although she lost to Valentina Shevchenko, she’s one of the best women’s boxers and picked up the sweet science a lot more naturally than most MMA fighters.
Nate Diaz
Another Diaz brother makes waves on this list, Nate has excellent boxing technique just like his brother Nick. Nate Diaz is a well-rounded fighter as well, we actually included him on our Best Jiu Jitsu Specialists in the UFC list. The reason why the Diaz brothers have great boxing is the relentless pressure they put on their opponents. This type of pressure is frightening because opponents are worried about being taken down by a BJJ black belt, this type of worry allows for openings in Nate’s striking.
So… Who Has The Best Boxing In MMA?
I believe all of the fighters included on this list have the ability to say they have the best boxing in MMA. This is such a hard question to answer because all fighters included on this list have great boxing technique and ability. I believe that all of these MMA fighters could be successful in boxing if they take the time to train true boxing technique.
The real question is, which one of these fighters has the best chance of transferring their striking ability to the professional boxing ring. I think we’ll see more MMA fighters like Conor McGregor compete in the boxing ring soon. Which UFC fighter do you think has the best boxing? Drop a comment below and let us know if we left anyone off this list.
Best boxers? 😂 Don’t make me laugh.