Anthony Joshua
When it comes to sports, there is only so much an athlete can do before they have to find a different avenue. A wrestler can only go as far as the Olympics, a football player can only go to the Super Bowl, and a boxer can only hope to win a belt.
Once these athletes reach their full potential in their respective sports, what should they do? Waste their athletic primes hoping to get another ring or belt, or venture into the lucrative world of MMA? Many have been choosing the latter. I think I have a few examples of who I think should try MMA, and I think that everyone on this list has a huge chance of being successful in the world’s most extreme combat sport.
For boxing fans, it’s no mystery as to why Anthony Joshua tops this list. Not only is he an undefeated boxer with every championship belt imaginable, but he’s an extremely powerful athlete with unmatched striking technique. He’s not just a one-punch knockout artist, he has speed and technique to back up his power. That makes for a very dangerous man in MMA.
Obviously Joshua has no concept of wrestling and jiu-jitsu, but in the UFC Heavyweight division, that shouldn’t matter too much. There are plenty of fighters- such as Alistair Overeem or Francis Ngannou- who would be more than happy to stand-up with someone like Anthony Joshua, and I’m sure that he could easily avoid a ground battle in most of his potential fights.
Does this move make the most sense financially? No, absolutely not. Joshua could make so much more money fighting Tyson Fury or Deontay Wilder, but what about his legacy? Can you name a boxer who moved into MMA during his prime just to prove he could win? That’s because there isn’t one. This move could easily cement Joshua as one of the best Heavyweight boxers of all time, especially if he manages to win an MMA or UFC title.
Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Floyd Mayweather has already competed in an “MMA” bout against Tenshin Nasukawa in Rizin, but I think that everyone can agree it was more of a sad boxing display than anything remotely considered to be mixed martial arts. However, Mayweather obviously has interest in competing in MMA, so it could be possible for him to want to do the real thing. How well would he fair in an actual fight against Tenshin or Conor McGregor?
When adding in kicks, elbows, and knees, would he be able to win a single fight against anybody? This does not even include wrestling and jiu-jitsu, where the likes of even Conor McGregor would be able to take him to the ground and submit him. There are so many variables to consider, but with Floyd Mayweather being the biggest pay-per-view draw of all time, he would draw record breaking numbers no matter who he fights.
Deontay Wilder
Deontay Wilder is one of the most powerful Heavyweight boxing champions in the game, and his undefeated record reflects just how much of a puncher’s chance he always has. Imagine how much that chance would increase in 4 ounce gloves. Wilder would be unstoppable on the feet, and would undoubtedly be able to knockout anyone in the UFC- including the likes of Daniel Cormier.
However, as with almost every other boxer, he has no ground game. This could be problematic at the top of the Heavyweight division, where almost every athlete has a wrestling pedigree, but that could be solved by immediately working on his takedown defense at an MMA gym. A Deontay Wilder that is able to stuff a takedown is the most scary MMA fighter imaginable, and I think that he would be able to stay at the top for a very long time with those skills.
Vasyl Lomachenko
Vasyl Lomachenko is likely the most popular, and quite possibly the best boxer of our generation. He makes millions of dollars for each of his fights, most of his opponents quit on the stool, and he has looked unbeatable since his first boxing win. So why would “No Mas” want to try MMA? Simply for a challenge. Lomachenko has extensive wrestling experience on top of being the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world, and constantly trains with MMA champions such as TJ Dillashaw. I think that Loma could beat the likes of TJ or Henry Cejudo, and I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw him make the transition eventually.
John Wayne Parr
John Wayne Parr isn’t as well known of an athlete as any of the boxers previously listed, but he is a god to kickboxing fans. Parr has over 100 kickboxing fights, has fought in Muay Thai and K-1, and is perhaps best known for the exuberant amount of scar tissue accumulated on his face. As you might imagine, someone with so much fight experience has his best days behind him, but it’s still not too late to convert into MMA.
Parr has most recently competed in Bellator Kickboxing, meaning that he has a working relationship with the company, and could make one phone call to get a fight in the Bellator cage. I think that he would fair well against a good handful of the Welterweight and Lightweight roster- containing athletes such as Josh Thomson, David Rickles, Ryan Couture and Saad Awad- and I would love to see Parr get a huge check for his efforts.
Cael Sanderson
Cael Sanderson is the consensus best college wrestler to ever compete- going 159-0 in his career- and even won Olympic gold for the United States. Throughout his time wrestling, he has encountered and beaten the likes of UFC Heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier and Olympic silver medalist Yoel Romero, meaning that he has taken out two of the best MMA wrestlers of all time. So at age 39, shouldn’t Cael Sanderson try his hand at MMA before he is physically unable to?
I’m sure that he makes quite a bit of money as a coach, but the immense payday that would come along with his debut should be enough to coax him into the venture, and he has already established a relationship with Bellator as a commentator. Imagining Sanderson fight the likes of Ryan Bader makes me giddy with excitement, and if he can acquire a striking pedigree, then he might even be able to beat the current Bellator Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight champ-champ.
Eddie Bravo
Fans of The Joe Rogan Experience will undoubtedly recognize Eddie Bravo, but some may be surprised to know that he is one of the greatest jiu-jitsu experts alive today. Although Bravo has only competed in a handful of combat jiu-jitsu matches, he boasts wins over the likes of Royler Gracie, and won an ADCC gold medal. Not only that, but he invented the twister submission, owns 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu, has a 3rd degree black belt under the legendary Jean Jacques Machado, and trains notable MMA fighters such as former UFC champion Tony Ferguson, Kelvin Gastelum, current Bellator champion Ilima-Lei Macfarlane, Vinny Magalhaes, and legendary Welterweight Shinya Aoki.
So with roots so deep in the MMA world, why has Bravo never tried his hand at the combat sport? It could very well be due to his lack of striking pedigree, but as exemplified by fighters like Dillon Danis and Demian Maia, that doesn’t always matter. I would like to see Bravo fight someone like BJ Penn or Ryan Hall, and I think that he could easily submit anyone in the UFC once it hits the floor.
Paige
WWE Wrestler Paige is one of the most popular athletes on their roster right now, and with her biopic Fighting with My Family receiving critical acclaim right now, she is likely only going to get more popular. While I’m sure she is very happy with her current profession, and likely making lots of money, I think that she could easily make the transition into MMA with her athletic prowess. It may not be the smartest move financially, but if she is looking for a real physical and mental challenge, then MMA should be her target.
Paige is in excellent physical shape, and with even a small degree of boxing and jiu-jitsu, she could make a splash in women’s MMA. The sport is still not as evolved for women as it is for men, and that is entirely due to the fact that they were only allowed in the UFC as of 2012. If Paige started training right now, I think that she could be winning fights in smaller promotions in a year or less.
Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns’ health struggles are no secret among WWE fans, as the 33 year old former champion has recently revealed his struggle with leukemia. I could never imagine what it’s like to have to endure such a life threatening disease, and Roman’s focus is undoubtedly on getting healthy. However, I have unwavering faith that he will make a full recovery, and I hope that he does it as soon as possible.
When he does become healthy, should he simply return to professional wrestling? Wrestling has not been the lone sport Reigns has excelled at or loved, as he started his career in the NFL, so should he make a new transition at 33? I think he should. It would be so easy to write in Reigns as a champion after he beats cancer, but is that a real accomplishment?
Coming into MMA cancer free and winning a fight would be. Being a former football player on the level of the NFL proves that Reigns knows how to shift his weight and move like a competitor, and he undoubtedly knows how to throw a punch. You can look at him and tell that he has a lot of power, and I think that he would have a chance to land a one-punch knockout on anybody inside the cage.
Rob Gronkowski
Alas, we have reached the star athlete of this list. It is likely that everyone in the world knows who Rob Gronkowski is, and is a scary man to have to face on the football field. Imagine how much scarier he would be if he was trying to punch you in the face! We have seen an influx of football players go into MMA lately, with Greg Hardy being the most famous addition, and I think that someone in their athletic prime like Gronkowski could truly adapt to the sport.
If Gronk decided to go to a simple boxing class for a few months, I have complete faith that he would be able to starch Greg Hardy. If he decided that he wanted to make this into a career and train with the likes of Mark Henry or Matt Serra, then he could be a frightening UFC prospect. Whatever the case, thinking about how badly Rob Gronkowski would be able to knockout other crossover stars like Greg Hardy and Jake Hager makes me want to see him inside the cage, no matter how far fetched the idea is.
What athletes would you like to see in MMA? Let me know in the comments!
