Former light heavyweight champion of the world Jean Pascal has joined the boxer vs. mixed martial artist trend by calling out UFC welterweight Nick Diaz, but is this more a media exercise than a genuine offer to fight? The debate of boxer vs. MMA fighter in MMA rules was seemingly settled by Randy Couture in […]
Former light heavyweight champion of the world Jean Pascal has joined the boxer vs. mixed martial artist trend by calling out UFC welterweight Nick Diaz, but is this more a media exercise than a genuine offer to fight? The debate of boxer vs. MMA fighter in MMA rules was seemingly settled by Randy Couture in […]
Speculation about a money-spinning mega fight between MMA superstar Conor McGregor and boxing legend Floyd Mayweather Jr. has only been intensifying in early 2017, but it remains to be seen whether the sides will ever be able to jump over all the hurdles necessary to make this dream match-up a reality. Even if a deal
Speculation about a money-spinning mega fight between MMA superstar Conor McGregor and boxing legend Floyd Mayweather Jr. has only been intensifying in early 2017, but it remains to be seen whether the sides will ever be able to jump over all the hurdles necessary to make this dream match-up a reality.
Even if a deal could be reached, it’s already clear there’s no chance Mayweather would risk his undefeated 49-0 boxing record by agreeing to fight ‘The Notorious’ under MMA rules, but there are examples of other boxing champions in the past who threw caution to the wind and put their reputations on the line by testing themselves in the cage.
Of course, that’s led to some well known boxing stars being handed humbling defeats over the years, and that’s no great surprise given that MMA is such a multi-faceted sport with kicks, knees, and elbows bringing a completely different dynamic to striking, while grappling disciplines like wrestling and jiu-jitsu are the stuff of nightmares for the untrained.
That being said, as you’ll read in the pages to follow, there are also a few boxing champions who have successfully managed to compete in the sport of MMA, whether it’s due to having had previous martial arts experience in the past, having benefited from favorable match-ups, or simply being in the right place at the right time to land a fight-ending punch!
James Toney
A three-division champion who held IBF titles at middleweight, super-middleweight and cruiserweight, James Toney is considered to be one of the best boxers of his generation.
In fact, famed boxing coach Freddie Roach once stated that Toney had the most natural ability of anybody he’d ever trained, and with more discipline could have been the best of all-time.
Toney has always been known for being outspoken and supremely confident, two attributes which led to him talking Dana White into giving him a fight in the UFC back in 2010 despite him being 42 years old and having no prior MMA experience at the time.
White paired Toney up against 47 year-old UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture, who was only too eager to disprove ‘Lights Out’s’ pre-fight boasts that MMA fighters were “inferior” and that he’d become a UFC world champion.
Within seconds of the fight commencing at UFC 118, Couture had effortlessly managed to take the boxer down and from there, he toyed with him for several minutes like he was a small child before forcing him to tap out due to an arm triangle choke.
Toney earned $500,000 for what would prove to be his only MMA fight, though the IRS confiscated his fight purse that same night due to the fact he was under investigation by them at the time.
Boxing and MMA crossovers are not as exclusive to Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather; relive the last time both sports went head to head when Toney met Couture.
James Toney was one of the greatest boxers to ever compete in boxing’s middleweight division. When it was announced that he would face UFC legend Randy Couture at UFC 118 in Boston, Massachusetts, many were intrigued. However, it was not a debut to remember for the multi-weight boxing champ.
Those looking for a pertinent frame of reference when it comes to boxing v MMA can use the James Toney v Randy Couture fight as a reasonable argument against the effectiveness of “the sweet science” in the octagon. While a fight between McGregor and Mayweather would more than likely have to be in the ring rather than the octagon, this is the closest we have ever known in terms of elite boxer v elite MMA.
Should memory of the marquee fight fail most, mmanews.com has the video for you to enjoy below. For those who can remember the fight, who were you backing?
https://streamable.com/cjc0t
Boxing and MMA crossovers are not as exclusive to Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather; relive the last time both sports went head to head when Toney met Couture.
James Toney was one of the greatest boxers to ever compete in boxing’s middleweight division. When it was announced that he would face UFC legend Randy Couture at UFC 118 in Boston, Massachusetts, many were intrigued. However, it was not a debut to remember for the multi-weight boxing champ.
Those looking for a pertinent frame of reference when it comes to boxing v MMA can use the James Toney v Randy Couture fight as a reasonable argument against the effectiveness of “the sweet science” in the octagon. While a fight between McGregor and Mayweather would more than likely have to be in the ring rather than the octagon, this is the closest we have ever known in terms of elite boxer v elite MMA.
Should memory of the marquee fight fail most, mmanews.com has the video for you to enjoy below. For those who can remember the fight, who were you backing?
The UFC’s Octagon has always been a cruel and merciless mistress. If a fighter doesn’t have what it takes to compete in the sports ultimate proving ground then they are generally weeded out in short order, more often than not in violent, and occasionally downright humiliating fashion. In this article we’ll go on the hunt
The UFC’s Octagon has always been a cruel and merciless mistress.
If a fighter doesn’t have what it takes to compete in the sports ultimate proving ground then they are generally weeded out in short order, more often than not in violent, and occasionally downright humiliating fashion.
In this article we’ll go on the hunt for 12 of the most disastrous debuts in UFC history, from the earliest years of the sport right through the present day.
These were performances so woefully inept or downright devastating that either the fighter was immediately shown the exit door, or they themselves came to the conclusion that the fight game was not for them after all.
So, without further ado, let’s take a look at 12 ex-UFC fighters who are members of a small, exclusive group that no-one wants to be part of – the ‘one and done’ club.
MMAMayhemRadio‘s Ashley Luther caught up with Quinton “Rampage” Jackson following his Bellator 120 decision win against King Mo, and first off, I just want to congratulate Rampage for making it through a two-minute segment with a female reporter without getting his hump on. (Although he did give us a new quote to add to his interview highlight reel: “I don’t beat ladies…I just beat it up.” Quinton, you classy son of a bitch.)
With Rampage’s next fight in Bellator uncertain, Luther asked him who he’d like to fight next. Jackson’s answer time-warped us back to the MMA glory days of 2009-2010:
“Actually, to be honest, I want to fight somebody else that’s on my pissed-off list. I got two more guys. I got Titties, and I got James Toney. I want to fight one of those guys, honestly…I just want to beat up everybody who’s been pissing me off.”
MMAMayhemRadio‘s Ashley Luther caught up with Quinton “Rampage” Jackson following his Bellator 120 decision win against King Mo, and first off, I just want to congratulate Rampage for making it through a two-minute segment with a female reporter without getting his hump on. (Although he did give us a new quote to add to his interview highlight reel: “I don’t beat ladies…I just beat it up.” Quinton, you classy son of a bitch.)
With Rampage’s next fight in Bellator uncertain, Luther asked him who he’d like to fight next. Jackson’s answer time-warped us back to the MMA glory days of 2009-2010:
“Actually, to be honest, I want to fight somebody else that’s on my pissed-off list. I got two more guys. I got Titties, and I got James Toney. I want to fight one of those guys, honestly…I just want to beat up everybody who’s been pissing me off.”
“Titties” of course is Darrill Schoonover, the soft-spoken heavyweight who became a target of Rampage’s on TUF 10 simply because his body had developed earlier than the other boys. James Toney is the gibberish-speaking boxing champ who Randy Couture choked out at UFC 118, and who later called Rampage a “slave to the white man” who “got the Klu Klux Klan behind him.” I gotta be honest — I would happily pay money to see James Toney get humiliated in another MMA fight. And if any promotion is crazy/desperate enough to put it together on pay-per-view, it’s Bellator, right?
13. Basically refusing to sign Cris Cyborg forever.
14. Lying about all the fighter’s credentials and accomplishments for UFC 1.
15. Lying about all the fighter’s credentials and accomplishments in the modern day.
16. Instant rematches when the wrong guy wins.
17. Interviewing Hulk Hogan and the Undertaker whenever they show up at events.
18. The fact that you can buy Arianny t-shirts on the UFC website.
19. Every single time when they brought a potential opponent into the cage to square off with someone who just won their fight (this is our favorite example).
20. Bringing back Tank Abbott in the early 2000′s.
