Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is known as the ‘Savage Science’ while Cricket is referred to as ‘The Gentleman’s Sport’. Quite the opposites, right? Not really folks!
Regardless of whether you’re a lover of the savage science or a purist of the gentleman’s sport, you can’t deny the fact that both aforementioned sports demand a high-level of skill, will, training and dedication, among many other things.
Cricket features several elite athletes known for their power, endurance, speed and agility. And it goes without saying that MMA is one of the most, if not THE most physically and mentally demanding sports in the world.
MMA has seen several cross-over stars step into the cage and find varying levels of success as Mixed Martial Artists, namely Brock Lesnar, Matt Mitrione, Ronda Rousey, Holly Holm, Valentina Shevchenko and several others.
That brings us to today’s special edition where we take a look at some of Cricket’s top stars and how well they’d be able to transition their athletic abilities from the pitch to the cage. Let’s take a look:
#5 AB de Villiers
When you talk about MMA, the first thing that comes to mind are the wild cage-fighters often portrayed as brutes in Hollywood movies.
However, that’s far from the truth, MMA is a legitimate sport and as evidenced by the success of several gentleman-like, intelligent fighters such as Georges St-Pierre, Stephen Thompson, Daniel Cormier, Junior Dos Santos and many others; the savage science boasts of several smart and knowledgeable competitors.
Now when you think of modern day cricket and about the smartest professionals in the gentleman’s sport, the first name that pops up is none other than the South-African phenom AB de Villiers.
Standing at 5’10” tall, AB is one of the smaller athletes in modern-day cricket, however, he more than makes up for it with his otherworldly skills, impeccable timing and his hawk-like hand-eye coordination. The multi-talented de Villiers has also excelled in the sports of golf, tennis, rugby, among others.
Now mind you, as fans, our job is fantasy matchmaking and speculation, and with that said, AB has all the basic skills required to be a great MMA fighter.
His penchant for learning, his timing, co-ordination, footwork, ability to cut angles on the field and delivering excellent performances whilst being under pressure makes him the perfect candidate for a transition to the cage.
The SA star is truly one of the greatest of all time and would have done just fine in the MMA world as well.
Which brings us to cricket’s most destructive force...
#4 Chris Gayle
MMA has witnessed its’ fair share of powerful behemoths with natural KO power such as Mark Hunt, Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson, Alistair Overeem and Stipe Miocic, among others.
Along with martial arts skills and the will to fight, a select few combatants have held a significant edge over their foes owing to the incredible physical strength that they possess. The closest thing we have to such physically dominating competitors in the sport of cricket is the perpetrator of ‘The Gayle Storm’ himself, Chris Gayle.
One of the most controversial personalities off the pitch, Gayle is known for his cool-as-a-cucumber approach against the world’s best bowlers, as well as for his ability to clear not only the stands but entire stadiums at times, with his sixes. He also holds the record for most centuries in T-20 cricket.
Now although most of you are more than acquainted with the Jamaican assassin, not many are aware of the fact that early on in his career, Gayle suffered from a heart condition, a congenital heart defect that caused cardiac dysrhythmia.
Gayle didn’t give up, however, and after working with several top medical professionals returned to fitness. He then went on to have a career resurgence and ended up having one of the most legendary careers in the history of the sport.
Gayle is a fighter at heart, and would have been just as successful in the MMA world, had he decided to go that route in his career.
That brings us to one of the most notorious sledgers of this era...
#3 Mitchell Johnson
One of the most desirable qualities in an MMA combatant is speed, with fighters such as Demetrius ‘Might Mouse’ Johnson, Tyron Woodley, Valentina Shevchenko and several others dominating their opponents by always being one step ahead.
As the saying goes, in the fight game, Speed Kills! Now when you couple that attribute with trash-talking abilities and mental warfare, you have a nigh-unstoppable MMA fighter on your hands.
When you talk about speed in cricket you think about players such as Shoaib Akhtar, Brett Lee, Michael Holding, Joel Garner, Malcolm Marshall, Dale Steyn etc. One name conspicuously missing from the aforementioned list, however, is 6’2” Aussie fireball Mitchell Johnson.
Now before you cricket-maniacs jump on me, be rest assured that I am well aware of the fact that Johnson has always been one of the most inconsistent speedsters for the Aussies. Regardless, just hear me out.
Mitchell Johnson has been one of Australia’s greatest bowlers and has taken over 500 wickets in International cricket. A gifted athlete, Johnson has helped the Australian Cricket team put up several comebacks with both the bat and the ball and has proven himself as a highly tenacious opponent on the pitch.
Clocking speeds north of 150 km/h time-and-again, his fastest ball came against England in 2013 at 156.8 km/h. Combine that kind of speed with his mind games and you have an intimidating foe on the field.
Johnson’s speed would carry over perfectly into MMA, and his excellence in getting into the minds of his opponents would serve him well, were he to make a transition into the sport. Maybe a training session with Kiwi Heavyweight legend Mark Hunt is in the near future for the Aussie cricketer.
That brings us to the rebels of world cricket...
#2 Kevin Pietersen
MMA is a challenging sport, not only physically but mentally as well.
The sport is filled with rebels who aren’t afraid to go against the system. Several of the sport’s most well-known and successful competitors are rebels such as Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz, Jon Jones, Cody Garbrandt and Brock Lesnar, to name a few.
On the other hand, one of the most polarising personalities in the gentleman’s sport is the batsman and spin bowler, Kevin Pietersen. Born in Pietermaritzburg, Natal province, South Africa, the 6’5” cricketer moved to England owing to his disagreement with SA cricket’s racial quota system.
This, in turn, earned him criticism from fellow-South Africans including big names such as ex-SA captain Graeme Smith. In fact, Pietersen’s nickname is ‘The Ego’ or in Shane Warne’s words, ‘The Walking Ego’.
KP has had disagreements with almost every domestic and international team he’s been associated with and has no regrets whatsoever.
Apart from his devil-may-care attitude, KP’s unorthodox batting abilities and incredible high-flying fielding skills serve to further solidify his place as not only one of the best athletes but also one of the most mentally strong competitors in world cricket.
‘The Ego’ is a perfect fit for the savage science and hey! KP already has a marketable nickname, after all, who doesn’t love people with huge egos...cough... Conor McGregor. Here’s a look at the bad blood between KP and Mitchell Johnson.
That brings us to the New King of Cricket and a self-confessed ‘Notorious’ fan...
#1 Virat Kohli
The sport of Mixed Martial Arts, as the name suggests, involves the usage of every martial art style in the world and the battle of said styles is usually won by the combatant who is the more well-rounded and balanced of the two.
MMA fighters train extensively in the arts of boxing, wrestling, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), Muay Thai, kickboxing, Sambo and several other martial arts. As various legendary martial artists such as GSP, Fedor Emelianenko, Joanna Jedrzejczyk and many others have alluded to in the past - Balance is key to martial arts greatness.
When it comes to cricket and its most well-rounded sportsmen, the name that instantly pops up is that of the ‘New King of World Cricket’, Virat Kohli. Kohli is one of the most technically gifted cricketers and confident sportspersons to ever grace the pitch.
One of the most famous personalities in the sporting world, his net worth is estimated to be north of US$92 Million, with several national and international brand endorsements for the hot-headed Indian cricketer.
Now God help me but I’m simply unable to remember a guy with a personality that is eerily similar to the Indian phenom... Not really!
The one person that comes to mind when you compare MMA and Cricket, is ‘The Notorious’ Conor McGregor, who, just like Kohli, is known for being short-tempered, charismatic and for being dominant wherever he goes.
And yet another bond between the two global superstars is their love for the green, with both Kohli and McGregor being multi-millionaires and not being one bit shy about showing off their wealth.
Furthermore, Kohli is a ‘Notorious’ fan! Here’s a tweet by the leader of the ‘Viratians’ acknowledging McGregor’s statements:
How about Kohli training with McGregor at his SBG gym in Ireland? Well, an MMA fan can dream, damn it!
It’s essential to note that although these cricketing superstars may never step inside the cage, one can’t help but speculate how they would’ve done had they opted to pursue MMA early in their respective careers instead.
Nevertheless, whether you’re an MMA Fanatic or Cricket Maniac or a hybrid fan, keep up with our combat tradition and make sure that you write to me about cricketers and fighters that you feel deserve a mention on our list!
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