Football was never about big bucks and manicured pitches back in the day; it was about taking ‘one for the team’ albeit on a slightly hard-hitting level.
The sport of football was graced by people who could take a nasty knock to the shin and still play without any tantrums, something that is rarely seen in the era of the Messis and the Ronaldos.
Remember the iconic picture showing Terry Butcher with a bloodied jersey, playing a crucial World Cup qualifier in Sweden? The tall defender suffered a deep cut on his forehead and continued to play even after receiving stitches (while still heading the ball!)
The amount of carnage suffered on the pitch catapulted football onto a whole new paradigm, where enmities were sorted on the damned pitch instead of name-calling over social media!
Football has given us 6 such “fighters” who could have easily made it big in the world of Mixed Martial Arts:
#6 Vinnie Jones
Football’s hardest man Vinnie Jones makes it to the top spot, courtesy his ‘brute’ antics for which he was notorious for. Infamous for squishing Paul Gascoigne’s testicles while marking him (during his stint with Wimbledon), Vinnie Jones was a controversial figure in the game of football.
Put him in a fight in the octagon and I’m sure he won’t go down without one. His working-class roots stand testimony to his hard-man image, something that would take him a long way if he ever decides to put on the gloves!
If Freddie Flintoff can box (albeit horribly) and still win a bout, the Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels star can definitely be counted as a force to be reckoned with in the UFC!
Jones, who once got sent off in 3-bloody-seconds in a football game, may very well knock someone out in the same time (with one swing of the foot!)
#5 Roy Keane
One hard-man followed by another; the list would be rendered incomplete without the inclusion of former Manchester United captain, Roy Keane.
The tough Irish lad was a prime example of a sportsman with a predator’s instinct, something that translated into his extremely successful football career with Nottingham Forest and Manchester United. Keane lived and breathed football, paying no heed to anything going on in the periphery.
His altercations and rivalries made him one of the most feared men on the pitch and why wouldn’t they? From having a swing at Alan Shearer to ending Alf-Inge Haaland’s career after a devastating tackle, Keane is someone who’d definitely administer fatal beatings if he was put in a fight inside the octagon!
The Haaland ‘revenge-tackle’, as alleged by the fourth estate, was a carefully planned act. Imagine bumping heads with someone of the temperament of Roy Maurice Keane; not to forget that he grew up as an amateur boxer with a 4-0 win record to his name!
#4 Zlatan Ibrahimovic
“Zlatan doesn’t fear fighting, fighting fears Zlatan”
The next name to pop up on the list belongs to the man with the repertoire of a professional martial arts practitioner.
The 6’5 Swede, with the gift of his martial arts-esque ability to score goals that often elicit surprised responses, can definitely be a force to be reckoned with if he ever tried his luck at Mixed Martial Arts.
Armed with a black belt in Taekwondo that he earned at the age of 17 (in his hometown of Malmo), Ibracadabra also has an honorary black belt from the Italian Taekwondo team!
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is the perfect embodiment of size, strength, stamina and speed, spawning a deadly combination of the four variables that go into the making of a top fighter. Ibrahimovic is agile for someone of that stature and despite his age, he never seems to stop!
To top that, the man even knows how to cut promos that would “sell” big in Dana White’s Ultimate Fighting Championship!
#3 Paul Pogba
Paul Pogba is a lethal kickboxer, something that is documented in one of his Instagram posts. In the video, Pogba was shown peppering his trainer’s cushioned pads with kicks, punches, knee strikes and elbows.
He also exhibited the ‘Pogba Combo’ which was a deadly combination of punches, followed by a turn and a high kick. The young lad is not only big and strong, but his poacher’s attitude is what makes him so deadly; something that would work in his favour if he ever decided to go for UFC gold!
Paul Pogba knows no fear, is built like a bull, keeps abreast with the latest hairstyle trends and earns a handsome fee for the work he does. Not so different from the UFC, eh?
#2 Eric Cantona
(Damn, this list is turning into a Manchester United Fight League list!)
The name ‘Eric Cantona’ is often synonymous with the infamous ‘Kung Fu’ kick that shocked the footballing fraternity almost 22 years ago.
After being sent off in a game against Crystal Palace, Eric Cantona, who was already notorious for showing fiery temper tantrums, ran towards the stands to deliver a thud onto the chest of a fan who had spewed abuses at him.
The fan allegedly told Eric to “fuck off back to France”, which was met with a knee-jerk reaction (literally!) Cantona, after kicking the fan, proceeded to deliver a series of punches before being pulled off. Cantona later said he hadn’t punched the fan hard enough. Woah!
Had Cantona switched careers and made a move to Mixed Martial Arts, he would have fared just as well as he did on the footballing pitch.
#1 Adebayo Akinfewa
Big, strong and brutal, those are the qualities that describe Adebayo Akinfewa. Built like a strongman, this beast of an athlete can break a man’s face with his bare hands; and if he decides to forge a career out of breaking faces, the UFC is the rightful place.
Akinfewa is ranked as the strongest footballer in the world and has built a reputation around this. He weighs around 101 kg and is known to bench press almost double his own body weight.
The strong Wycombe Wanderers star who is also nicknamed “The Beast” is one intimidating figure and has had his share of altercations with players on the pitch, notably with Dele Alli during his days at MK Dons. If he ever comes to the UFC, may the lord have mercy on the heavyweight champion!
Who did we miss out on? Let us know in the comments below.
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