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In recent years, it has become commonplace for MMA fighters to ply their trade in the boxing ring. After all, boxing is a core discipline in MMA. Alas, the extra variables presented by MMA often necessitate specific changes in order for the sweet science to be applicable in a mixed martial arts setting.
Fighters are encouraged to be wary of standing with most of their weight loaded on their lead leg lest they overexpose themselves to low kicks and takedowns. Furthermore, stepping forward as one jabs causes one's stance to extend, the consequence of which overexposes the lead leg to the new king of the MMA meta: calf kicks.
Despite the technical differences between MMA boxing and traditional boxing, mixed martial artists have always sought to test themselves in the squared circle. Whether it's due to a competitive itch in need of scratching or the pursuit of a massive payday, there is always something that draws mixed martial artists to the boxing ring.
Conor McGregor's loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. is perhaps the best known example of an MMA star entering the ring. Alas, the Irishman's attempts ended in failure.
This list, however, does not cover MMA stars who have failed in boxing. Instead, this list goes over five MMA standouts who have dominated the sport of boxing, be it before their MMA careers, during or after.
#5. Vitor Belfort
Brazilian legend Vitor Belfort is one of the most fearsome strikers in MMA history. Blessed with a breadth of knockout power, speed and explosiveness, 'The Phenom' was a force of nature in the cage.
Not only did he possess natural athletic gifts to overwhelm his foes as a buzzsaw of violent offense, he also had a fierce willingness to brutalize his opponents.
His was a killer instinct that cannot be taught. While the former UFC light heavyweight champion has not competed in MMA since 2018, his combat sports career has found a new life in boxing. 'The Phenom's most recent boxing match was a 1st-round TKO win over former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield last year at a Triller event.
While many were surprised by the Brazilian's performance, it was not his first-ever boxing match. Vitor Belfort's boxing debut came over a decade ago in 2006 when he KO'd Josemario Neves in the 1st round.
Although his win over Evander Holyfield was an exhibition bout, it earned him a November 19 match with Hasim Rahman Jr. for a potential 3-0 run in the boxing ring.
#4. Cris Cyborg
Like fellow Brazilian Vitor Belfort, Cris Cyborg has built a reputation as a vicious striker. With seismic punching power in either fist, the WMMA pioneer has competed in MMA and achieved immeasurable success.
She is one of the most decorated mixed martial artists in the sport's history and is its first-ever and thus far only Grand Slam Champion.
Cyborg has held championship gold in the UFC, Invicta FC, Strikeforce and Bellator. Despite her many accolades in MMA, the Brazilian legend's competitive spirit cannot be tamed by success in only one sport.
As a purple belt, she is also a two-time gold medalist in the IBJJF's World jiu-jitsu Championship. She also competed in kickboxing en route to a 2-1 run.
With only the boxing world left for her to explore, the MMA Grand Slam Champion recently made her debut this weekend against Simone Silva, a former Brazilian National Boxing Champion. Cris Cyborg emerged victorious, claiming a convincing unanimous decision win to set up an interesting future in the squared circle.
#3. Anderson Silva
The last Brazilian on this list, Anderson Silva is cut from a different stylistic cloth compared to Cris Cyborg and Vitor Belfort. 'The Spider' is a more elusive counter-striker whose legacy is defined by a 16-fight win streak in the UFC.
By keeping his hands low and using a constant stream of feints and taunts, Anderson Silva presented his foes with a seemingly open target in the form of his exposed chin.
Unfortunately for his foes, whenever they took the bait, 'The Spider' simply pulled back from his waist and leaned away from their punches. Doing so caused his opponents to overextend and run into his devastating counterpunches.
It led to a tremendous stream of MMA success as Silva captured the UFC middleweight title, defending it 10 times to earn the second most consecutive title defenses in UFC history.
Throughout his UFC career, 'The Spider' entertained a matchup with former world champion boxer Roy Jones Jr. Unfortunately, Dana White brought a swift end to the potential bout. However, upon the Brazilian's MMA retirement, his dream of pursuing a career in boxing became possible.
In March of last year, Anderson Silva defeated former WBC middleweight champion Julio César Chávez Jr. via split-decision. He followed that performance months later by defeating former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz via KO in the 1st round.
A perfect 2-0 in boxing, 'The Spider' hopes to extend his streak to 3-0 by defeating Jake Paul on October 29.
#2. Israel Adesanya
Israel Adesanya is the dominant UFC middleweight champion of the current era. A tall and rangy striker whose kickboxing experience renders him a frustrating foe for his opponents to deal with, 'The Last Stylebender' has been all but untouchable in the 185 lbs weight class.
The Nigerian fights from the outside where his reach and height enabled him to tag his opponents without fear of counterfire. From such a distance, Adesanya throws devastating low kicks. Once the danger of his kicks is firmly implanted in his foe's mind, he implements hip feints by thrusting his hips to tease more kicks.
When his opponents overreact to the feints by dropping their hands to catch his kicking leg, Adesanya throws something over the top.
While there is far more to his striking, 'The Last Stylebender' built his fighting system using lessons learned from his past as a kickboxer and boxer. Long before his UFC run, the Nigerian's boxing debut took place in 2014 where he suffered a highly contested loss that many believe he did enough to win.
Nevertheless, Israel Adesanya continued his boxing journey. His next 5 bouts were all victories as the Nigerian took part in two different tournaments to capture the Super 8 III Cruiserweight Championship and the Super 8 IV Cruiserweight Championship en route to a 6-1 record in the squared circle.
#1. Holly Holm
Holly Holm will forever be remembered as the woman who ended Ronda Rousey's unbeaten MMA run in devastating fashion. In front of a record-setting crowd in Melbourne, Australia, 'The Preacher's Daughter' outworked and outstruck 'Rowdy' in such a one-sided fashion that the 2nd round head-kick KO almost seemed merciful.
The footwork and lateral movement that Holm displayed in that bout were due to her experience in kickboxing and especially boxing. Holm is not the best puncher from a technical standpoint. She fights from a pull-counter stance without using pull-counters and throws her jab after stepping forward instead of while stepping forward.
Yet, none of that mattered in her boxing career. 'The Preacher's Daughter' possessed natural athleticism, cerebral clinch work, endless cardio to fuel her constant movement, and footwork to help her pivot at angles.
It enabled her to capture three world championships in boxing, where she defended 16 times across three different weight classes before eventually transitioning to mixed martial arts.
