Watch: Boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard trains in mixed martial arts

Sugar Ray Leonard is widely regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time. Born Ray Charles Leonard, nicknamed ‘Sugar’, the gifted pugilist won gold at the 1976 Olympics in the light welterweight division.

Leonard made his professional boxing debut in 1977 and competed in his final professional boxing match in 1997. He won world titles in five weight classes.

Alongside formidable rivals such as Roberto Duran, Thomas Hearns, and Marvin Hagler, Sugar Ray Leonard was a part of ‘The Fabulous Four’ of boxing. The vast majority of fans and experts credit the foursome for helping keep boxing as popular as ever in the 1980s.

This was a time that witnessed a transition from the Muhammad Ali era to a phase where interest in heavyweight boxing dropped until Mike Tyson took over in the late-1980s. Sugar Ray Leonard was one of the most popular boxers during this phase of boxing, particularly prior to the Mike Tyson era.

Sugar Ray Leonard’s brilliant striking skills and charismatic personality helped him become one of the biggest stars in combat sports history.

Now 65 years of age, Sugar Ray Leonard is still seen training to stay fit and continue his journey as a student of martial arts. As featured in some of the posts on his official Instagram account, Leonard has been honing his MMA skills.

Check out a compilation of some of Sugar Ray Leonard’s MMA and boxing training clips in the video below:

Sugar Ray Leonard is a lifelong student of martial arts

Marvin Hagler (left) vs. Sugar Ray Leonard (right)

Sugar Ray Leonard competed in 40 professional boxing matches and amassed a record of 36-3-1.

Despite earning several accolades in the combat sport of boxing, including an Olympic gold medal, Leonard doesn't rest on his laurels. The combat sports icon is open to acquiring new skills.

In a video showing his MMA and boxing training, Sugar Ray Leonard is seen hitting the pads with kicks and elbows, seemingly focusing on accuracy rather than brute force.

Furthermore, Leonard also hit the heavy bag with a flurry of punches and trained on the speed bag as well.

Sugar Ray Leonard explained that speed bag training is about concentration, accuracy and timing. Leonard then proceeded to showcase his impeccable technique on the training tool.