5 special rules fights to make with UFC fighters

We recently saw former UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson compete in a special rules fight at ONE Championship X. He defeated Muay Thai world champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon in a bout that alternated between rounds of Muay Thai and MMA.

Leading up to the fight, fans speculated whether it would be Rodtang or Johnson who would have the greater advantage competing in their specialty. Ultimately, it proved to be 'Mighty Mouse' as he submitted his opponent via rear naked choke in the second round.

The special rules fight is a unique event that could create a number of interesting match-ups in the future. It opens the door to competition between different combat sports and could be something we see more of in the future. Perhaps we could soon see UFC fighters competing in these bouts.

With that in mind, here are five special rules fights to make with UFC fighters:

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#5. UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou vs. Gable Steveson

Francis Ngannou holds a record of 17-3

Francis Ngannou established himself as the best heavyweight in the UFC when he defeated Ciryl Gane despite being seriously injured. Gable Steveson is every bit as good in the wrestling world and he proved as much when he won Olympic gold at just 21-years-old.

A special rules between these two bouts could be an interesting showcase of the best heavyweights in MMA and wrestling. For this to work, the first round would definitely have to be wrestling focused and with the very real possibility of Steveson securing a technical fall in that round.

It would be interesting to see if Ngannou's improved grappling would be enough to see him survive that round. There could then be a round of MMA, potentially with head gearand shinguards, where we could get a taste of Steveson's potential in tthesport. He has teased a move to the UFC but is currently signed to the WWE.

Ultimately, this bout doesn't rank higher as Ngannou is such a dangerous striker that it would likely not make sense to put Steveson in there against him. Even with extensive safety measures, the risk of being injured by Ngannou would likely be enough to put Steveson off this hypothetical bout for the moment.

#4. Conor McGregor vs. Gennady Golovkin

Conor McGregor holds a record of 22-6

Conor McGregor has already ventured out of the UFC to take on a boxer in the past, so perhaps he could do so again in a fairer, special rules environment. On top of that, for a man who seems to be in between the 155 lb and 170 lb weight classes, competing in boxing's 160 lb middleweight division could be appealing.

Having taken on an all-time great in Floyd Mayweather, he may well not be put off by taking on another in Gennady Golovkin. Golovkin holds multiple world championships and the only blotches on his record are a draw and a loss against Canelo Alvarez. Both of these results were considered highly controversial.

While Golovkin would clearly have the advantage in the boxing department, McGregor would have an even greater advantage in MMA. To make this bout fair, perhaps the pair should contest at least two rounds of boxing for every one round of MMA.

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#3. Sean Brady vs. Craig Jones II

Sean Brady holds a record of 15-0

This special rules bout may not be nearly as high-profile as some of the others on this list, but it could also be the most intriguing. Sean Brady and Craig Jones have already competed at FURY Grapping 3 when the UFC fighter shockingly upset the BJJ specialist.

While this might lead you to believe a special rules bout would not be necessary, that might not be the case. Their previous grappling bout did not permit leglocks, which left Jones without one of his signature weapons. Additionally, he might be able to perform relatively well in the world of MMA.

Jones could attempt to pull guard, as he did repeatedly in their grappling match, and the MMA fight would quickly become a BJJ contest with added striking. So, a bout with a round of BJJ followed by a round of MMA could be quite competitive.

It would be truly interesting to see how this special rules bout would play out and would be a fun way to continue the pair's budding rivalry.

#2. Paulo Costa vs. Logan Paul

Logan Paul holds a professional boxing record of 0-1

Logan Paul has been teasing a UFC bout for some time, but given his experience in boxing, perhaps a special rules bout could be a great introduction. He could compete in the sport he's already done professionally for one round before trying his hand at MMA in the next.

As for an opponent, he's already trained with UFC fighter Paulo Costa in the past, so he seems like an obvious choice. While Paul has shown interest in a potential fight with Paddy Pimblett, he isn't close to the lightweight limit and a bout at 205 lb makes more sense.

While it's tough to tell from the limited training footage we saw from Paulo Costa, the YouTuber seemed to at least be competitive in their exchanges. Adding rounds of boxing into the equation could level the playing just enough for this to be an entertaining spectacle.

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#1. Kamaru Usman vs. Canelo Alvarez

Canelo Alvarez holds a boxing record of 58-1-2

Kamaru Usman and Canelo Alvarez represent the very best from the sports of MMA and boxing respectively. While there has been some talk of a potential boxing bout between the pair, a special rules bout would produce a much more interesting contest.

The reason the boxing bout hasn't caught on is that very few people believe UFC welterweight champion Usman would stand much of a chance. With that being said, 'The Nigerian Nightmare' would have an even greater advantage in the world of MMA. Therefore, swapping discipline each round would not make sense here.

Instead, going 2-3 rounds of boxing before introducing MMA might produce the most level playing field for these two exceptional athletes to compete. It would be fascinating to see the two best combat athletes today compete in what could be a competitive fight between the pair.