5 special rules fights to make with UFC fighters

#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.