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Fighting in the UFC and doing so in a boxing ring are two separate aspects of combat sports. Although being able to box is a basic requirement in MMA, a mixed martial artist would have to overcome a different set of challenges if they were to win inside a boxing ring.
Finding success in the squared circle requires a significantly different approach than MMA, owing to the different rules of professional boxing.
Boxing allows fighters to win with no strikes other than punches, all above the torso, and hano provision for ground and pound. It compensates for the lack of varied strikes and grappling in MMA with requirements for more stamina, footwork technicality, speed, power and punching precision.
The duration of a round in an MMA fight is five minutes long, which is two minutes longer than the three-minute rounds in boxing. However, in an MMA fight, fighters see a maximum of 25 minutes of action with five rounds, whereas there are 12 rounds in a pro-boxing match, which makes the fight a longer affair at 36 minutes.
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The ability to punch for 36 minutes and win by decision or knockout against fighters who have trained only in boxing is one of the primary challenges for an MMA fighter in a boxing ring.
Because boxing skills are a basic requirement in MMA, there are plenty of fighters in the UFC who rely on their boxing prowess alone to win fights. That leads their fans to believe that these fighters could also defeat boxers on their own turf in a boxing ring.
On that note, let's have a look at five current UFC heavy-hitters fans would love to see in a boxing ring:
#5 Former UFC two-weight division champion Conor McGregor
Two different worlds of high-level MMA and pro-boxing met in the boxing ring when UFC star Conor McGregor faced Floyd Mayweather in a boxing match.
Conor McGregor is known for his precise punches in terms of timing and technique. His skills in boxing have earned him most of his wins in the MMA by way of knockouts.
Although McGregor lost his fight against the undefeated Floyd Mayweather, he proved to the world that MMA fighters could give boxers a run for their money.
McGregor lasted ten rounds in this fight and also managed to land some heavy shots on his undefeated opponent when everyone was expecting him to get knocked out in the early rounds.
For this reason, fight fans would love to see the Irishman in the boxing ring again.
#4 Nate Diaz
While he has a strong background in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, Stockton native Nate Diaz is better known for his ability as a pressure fighter who lasts for long periods of time.
While he does not have an impressive number of knockout wins in the UFC, Diaz has managed to knock down opponents on several occasions.
His exploits as a pressure fighter are thanks to his unending cardio that comes from training and competing in triathlons.
Another peculiar aspect about Diaz is that he just doesn't get knocked out. To date, he has had only one loss by knockout. He gives credit for that to his vegan diet and its anti-inflammatory effects on the body.
Diaz had his most recent outing against Leon Edwards at UFC 263. The fight ended in a fifth-round decision loss for Diaz. Nonetheless, he was given credit for making the fight go to the judges' scorecards even after taking a lot of heavy blows from his opponent.
In the post-fight press conference, when asked about Diaz's durability, UFC president Dana White said:
"He's(Diaz) going to be asking us for a six-round fight the next time"
Well, he may not get a six-round fight in MMA any time soon. But his fans are confident that Diaz could last all 12 rounds in a boxing match and win by earning enough points with his pressure fighting if not by knockout.
Moreover, Diaz's ability to trash talk and taunt his opponents during fights would also make his boxing match more entertaining.
#3 Dustin Poirier
While his predecessors on this list lack either cardio or knockout power, Dustin Poirier has plenty of both. Poirier started his fighting career as a boxer but transitioned to MMA only two years after getting into boxing.
Poirier lives up to his moniker by being one of the hardest brawlers in the UFC. The fact that he only has two losses by knockout in 34 professional fights is a testament to that.
Apart from being a brawler, Poirier also manages distance optimally with his deft footwork and positioning. He engages in the pocket only when he finds a good footing while measuring his opponents, which takes some time.
In his last fight at UFC 257 against Conor McGregor, he handed the Irishman his first knockout loss. Poirier also sports 13 knockout wins, all of which have come by way of his punching prowess.
Fight fans would love to see how hard 'The Diamond' really is if he takes punches from a seasoned boxer and lands some of his own in the square-shaped ring.
#2 Derrick Lewis
Moving on towards the UFC heavyweight division, Derrick Lewis has a background in amateur boxing. He was under the tutelage of legendary heavyweight boxer George Foreman for some time.
'The Black Beast' possesses immense knockout power in his right hand. In his fights, he is in a scenario resembling that of Deontay Wilder's, wherein he does not need to be a perfect fighter throughout the fight. He just needs to be perfect for one moment when he sees an opening to land his right hand to knock out his opponent.
Although Lewis has a small gas tank due to his size, he has won 25 fights in his MMA career, out of which 20 have been by knockout. Most of his knockout wins have come in the UFC.
Lewis' knockout power has had even the hardest puncher in his division, Francis Ngannou, to be extremely cautious about engaging in a striking exchange in their fight at UFC 230. Lewis ended up winning that fight by decision.
#1 Francis Ngannou
While his predecessor on this list needs to wait for long periods of time for an opportunity to land his right hand, Francis 'The Predator' Ngannou has bulldozed his way into quick knockout victories. That includes a long list of celebrated UFC heavyweights, including Alistair Overeem, Andrei Arlovski, Curtis Blaydes, Cain Velasquez, Junior Dos Santos and Jairzinho Rozenstruik.
Ngannou became the UFC heavyweight champion after a second-round knockout victory over Stipe Miocic in their second fight at UFC 260.
Fans would love to see how the UFC heavyweight champion fares against professional heavyweight boxers. They reckon Francis Ngannou's fights may not get dragged in the early rounds of a boxing match.
