Israel Adesanya, Dana White, Georges St-Pierre show respect to Sugar Ray Leonard for doing kickboxing drills at 65

Some UFC heavy hitters like Israel Adesanya had high praise for Sugar Ray Leonard.
Some UFC heavy hitters like Israel Adesanya had high praise for Sugar Ray Leonard.

Sugar Ray Leonard tried his hand (and feet) at some kickboxing training and many MMA personalities have offered praise.

Sugar Ray Leonard is no stranger to the realm of combat sports. In his heyday, he managed to secure boxing titles in five different weight classes. As an inductee to the International Boxing Hall of Fame, Leonard is a staple in any discussion geared towards boxing greats.

Sugar Ray Leonard's body of work was mostly compiled in the 1980s. The veteran boxer was part of the 'Four Kings' which consisted of, Roberto Durán, Thomas Hearns, and Marvin Hagler.

Last week, the boxing legend took to Instagram to share a video of himself practicing some kickboxing drills.

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Following the video, UFC president Dana White shared some positive energy for one of the best boxers to ever lace up a pair of gloves.

Current UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya and Georges St-Pierre also had high praise for Sugar Ray Leonard. 'The Last Stylebender' is slated to face Robert Whittaker in a highly anticipated rematch scheduled for February 12th.

[Image; @sugarrayleonard on Instagram]
[Image; @sugarrayleonard on Instagram]

Sugar Ray Leonard continues trend of boxers crossing over into other combat sports

At 65, Sugar Ray Leonard's longevity is downright inspiring. The legendary boxer has long earned his stripes in combat sports and is showing younger generations of athletes that cross-training certainly has benefits.

Crossovers in the combat sports world have been more common in recent times. Claressa Shields is the latest to take the 'sweet science' over to the sport of MMA. The 'GWOAT' was able to win her first fight in the PFL via knockout, defeating Brittney Elkin in the third round. However, she dropped her second bout in the promotion to Abigail Montes via split decision.

While Shields is the only boxer of note to recently crossover, that doesn't mean there won't be in the future. Boxers such as Jake Paul, Amanda Serrano and Gervonta Davis have all said they would like to one day compete in the UFC.

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Edited by Josh Evanoff
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