Who best to represent boxing in mma?

James Toney is fighting Couture this weekend and although I respect his boxing skills,I personally don't think his shoulder roll style and athleticism (or lack of) translates well into the octogon.

If it was up to me I'd pick a prime Rafael Marquez because he knows how to get great power while maintaining his reach and distance. I also think the "Nacho Beristein style of boxing" translates best for bare knuckle fighting.

Off the top of my head other fighters I think could do well include:

Zab Judah - his father was a kickboxer and Zab has god-like athleticism for the first 4 rounds

Floyd Mayweather - excellent outside boxing game combined with extreme athleticism and a cerebral approach

Kermit Cintron - he has a reach and knows how to use it. He has great pop in his hands. He has a wrestling background.

Wladimir Klitsko - I seriously think that with the 4oz gloves he can ROCK an opponent with just a jab. And if he lands one right he'll knock his opponent unconcious.

Marco Huck - extreme power in both hands and a thick strong body that could take some punishment.

Manny Pacquiao - amazing footwork and athleticism

Who do yall think would do well in the octogon?

Damn I didn't even know Cintron applied for the UFC. Why the hell would they turn him down? I guess Dan White knew that Kermit had a style that would translate well into the UFC. Dana White was quick however to let the old, fat, undersized James Toney into the UFC. James has a credible name but doesn't pose the same threat that Kermit would.

Quote Originally Posted by nuttyrich:

James Toney has the same chance every boxer has when entering UFC, a PUNCHER'S  chance.

Cintron would be the worst choice for UFC, has no heart, chin is weak. Sure he can leap out of a boxing ring in grand style but there's no exiting the octagon.

Toney has a great chin, he has a chance but we all know it's standing up, if he goes down to the ground.. he's toast like any pro boxer would.

James main downfall in this fight is he's not  true heavy weight, he doesn't hit like a Ray Mercer.

                                       

I'll probably get alot of hate for saying this but I don't think UFC fights require as much "heart" as boxing matches. In boxing matches if you get knocked down you have 10 seconds to decide if you want to take more of an ass-whopping for a chance to win the fight. In a UFC fight you go down, your opponent jumps on top of you and the ref stops the fight if you're getting whooped too bad.

I also don't think having a chin is as big a nessisity in the UFC. Anyone can get rocked with those tiny gloves. You just have to have a "get-him-before-he-gets-me" mentality. That mentality is fueled by an over abundance of adrenaline. That overabundance of adrenaline would be detrimental in a 12 round boxing match (Think of well-conditioned but nervous boxers - Jermaine Taylor for example) but not so in the UFC where most fights don't go past 3 rounds.

I still think Cintron would do well because he knows how to keep his distance while also having great power. He also has a wrestling backround (before boxing) so teaching him some ju-jitsu moves wouldn't be as difficult as it would be for other boxers.

As far as Cintron not having heart, I think he (as can any boxer) can easily switch his mind to streetfight mode (the opposite of "safety first"). I'm not saying to throw away technique (That's why I prefer long-range boxers with good footwork) but simply use your boxing skills in a much more aggressive manner. However, once on the ground most boxers would tap out faster than average because they would feel at a disadvantage.

Of course all the fighters mentioned in the opening post make or have made more than the largest UFC payday ever (which I heard was only 400,000 dollars), so the likeyhood of any of them making the crossover is extremely slim.

BTW, I think Toney is getting his ass handed to him this Saturday, but based on the decrease of fat on his face (not belly), you can tell he's taking it seriously. DAMN Toney's got some balls.

I followed the link but it didn't say why he wasn't accepted into the UFC. Dana White probably lowballed him.

Also I researched the "highest MMA payday ever" and I didn't find anything above 400,000 dollars.

I read James Toney is making 750,000 (win or lose) for Saturady. If he wins he gets an extra 250K. Not bad. Not bad at all.

Once UFC starts making big paydays a regular thing... it's bye-bye boxing. I hate to say it but that's the truth. Boxing is constantly shooting itself in the foot:

HBO giving exclusive dates to Goldenboy for 2 years without fights being scheduled. How stupid can HBO get? Competition breeds excellence so why put other promoters at a disadvantage? Shouldn't it be about making the best fights possible. HBO rules boxing with their budget. So why overpay boxers who haven't proven themselves as attractions? Those fighters will never stop asking for more and more (Andre Berto). It's not like these boxers can run over to showtime because Showtime doesn't have HBO's budget and Showtime doesn't do exclusive contracts anymore. Because Showtime doesn't do exclusive contracts, HBO shouldn't be doing it themselves because there is no competition to worry about.

HBO is starting to get their act together though. I liked the way they put extreme pressure on Paul Williams to rematch Martinez after Angulo pussied out.

Because Angulo did box out (even though he would have gotten 750,000 which is 350,000 more than his biggest payday) HBO should simply refuse to give him any more "gimmies". But of course HBO is always trying to appease their "rising stars".

Of course there are a million more things that plague boxing but I seriously think the easiest and most realistic fix is for HBO to get their act together