We’ve seen world class kickboxers, muay thai, wrestlers, judokas and BJJers do it. Why not even one world champion or highly ranked professional boxer?
Circus stints like James Toney doesn’t count, he has to try to make a serious attempt at a MMA career. Holly Holm doesn’t count either, I don’t count women’s sports.
C’mon boxers, step up and show how good your hands really are in a MMA setting! 2 years of serious grappling training would be enough to be able to survive on the ground until a standup.
Boxers only use their hands. Muay Thai and kickboxers use hands, legs, knees. So they need to go the cro cop route amd learn good takedown defense and even that doesnt guarantee theyll ever make it out of the regional circuit. Wrestlers have an huge advantage with the rule set and really only need to become adequate in the stand up simce in theory, they can control where things take place to a degree. Pure BJJ guys also have a tough road to transition to MMA. See Kron Gracie.
The sport has really become its own martial art now.
The best boxers make more money boxing. Sometimes outrageously more money, so that’s where they stay.
There isn’t the financial incentive that those other sports have. Kickboxers and wrestlers don’t make shit so MMA is their path to making a living out of their talents.
Yup the money at the top in boxing is way too good to take a huge risk transitioning to another sport where there’s less money. We get kickboxing etc because there’s less money in those sports so it’s worth the risk. Periera’s life changed by doing it, Canelo or whoever have no reason to
You hang around wrestling practice and you’ll see kids playing with submissions and when they get mad they throw punches. Boxers get mad and grab each other and start wrestling. Bud Crawford knows how to wrestle.
I remember back in the day, Kermit Cintron was touted as a top boxer that could have a good chance transitioning to MMA due to his wrestling background as well.
