It is a common discussion to be had in smoky bars, living rooms, and sports bar and grills all over the world: how would ‘so and so’ fair against an elite level boxer or ’fill in the blank’ could smoke Mayweather. Oftentimes, there is no substance to these arguments and it is in the midst of a discussion occurring during a live event.
There are quite a few mixed martial artists who have had professional boxing matches but it is normally limited to just a handful. However; there are those combat athletes who do not adhere to the normal rules of sport specificity. These rare athletes have found success in multiple combat sports at the highest level and this list looks at the top five mixed martial artists who had great success in professional boxing before making the switch to mixed martial arts. (Note: the minimum requirement of professional boxing matches is set at ten).
5) Marcus Hicks (5-4-1)
Marcus Hicks not only has 15 mma fights to his name but 10 boxing matches as well with the distinct honor of being the 2003 Golden Gloves champion. Marcus transitioned into mixed martial arts at the tail end of his boxing career where he found a home in the WEC.
4) KJ Noons (11-2)
Mostly remembered for his rivalry with Nick Diaz in EliteXC and Strikeforce, KJ Noons was also a professional boxer as well as kickboxer who competed in both boxing and mma at the same time! From 2004-2009, Noons had 13 boxing matches as well as 7 mma fights!
3) Chris Lytle (13-1-1)
Chris Lytle is the consummate all-American. As a firefighter, politician, and mixed martial artist, Lytle is a true representative of what it means to be a martial artist. With over 50 mixed martial arts fights to his name, the fact is often overlooked that Lytle was a championship boxer in the state of Indiana with 15 professional bouts.
2) Marcus Davis (17-1-2)
For nearly a decade, Marcus Davis was a professional boxer before even thinking about a career in mixed martial arts. With 17 professional wins, the Irish Hand Grenade racked up 12 knockouts in his illustrious career.
1) Holly Holm (32-2-3)
Before coming into the UFC and winning the bantamweight world title by knocking out the seemingly invincible Ronda Rousey; Holly Holm was a professional boxer and kickboxer and a damn good one at that. Winning several world titles in professional boxing, Holm was named Ring Magazine’s Female Fighter of the year in 2005 and 2006.
