MMA fighters fight under rules in a cage with gloves and cups on. In a street fight all bets are off. There are no rules and the ground is a lot harder when you hit it. It doesn't take much to get knocked out in the street. A stiff jab can do it. Oh, and the fights in the street don't last 15 or 25 minutes like they do in MMA. They typically end inside of a minute or two. Sometimes it's just a matter of seconds.
I understand that and you're correct in what you've just stated. However, MMA skills still transfer 1000% better to the situation you just described than boxing. The ground is a lot harder - yes. Just adds to the advantage of knowing wrestling/takedowns and their defence.
MMA fighters are more complete so in theory it would give them the advantage. It all depends on what their approach is. If you have a good MMA fighter and a good boxer and the MMA guy decides to stand and trade punches then he's likely getting knocked out. Fights start standing and most street fights tend to be initiated with punches. It's not common to see one guy look to take the other down immediately. There are thousands of street fights available on the web to support this. The MMA fighter might shoot for a takedown immediately but if he doesn't know his opponent is a boxer then he probably won't.
You're mostly right but you can't really extrapolate how untrained people engage in/ initiate street fights to pros though.
We've seen several pro MMA fighters in street fights. Remember when Roger Huerta knocked out that black guy for hitting a woman many years ago? He did that with the first punch or two that he threw. That's how the fight started and how it ended. As I said before, most street fights are initiated with punching. These are random altercations more often than not. You know nothing about the other guy you just know that you have an issue with him or he has an issue with you. That's it. Clinching exists in boxing too but I agree that the MMA fighter should have the advantage in the clinch. I have felt it because I trained MMA for a few years. Securing the Thai clinch, pummeling (looking for over/unders, double underhooks, etc), getting to the body lock, it's not foreign to me. I also wrestled for years and live in the top wrestling state in the nation.
As you suggested, I know Ngannou is one of the very few guys in MMA with proper KO power, there's no doubt about that. And yeah Pillowfists McGregory's "power" looked like an absolute joke in a boxing ring. He only looked powerful picking off enraged manlets, with no chin or defense.
Also, I know Joyce said that, but I'm not entirely convinced Ngannou does hit harder than Fury. He can definitely punch by MMA standards, but when the fight happens, I won't be surprised at all if Fury is the bigger puncher.
Ngannou seems like someone who would throw bombs non stop in sparring, as that's basically all he knows. Fury mgiht have just been fucking around.
I can believe that Ngannou hits harder. Fury can punch when he fully commits (sits down on his shots) but he's never been a big puncher. That said, Fury's timing and shot placement are superior. He'll hit Ngannou not just hard but with pinpoint precision when he least expects it. With punches that he doesn't even see coming. That's what will do the worst damage.
