- Joined
- May 14, 2017
- Messages
- 7,145
- Reaction score
- 5,663
Depends on the individual, the quality and overall stylistic leanings of the division at the time, and if the UFC is willing to fast track them and/or give them favourable match ups.
LMAO yeah sure noob, you would've missed me that first decade I was posting before you knew what MMA was.I've never seen you post in the UFC forum before, until after Ngannou got canvassed. The writing is on the wall.
Ok but the questions are thenAlex has been training for years. He first fought in MMA in 2015.
Pereira wasn’t, but Mirko absolutely was a boxer. And a kickboxer.Pereira and Crop Cop were not boxers.
a few months if it’s someone who is athletically gifted (e.g., someone like young jon jones), and training every day. but i agree, it would likely take much longer for the average boxer, especially if they have zero experience with any kind of grappling or wrestling. a kickboxer would have an easier time because they’re used to checking leg kicks.A few months is a stretch. If training full time then maybe a year you could get by enough to compete and two years maybe make it to the top level I would say. I dont believe Alex Pereira really trained that long before switched over, and he was still fighting kickboxing during that time.
LMAO yeah sure noob, you would've missed me that first decade I was posting before you knew what MMA was.
Ok but the questions are then
- how long did he need to train MMA to be able to compete
- how long before he was able to compete with elite level competition
a few months if it’s someone who is athletically gifted (e.g., someone like young jon jones), and training every day. but i agree, it would likely take much longer for the average boxer, especially if they have zero experience with any kind of grappling or wrestling. a kickboxer would have an easier time because they’re used to checking leg kicks.
it does seem like it’s more common these days for boxers to have some kind of grappling training, even if they aren’t using it. does aj know any wrestling or jj? he might already know some basics.
Thread/Depends entirely on the fighter, obviously. Some people pick it up very quickly, some people never adapt well at all.
Claressa Shields for example is arguably the best female boxer in the world but despite the fact she's been training MMA for a few years now she still barely scrapes by absolute cans.
I was here too lateAbout 3.5 years
Pereira wasn’t, but Mirko absolutely was a boxer. And a kickboxer.
We have seen high level strikers like Cro Cop, Alex Pereira, Adesanya, transition to MMA and dominate the sport.
We have also seen how most MMA fighters chins generally do not hold up vs elite strikers and they aren't used to taking that kind of force.
How long does it actually take for an elite striker like Anthony Joshua for example, if they went all in training to work sufficient sprawl and basic defensive grapping to be able to compete and rise to the top in MMA?
Kicking is a definite tool but its not essential in MMA. Boxers would definitely have to get used to taking leg kicks but guys like Rampage and JDS used basically just boxing and both were champions. They also seldom checked kicks just took them or avoided.All 3 guys mentioned have excellent kicking games. Different styles of kicking but excellent nonetheless.
I don’t think you can be considered an “elite striker” without at least a decent kicking game no matter how good the hands are. Assuming 34 year old Anthony Joshua has never thrown a proper kick like I’d imagine… I’d say it would take at least a year more likely two just to get comfortable with MMA stand up striking/defense and that’s factoring in his athleticism, talent and training/work ethic. Factor in that basic sprawl/defensive grappling and it’s a lot of holes to fill. MMA fighters chins may not hold up as well compared to boxers in general but a few leg/calf kicks would easily fold Joshua. You put up Joshua against a guy with zero take down threat like Cyril Gane and I’m positive Gane still styles on him even if AJ trained hard for 3 years.
Who is the best boxing cross over?
Serious question. Plenty of kick boxers but can't think of any boxers.
Learning grappling and kicking is a hell of a learning curve.
Kicking is a definite tool but its not essential in MMA. Boxers would definitely have to get used to taking leg kicks but guys like Rampage and JDS used basically just boxing and both were champions. They also seldom checked kicks just took them or avoided.
Cro Cop beat World amateur boxing HW champion Sinan Samil Sam of Turkey in Acropolis Cup in Greece in 1997.Just looking at wiki, it seems like boxing was side line at best.
National amateur champion 3 times, Croatia.
G-Sot was Victorian state amateur champion and Victoria has about double the population of Croatia.
So?Just looking at wiki, it seems like boxing was side line at best.
National amateur champion 3 times, Croatia.
G-Sot was Victorian state amateur champion and Victoria has about double the population of Croatia.
Master of the check side kickJames Toney mastered it in a week