It’s widely accepted that boxers tend to lose to MMA fighters in an MMA setting, while MMA fighters struggle in the boxing ring. This has been demonstrated repeatedly in boxing matches, but high-level boxers transitioning to MMA remains a rarity, with Claressa Shields being a notable exception.
However, former UFC champion Demetrious Johnson has an interesting perspective on a hypothetical rematch between boxer Anthony Joshua and MMA fighter Francis Ngannou in an MMA fight. Johnson believes that Joshua could potentially win.
“It’s not like Francis is some world-class kickboxer,” Johnson remarked on The MMA Hour. “You look at all Francis’ fights, he does have some submission wins, he does have some where he takes somebody down. But if I can take a guy like Anthony Joshua, who is an athletic specimen, who understands range and distance, and I train him for six months to defend a takedown, check the leg kick, and just box. You’re not going to have 16-ounce gloves. The distance doesn’t change at all. … So if I can take somebody who is athletic, which Anthony Joshua is, it’s an easy fight.”
Johnson referenced Ngannou’s fight with former UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic to support his argument. “I would go on to say Anthony Joshua is a better boxer than Stipe Miocic. Not a better MMA guy, but in mixed martial arts, I say it all the time: MMA is the easiest sport to become a world champion in. It truly is. You have people who are very good at one thing and have so many holes and deficiencies in their game.”
Earlier this year, Joshua faced Ngannou in a boxing match, where he delivered a knockout victory that quickly went viral. This performance might be influencing Johnson’s opinion of a potential MMA fight between the two.
Contrastingly, Johnson offered a different take on how an MMA fight between Joshua and UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones would unfold. “How would it go against Anthony Joshua vs. Jon Jones? Different animal,” Johnson said. “Jon Jones would go out there and force the clinch. He would go out there and force the wrestling exchange. Maybe Francis Ngannou would do that, but I don’t think Francis would. From the years I’ve seen him fight, that’s how I view that fight. I’m not saying Francis is going to get destroyed, but I do believe Joshua has a chance of beating him, because he just knocked him out in a boxing match.”
Johnson’s insights highlight the complexities and nuances of cross-discipline fights, reflecting the different skill sets and strategies required in boxing and MMA.
