Which MMA Fighters Will Switch Rings?

It seems the “it” thing for MMA fighters these days is to get a boxing license. Reigning lightweight champion Conor McGregor was issued a California license back in November, and last week, UFC veteran Nick Diaz applied for one in Nevada.

The whole MMA-to-boxing thing is nothing new, though it usually happens the other way around. Many fighters start as boxers, then make the switch. McGregor took up boxing when he was 12 and became an All-Ireland boxing champ at the youth level.

Same goes for Holly Holm. She’s considered one of the best female boxing welterweights in the world, with a 33-2-3 record. Holm made her MMA debut in March of 2011, and put her stamp on the sport four years later, when she handed Ronda Rousey her first MMA loss. 

That loss put Rousey on a downward spiral. After the Holm’s defeat, Rousey disappeared from the UFC for 13 months, before reappearing for a bout against Amanda Nunes. Rousey also lost that fight, embarrassingly.

So what does Rousey have to do with boxing, besides the obvious? Well, while she’s yet to apply for a license, it could be her next career move. After all, Nunes said Rousey’s UFC career “went down” because her coach made her believe she was a boxer.

So what are the chances Rousey will switch rings, and when will we see McGregor put that new license to good use? Here are a few odds.

UFC To Boxing Odds

Odds which UFC fighter could switch to boxing:

Nate Diaz: 2/5
Ronda Rousey: 9/11
Conor McGregor: 1/1
Holly Holm: 3/2
Miesha Tate: 9/2
Fabio Maldonado: 5/1
Stipe Miocic: 25/1

The likelihood of McGregor landing a boxing match is good, but the chances he’ll officially make the switch over, aren’t. Nate Diaz, on the other hand, is a veteran UFC fighter and looking for a new challenge. If he’s given his license, expect to hear his name a bit more in boxing news.

As for a fighters fans would like to see in the ring, Stipe Miocic would be the guy. His fighting style includes boxing but don’t expect him to make the switch. He seems quite content with being the UFC heavyweight champion.

Fabio Maldonado is also on the list, purely for the reason he is still an active boxer with an undefeated 22-0 record.

On the women’s side, as mentioned, boxing is where Holm’s heart is. As for Rousey, in 2015 she mentioned she’d love the chance to be the world boxing champ. Enough said.

Miesha Tate rounds out the list. I have a feeling retirement will bore her, and at only 30 years-old, an enticing challenge in the boxing ring might be just enough for her to put that on hold.

Odds who McGregor could face first:

Manny Pacquiao: 3/2
Floyd Mayweather: 3/1
Andre Ward: 5/1
Nick Diaz: 10/1
Gennady Golovkin: 12/1

While everyone wants a Mayweather vs. McGregor fight, it doesn’t look like Mayweather’s monetary demands would be met. That said, McGregor would likely only consider switching over to boxing if it’s against a big name opponent. That shoos in Pacquiao as McGregor’s top contender, and the Filipino said he would fight McGregor in the boxing ring and is serious about making it happen.

The Diaz-McGregor storyline could re-emerge in a new ring. They are both 1-1 against each other in UFC and a bout in the boxing ring could settle that score.

As for Ward and Golovkin, both fighters currently hold a number of weight titles, so why wouldn’t McGregor want to face the best of the best?

Odds who Rousey could face first:

Holly Holms: 1/1
Laila Ali: 5/2
Jelena Mrdjenovich:9/1
Meisha Tate: 15/1

Different rules mean different outcomes. If Rousey gets a licence, there could be a potential rematch between her and Holm, but this time in a different ring. Rousey’s coach seems to think she could win any battle in the boxing ring and maybe he’s right. But against Holm, it’s hard to think she stands a chance.

Another possible opponent: Laila Ali. In 2015, Rousey said she thought she could beat Ali, and just this week, Ali sparked a feud between the two when she said Rousey has “pretty much been exposed” and “can’t take a punch”. Maybe Rousey would like to prove her wrong?

Canadian Jelena Mrdjenoich could also be on that list. She has a background in MMA and could be a good first opponent for Rousey. But saying that, Rousey isn’t looking for easy competition.

Odds McGregor’s first boxing match will happen by the end of 2017: 2/3

If Pacquiao can push it through, and Dana White meets all the agreements, the fight could happen by the fall.

Odds Rousey’s first boxing match will happen by the end of 2017: 4/1

Rousey hasn’t even applied for a boxing license yet, and the fact that she waited 13 months to fight again means she’ll likely push this next possible adventure to 2018..

Odds McGregor’s first fight would end:

Knock-out win: 3/2
Unanimous decision, win: 2/1
Unanimous decision, loss: 6/1
Split decision: 20/1

As mentioned, McGregor has a boxing background, meaning he obviously knows how to throw a punch. And he’s really good at punching his opponents in the face. He’s the type of fighter who wouldn’t go into anything unprepared, so expect a big finish in his first bout.

Odds Rousey’s first fight would end:

Win: 13/7
Unanimous decision, win: 3/1
Loss: 7/2
Split decision: 9/1
Knock out win: 15/1

Rousey has a background in judo; she won a bronze in the sport in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. So throwing punches isn’t her strength but it is something she’s worked tirelessly on to improve. Saying that, she does have the ability to win a fight with her fists.

Photo credit: By Andrius Petrucenia (UFC 189 World Tour Aldo vs. McGregor London 2015) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons