Sunday, November 17, 2013

Boxing & MMA Are A Natural Pair

By Nolan Barias


While MMA offers fighters an opportunity to utilize a variety of fighting skills, there is no doubt that boxing is a big part of the sport. A strong punch requires less energy with more potential impact than other MMA skills. Many of the sport's top fighters have strong boxing skills and a few have professional boxing records. Here are a few MMA fighters with major boxing skills.

Georges St.-Pierre is arguably one of the best mixed martial arts fighters of all time. While he has no professional boxing experience, St.-Pierre was trained in the sport by boxing great Freddie Roach, one of the sports best-known trainers. Many of St.-Pierre's wins were due to his strong striking skills, including several knock-outs, most notably in UFC 48 where he knocked out Jay Hieron during the first round. Of course, St.-Pierre's 22-2 MMA record is not only due to his boxing skills, as he also has black belts in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Gaidojutsu and Kyokushin kaikan.

While Muay Thai might be the skill for which Anderson Silva is best known, he is one of the most versatile fighters in the world. In addition to his 32-4 MMA record, he has a 1-1 record in professional boxing. He also holds an impressive array of black belts in everything from Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to Judo to Muay Thai, of course. In addition to his natural athleticism, his dedication to perfecting multiple fighting styles is why he is one of the world's best fighters.

Vitor Belfort is yet another amazing Brazilian MMA fighter with a strong 21-9 pro record in mixed martial arts. He also participated in one professional boxing match against Josemario Neves in 2006. Belfort knocked down Neves three times in just a minute to win the fight by TKO. While he hasn't participated in another boxing contest since, he continues to train with a boxing coach, as well as working on other skills. He holds several black belts, including Judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Of all of the MMA fighters with boxing records, K.J. Noons has perhaps the most solid record in the ring. From 2004 to 2009, he participated in 13 professional boxing fights, losing only 2. Of course, he also holds a 12-2 professional kickboxing record and an 11-5 MMA record. He is a highly versatile fighter with a black belt in Kenpo Karate, as well as being an expert in Muay Thai and Sanshou, a form of Chinese hand-to-hand combat.

In the final analysis, mixed martial arts fighters need to become experts in a variety of styles of fighting. Boxing is just one of the key parts of your arsenal, so when you are looking for good MMA gym, be sure the one you select offers many different classes taught by seasoned professionals.




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