Over the past few years, there has been a growing trend for MMA stars to turn to boxing in the twilight of their careers. Conor McGregor became a pioneer in this direction when he fought with Floyd Mayweather. And after him, a string of others followed: those whose names in 2010-2020 and later did not leave the top of the UFC ratings. It’s easy to understand: here are 3 reasons why MMA stars are happy to put on boxing gloves and step into the ring after the Octagon. You can place bets on fights of such stars if you Mostbet giriş.
Reason 1: Big Money
The main reason for such defections is financial conditions. Those who have made a name for themselves in the world of MMA, but are no longer objectively able to compete in mixed martial arts at a high level, can go to a lower-level league or boxing. And, of course, everyone chooses the second option.
Firstly, if you have a name in mixed martial arts, then you can get high-profile fights and, accordingly, large fees. We won’t go far for example; Francis Ngannou has proven everything to us all perfectly. In the first fight in the professional ring, he boxed with the current world champion Tyson Fury, and in the second, with the former world champion in three versions, Anthony Joshua. And he earned about $30 million for these two fights, which is 50 times more than his fee for his last fight in the UFC.
Reason 2: lower chances of getting an injuries
Boxing is a less traumatic sport than MMA. Boxers fight with large gloves and only box in a standing position. No low kicks, wrestling or other elements of mixed martial arts. MMA fighters often get injured after their fights and are forced to stand idle for a long time and undergo operations. Boxing is also a tough form of martial arts, but the risk of injury in the octagon is much higher than in the ring.
Separately, it should be said that many MMA fighters who find themselves in professional boxing at the end of their careers do not pursue any kind of sports component. For most, this is a way to make good money, put on a show, and conduct a demonstration sparring with minimal damage. No need to go to training camps, no need to prepare for months – and this is also one of the advantages of which MMA fighters choose boxing. Anderson Silva is a great example. At 43 years old, he gave the fight of the evening against the young, promising, and hungry for victory Israel Adesanya. Spider received serious damage, but at that time he expected that he could still lay claim to the belt. Later, the legendary Brazilian went into boxing, where he had several fights, including with the popular blogger Jake Paul, earning a decent fee. If Silva had had the opportunity to go through this boxing path earlier, he would not have stayed so long in the UFC, but would have earned himself a comfortable retirement in boxing much earlier and would have quietly enjoyed life without fights.
Of course, in the long term, boxing also has dangerous consequences, since the athlete receives more blows to the head. But we are talking about veterans who do not need to accumulate thousands of hours in sparring and competition. They already have a name, and can only go to fights with six to eight-figure (depending on your luck) fees.
Reason 3: more punches, and no ground
Some MMA fighters do not like wrestling, ground fighting, and everything connected with it. Fighters like Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal love to fight while standing up, so boxing is an ideal option for them. No one will come to your feet and try to grind you down on the ground. There is only a stand-up position, and Diaz gets great pleasure from boxing. He went out unprepared for a fight with the same Jake Paul, put on a show, earned a fat check, and gladly accepted other challenges. So, on June 1, Nate will have a rematch according to boxing rules with Jorge Masvidal. Considering that their first fight was spectacular and vibrant, they will be able to attract interest in their boxing fight, even though both of them are almost 40 years old.
