Fighters Who Should Switch to MMA

To be a successful MMA fighter, one must be well rounded in all the arts. The best fighters possess good jiu-jitsu, wrestling, Muay Thai and boxing, among other arts.

But can the best individual fighters from their respective martial arts make the jump to MMA successfully?

We saw James Toney attempt—in a failing effort. We also saw Alistair Overeem take his kickboxing background to the K-1 World Grand Prix, where he won the tournament despite competing in MMA for many years.

If devout Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners or strikers were to take a year off from their martial art and focus on MMA, how well would they do?

Here, we will examine some fighters who should attempt to make the jump, as they some of the very best in their sport.

Tyrone Spong

Tyrone Spong is a world-renowned professional kickboxer who trains in Amsterdam. Possessing a kickboxing record of 68-6-1 (1 NC), he is definitely one of the top kickboxers in the world.

Walking around at about 228 pounds, Spong could easily cut to light heavyweight and look to make a mark there. Otherwise, he can choose to not cut any weight, be a smaller heavyweight and continue to use the dynamite he possesses in his hands and feet on bigger men.

Lately, Spong has been working with the Blackzilians in Florida, helping them perfect their respective stand-up games.

Working with guys like Rashad Evans and Antonio "Big Foot" Silva on his ground game could potentially make Spong a threat in the MMA world. Just imagine Spong with solid takedown defense, a moderate ground game and his already polished striking.

That's a scary thought.

Roberto "Cyborg" Abreu

"Cyborg" Abreu is one of the top Brazilian jiu-jitsu artists in the world today.

The Brazilian has won numerous titles in Brazilian jiu-jitsu competition, including being a three-time world champion in no-gi competition, as well as Pan-American game titles and a couple medals from the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championships.

At last year's ADCC Championships, his only loss in his division was to Fabricio Werdum, regarded as one of the top BJJ fighters in the world. With a ground game like Cyborg's, there is no doubt who will have the advantage once a fight got to the mat.

If Cyborg were to study kickboxing for a year or so, he could be a force to be reckoned with. The heavyweight division has an influx of wrestlers, so if one were to take him to the mat, there is a possibility Cyborg could end the fight quickly.

Kermit Cintron

If there was any professional boxer that should have made the jump to MMA, it should have been Kermit Cintron, not James Toney.

Cintron boasts a professional record of 33-5-1. He has lightning quick hands and power to put you to sleep for days.

Cintron actually has a background in wrestling, which he participated in while in college. With that type of background, Cintron would be ready sooner than most combat sport fighters not already in MMA.

Give him a year, and I guarantee you that Cintron could make a serious splash in the MMA world. If he were to work on his submissions, he would be a well-rounded fighter that could challenge the featherweight division.

Daniel Ghita

A professional kickboxer from Romania, Daniel Ghita is one scary dude to fight.

In addition to the 47-7 record he holds in kickboxing, he was also in the SPP (Romanian Secret Service), protecting the president from 2001-2008. The man obviously knows the art of combat.

Knowing that Ghita probably possesses basic self-defense moves from his days as a Secret Service Agent, he may not need that much time to adjust to MMA.

His lethal kickboxing, in addition to a ground game which he could most likely develop at a solid pace, would make for a very dangerous heavyweight. He weighs about 240 pounds, so he is not the smallest heavyweight that will enter the cage either.

Kyra Gracie

Alas, we come to the beautiful and equally dangerous Kyra Gracie. Obviously, she hails from the world-famous Gracie family.

And as you may guess, she has learned the family art.

A second-degree black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Gracie is undoubtedly the best female grappler in the world. With dangerous submissions and beautiful sweeps, she could really go far in women's MMA.

She has actually expressed interest in eventually taking her talents to MMA, but has not done it yet.

With only a small number of faces in women's MMA such as Miesha Tate, Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano, Gracie could make an immediate impact on the sport. If she is to spend a little time on her striking, it could lead to a lot of success.

Just imagine a Kyra Gracie-Ronda Rousey fight. Or a Kyra Gracie-Miesha Tate fight.

That would be insane.