I really don’t think that K1 fighters would stand a chance against a top 10 heavyweight boxer. After watching Bob Sapp knockout Hoost twice with no boxing skill whatsoever, it’s scary to think what Tyson, Klitchko, Tua, Jones or Lewis would do to them.
Do you think that Bob Sapp would win one fight against a top 10 heavyweight? And let’s be realistic here, if any of the top K1 guys had what it took to compete in heavyweight boxing they would be there. I’d rather make 10 million a fight than 500 K for a tournament.
I’d say that backbreakers point that the wider possible techniques and strategies available to fighters in kickboxing or mma could possibly cause a top boxer to get caught unawaresby a kick or a grappling entry is valid. Most importantly, I think, isn’t the fact that you could kick him in the head, but that he is totally unused to defending his legs. Yes, Roy RJJ’s footwork is quick and crafty, but his legs are safe from any kind of kicks or grappling entries as long as boxing rules are in effect. Rather than trying to enter a standing clinch with him (which would definitely be very difficult, and probably a recipe for eating a lot of leather) I would expect any pro-level grappler or kickboxer to go low and try to take his base out, which I suspect would be considerably easier. If that could be accomplished, I think it quite likely that the guy could get hosed. But nobody in K1 or MMA is going to beat him with hand strikes or high kicks.
In response to Archangel’s post: No, of course a K-1 fighter couldn’t take Jones in boxing. In my own post I mentioned that I felt they could take him in a real fight though. I do agree with CSN that leg kicks would likely be a problem for a boxer. His head is attacked all the time, so he’s very good at defending it, but legs are never attacked in boxing leaving most boxers with little idea how to defend them other than using their footwork to stay out of range (which, however, keeps the boxer out of attacking range as well). I think knees would be a problem too (especially when used to attack below the belt).
Boxing is totally awesome and so is Roy Jones. Thinking any other style is better would be pure speculation and many mma fighters suck at punching even with small gloves. Head high kick just looks effective if the opponents hands aren’t both up even at a fairly long range. The kick you don’t see is the one that’ll hit you. Making-miss a kick can be effective so actually I think yeah, he could make-miss a kick many times.
How about we all agree that if having to fight RJJ it would be best to kick him in the knee and run like hell to the nearest police station, where you would be sfae from any retaliation
Someone brought up sapp and hoost, i missed that fight, but did anyone see sapp and bonjanski(sp?). At first i thought bonjanski would have no chance against sapp, with his more high kick, jumping knee style, but it actually worked pretty well. S would tire after about one onslaught twds. B at the start of the round, then it was pretty much B all the way the rest of the round. Until of course sapp decied to get DQ’ed, as i remember Bonjanski slipped and sapp hit him on the while on the ground(obvious intention, that wasnt instinct) and bonjanski was out for a quick second. it seemed like sapp couldn’t take much pain too. not sure what my point was, but it was an interesting fight.
Well in a real fight anything can happen, so it’s difficult to really analyse an outcome with so many variables. The only fair venue would be a K1 rules fight since it allows all techniques from both styles.
Leg kicking would be a problem for a boxer, if the K1 fighter could get a few good shots in maybe he could take some of the boxers punching power away. But as i see it, the first or second punching exchange would do it. None of those guys have ever felt that kind of punching power, technique or hand speed before and one shot is all it would take.
Hello Archangel. Though I do agree that if RJJ can get in some good, clean combos he would likely take the match, I don’t agree that the K-! fighters have never felt that kind of power before. I’m sure they’ve all been on the receiving end of punches as hard as RJJ’s at one time or another. However I don’t think any of them have had to deal with the speed and timing that RJJ possesses. I do think that if RJJ learned how to defend against leg kicks to a skillful degree, he could be a serious danger to a K-1 fighter (Okay, I think he would be dangerous anyway, but being trained to deal with leg kicks, {and kick/ punch combos} would hinder the K-1 fighters major advantages). Peace.
“How about we all agree that if having to fight RJJ it would be best to kick him in the knee and run like hell to the nearest police station, where you would be sfae from any retaliation.”
The only way I feel safe fighting RJJ is by idly speculating on the internet about how other, tougher people might possibly be able to handle him.
Although M.O.D.O.K. would totally own his silver medal ass.
Well I look at the top K1 guys, Hoost, Lebanner, Aerts etc. and I have noticed that they all have gotten rocked one time or another by mediocre ( boxing standards ) punchers. If Bob Sapp can knock out Hoost twice with little or no K1 training I can’t imagine what a Tyson or a Tua could do to him. If Mark Hunt could rock Lebanner with a short hook and send him crashing to the mat, believe me Roy Jones or James Toney would eat him alive.
A good example of what I’m talking about happened in the first World Combat Championship in 1995. James warring an excruiserweight contender fought Jerome Turcan a French Savate Champion. Turcan started the match off firing leg kicks and catching Warring un-prepared; Warring eventually landed a straight right that knocked Turcan out.
Well if RJJ was going to fight in a MMA event he would be sure to train for it for 6 months or more. So we can pretty safely assume that he would walk in there and clean up, with the possible exception of UFC.
