Mixed Martial Arts or MMA is fast becoming the most popular combat sport in the world today. It showcases different techniques and situations. Fighters here have to train in various disciplines in order to be successful.

A world-class wrestler for example would still need to learn proper stand-up techniques to get in close and then get the fight to the ground. With that, they can train in boxing in order to fill the gap in their game.

Others use MMA boxing as their main approach to fights. They want to keep things standing up where they can use their striking prowess to get a knockout or pepper their opponents to submission.

Top MMA Boxers

With that, here is a list of the top MMA fighters who train in boxing specifically.

TJ Dillashaw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBLGZNhxdDo&ab_channel=UFC-UltimateFightingChampionship 

The main background of TJ is wrestling. Knowing he needs to do well in stand up, he trained in boxing. He is an amazing athlete who has become a great striker through this training and dedication to the point that he now concentrates on keeping the fight standing rather than going for takedowns.

Holy Holm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIK6ALz3cX0&ab_channel=FredJack%27sFights 

Holy was already a very successful boxer, to begin with, winning all the major world titles available to her. She parlayed this to a successful stint in the octagon.

She showed amazing footwork and striking abilities that’s led to KO after KO. She eventually fought and defeated the dominant Ronda Rousey to become champion and open the doors for female boxers to come into MMA.

Nick Diaz

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zH-1hgeBIe4&ab_channel=MartialLiam 

While not the most technical striker, Nick Diaz has a unique MMA boxing style where he overwhelms his opponents with a volume of punches. It works really well for him since he has great cardio.

This style has also led him to become a favourite fighter among many fans since he always delivers exciting fights. 

Nate Diaz

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruCNdNGIDWI&ab_channel=MaxxxLag 

We can’t leave out the second Diaz brother in an article about MMA boxing. While primarily a BJJ practitioner, Nate has become a prominent striker in his own right as he trained with some of the best boxers like Joe Shilling on a consistent basis. 

Connor McGregor

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Shr8wSdFjE&ab_channel=RainMan 

Before his gruesome injury, Connor has been known to throw that nasty left that’s knocked out some of the best and most prominent fighters in the world. He knows how to use his hands is an understatement and he probably is one of the best MMA boxers in the sport.

He has timing, accuracy, and speed in his punches along with explosive power. This has led him to build a strong enough fighting portfolio that he got a boxing match with arguably one of the best pound for pound boxers in the world in Floyd Mayweather.

Anderson Silva

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-XzIacyFT8&ab_channel=UFC-UltimateFightingChampionship 

When it comes to striking and MMA boxing, Anderson Silva remains among the best to have done it. While he is an amazing Muay Thai fighter, people tend to overlook that he uses his boxing technique in order to finish opponents in the stand-up.

Anderson Silva has such great hands that he actually showcased how important MMA boxing is to the sport and that it is a vital part of any fighter’s training.

At the end of the day, a punch is still the most basic and go-to move of any fighter. Anyone who wants to get into combat sports need to learn how to throw a proper punch first. 

If you want to get into boxing for fitness, please contact our team at ShadowBox HQ.