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By: Adam Belmares
Throughout the entire combat sports world, many fans are anticipating a huge fight year with potential matchups that could create a huge moment and fights that can keep the sports of MMA and boxing alive. As someone who personally keep up with the best of both worlds, I believe that many combat sports fans are eager to see big fights between two of the baddest, strongest, and most energetic fighters instead of having to sit back and hope promoters gives the people what they truly want to see. Here are my top five fights between the MMA and boxing world that I want to see before the year 2025 ends.
Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall
As the reigning Interim UFC Heavyweight Champion, Aspinall has been serving as UFC's new mega star after fighting as a legitimate threat to who many consider the G.O.A.T...the one and only...Jon Jones. With youth, hype, and having knocked out his last three opponents, Aspinall has set himself up in a great position to have a chance at sending Jones to retirement. UFC President Dana White has hinted at the mega-fight in the past, claiming the matchup has the potential to be one of the biggest fights in the promotion’s history and by far the biggest in UFC heavyweight history. With nothing to lose in terms of solidifying his legacy and only chasing more greatness, Jones can only benefit from the matchup and if he were to defeat the UFC's newest upcoming superstar, Jones would add more stripes to his guaranteed UFC Hall of Fame spot. If he were to lose, Jones would have been put out by a young prospect that is six years younger than him and has gone through less wars between great fighter compared to his previous fights. Considering his time as an unbeatable champion bound to end and has arguably become the greatest mixed martial arts fighter in UFC history, Bones is currently the UFC Heavyweight champion as his prime declines. Why not go out with a bang?
Canelo vs. Terrence Crawford
Although it was reported by ESPN that Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford were in the process of finalizing a deal for a super middleweight championship fight in Las Vegas for a September event, boxing politics and promoters issues have been known to cause boxing events to fall out completely due to disagreements on what weight the fight should be fought at and whether or not a rematch clause should be included in the contract. With questions forming in regard to whether Canelo is too big of an opponent for Crawford or whether Crawford's agility could give Canelo some problems in the ring, this is a fight the fans would want to see between two of boxing's biggest stars. With Crawford being a 41-0 champion, the greatness of Canelo would be put to the test at the biggest stage in the world of boxing.
Ryan Garcia vs. Gervonta Davis
After knocking down Devin Haney three times and defeating one of boxing's biggest stars in April, Garcia displayed a glimpse of his full potential and power that could become a high threat to Davis' championship run with a rematch fight. During their first mega-fight, Davis' team required Garcia to agree to a 136-pound catchweight with a 10-pound rehydration clause. This clause had a major impact on Garcia's strength and conditioning during the fight, resulting in a win for Davis after landing a deadly liver shot on Garcia in the seventh round. Despite testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug during his bout against Haney, Garcia's left hook is one of the fastest and most powerful the boxing world has seen in recent years and could put any fighter out. I would like to see a rematch between the two without any rehydration clauses, promoter politics, or any other outside-of-the-ring shenanigans. I just want to see two young stars throw down at the center of the ring.
Khamzat Chimaev vs. Dricus Du Plessis
As the current titleholder for the middleweight division, Plessis has shown that he is here to stay as a consistent champion after a strong display against Sean Strickland. Plessis has been prime example that champions get better after every fight and their confidence grows even stronger. With the power of both fighters, someone is bound to get knocked out, but a wrestling matchup between them can be very interesting. Chimaev, who is known to become more fatigue as the fight goes on, and Plessis known for getting better as the fight goes on, this matchup can give the people the possibility of different outcomes and seeing their favorite fighter getting knocked out. With a 14-0 record and reckless fighting style, Chimaev is a strong candidate as a challenger for the middleweight belt.
Nate Diaz vs. Conor McGregor
After battling twice in the octagon with each fighter winning a bout, a trilogy is long overdue between arguably one of the biggest rivalries in UFC history. As both fighters are currently on their way out of the sport due to age and injuries, I believe a trilogy fight between the two could serve as a massive pay-day for both fighters and one of the most highly anticipated and entertaining fights in recent years. As of today, the second matchup between the two is currently the second-highest grossing pay-per-view bout in UFC history with 1.6M PPV buys. Many people have speculated that both fighters plan to explore the boxing word and go against people similar to Jake Paul for a huge check, but I'd rather see them go head-to-head in the octagon or ring. I assume the two would prefer to box each other to limit the amount of damage they would take, but a trilogy between the two would be the perfect way to say goodbye the fighting world and squash the long-driven beef between them.
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