Professional boxing is going through a golden age. Big cards, high-profile fights for the title of absolute world champion. And people from other disciplines began to actively approach the gentleman’s sport. And they attract incredible attention. Conor McGregor was one of the first to tread this path, and then Francis Ngannou repeated the same trick. But the best Russians who play in the best leagues on the planet do not yet have such experience. But there are potential candidates who are able to move into boxing and become real superstars there.
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It is worth noting that some of the Russians already had plans to move into professional boxing. And most importantly, they have training and school. This is the former UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan. And at last year’s tournament in Saudi Arabia, he even managed to have a problem with … Conor. Of course, many immediately claimed that such a confrontation is not seen now due to the huge difference in size. But this fight would potentially be very interesting to watch. And all because Peter was very actively involved in boxing, has a good foundation. And he could very well show Conor what the Russians are capable of, reminding him of the defeat to Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Conor McGregor and Peter Yan
Photo by: IBA
Many would really like to see a showdown between Conor and Peter. What’s more, they see him as a favorite, far from Notorius. And Ian himself said that he doesn’t see anything unrealistic in the prospect of such a fight: “From the point of view of reality, it is unlikely that a fight with Conor could happen. From the point of view of my employment, I have a contract with UFC, it is unlikely that this will happen soon. And from the point of view of the interest of the organizers of the event, they found it interesting. In general, to say that this is unrealistic… I think that nothing is unrealistic.”
Not only Peter. Another terrible striker from Russia performs in the UFC. We are talking about Roman Kopylov, who is fighting very brilliantly in the best league on the planet. He writes the most beautiful knockouts and also demonstrates excellent manual work. But with the fight he has quite noticeable problems. Of course, Roman is trying to correct them, which is why he often conducts camps in Dagestan. But this component still seems to be one of the weakest in Kopylov’s arsenal. But in boxing, the Russian may well prove himself and reveal himself even more brightly.
Sergei Pavlovich is going through difficult times, having lost twice in a row – to Tom Aspinall and Alexander Volkov. And now, there is no doubt that he will be somewhat set back in the race for the championship belt. But Sergei remains a great drummer who instills fear in all opponents. And it is quite possible to imagine him in professional boxing. The Russian failed to cross paths with Ngannou in the UFC cage. But perhaps the fighters will one day meet in the ring.
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It would be very interesting to see how Anatoly Malykhin would show himself in boxing. He competes in One Championship, where he managed to overcome three (!) divisions. Frankly, Sweet is getting bored in promotion, where there is less and less serious opposition for him. And the Russian is in no hurry to move to other top leagues. Therefore, it is quite possible that he will try professional boxing. In addition, Malykhin’s versatility and ability to compete in several divisions at once are captivating. Such a fighter could become a tasty morsel for the organizers from Saudi Arabia.
Anatoly Malykhin
Photo by: One FC
Perhaps the most realistic and close experiment should be a fight between Fedor Emelianenko according to the rules of professional boxing. The Last Emperor will definitely try his hand at a new discipline. Of course, everyone was looking forward to the confrontation with Mike Tyson. But, apparently, he has his own plans, which currently include a fight with Jake Paul. However, Fedor has another interesting option. The Russian’s opponent could be Roy Jones Jr. IBA head Umar Kremlev personally expressed interest in this fight: “Fedor is a legend, Roy is a legend. If Fedor and Roy want, we are ready to organize such a fight for them.”
Roy Jones Jr. himself expressed great interest in such a fight. He noted that he had long been counting on fighting the Last Emperor. The boxer perfectly understands how loud and high-profile such a confrontation can be. And if you manage to organize it with a non-standard approach… For example, Roy suggested a very unexpected place for the fight.
Roy Jones Jr.
Former four-division world champion and member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame
“It would be fantastic to have an exhibition fight with Fedor Emelianenko on Red Square. Once upon a time we could have fought and signed contracts, but the coronavirus disrupted our plans. However, it can still be done.”
Of course, these are not all Russian fighters who can try their hand at professional boxing. For example, it would be interesting to see how Islam Makhachev would feel in this discipline. The Russian champion proved to everyone that he is an incredible all-rounder and that he no longer depends on wrestling. And the key to recent victories invariably lay in the stance. Therefore, it is quite possible that one day we will even see him in professional boxing.
