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WILLIAMS: Looking back at the history of "boxing vs. MMA" on the eve of Toney vs. Couture at UFC 118
Aug 27, 2010 - 8:42:54 AM WILLIAMS: Looking back at the history of "boxing vs. MMA" on the eve of Toney vs. Couture at UFC 118

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By: Alex Williams, MMATorch Contributor

On the eve of James Toney vs Randy Couture, I wanted to look back at other examples of high-profile boxers crossing over into MMA. Dave Meltzer already wrote a piece at Yahoo! Sports covering some big names, but there are still a number of pugilists worth writing about.

In deciding who to cover, I had two main criteria. Criterion one: the fighter had to have at least potentially been on the radar of a serious boxing fan (that meant no Anderson Silva or Marcus Davis). Criterion two: no Butterbean.

Francois Botha

Frans Botha, a heavyweight contender in the late-90s, is best known for out-boxing a post-prime Mike Tyson for four rounds in 1999 before getting knocked out in the fifth. The next year, heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis demolished Botha in two rounds. “The White Buffalo” left boxing in 2002 (with a 44-4-2 record) for a career in K-1. His stint as a kickboxer was largely unsuccessful, the notable exception being a stoppage victory over Jerome Le Banner. On December 31, 2004, the then 36-year-old Botha engaged in his first and, to date, only MMA fight. His opponent was debuting judo player and future UFC middleweight contender Yoshihrio Akiyama. Akiyama defeated Botha by armbar submission in under two minutes. Botha has since returned to boxing, most recently suffering a loss to the ancient Evander Holyfield.

Yuri Vaulin

Vaulin was an accomplished amateur boxer for the Soviet Union. As the USSR disintegrated, Vaulin came to America, debuting in 1990 on a card televised nationally by the USA Network. Fighting as a heavyweight, the prospect Vaulin progressed to 9-0 before being upset by the “suspect” John Sargent. Vaulin’s loss was marked by the ignoble move of quitting on his feet in the eighth round of a ten rounder without having been knocked down or even having endured any serious punishment. After the Sargent loss, Vaulin’s star fell, and he would continue boxing through 1992 without enjoying any particular success or notoriety. Along the way, he compiled a win-loss ledger of 13-3. In 1997, at age 33, Vaulin competed at UFC 14. Perhaps stung by the criticism of the lack of grit he displayed against Sargent, Vaulin fought with heart against jiu-jitsu player Joe Moreira. Ultimately, though, Moreira took the unanimous decision.

Yosuke Nishijima

Nishijima, a Japanese cruiserweight, campaigned primarily in the United States. Though his record stood at 24-2-1, the fact that he failed to make a dent in America’s notoriously weak cruiserweight boxing scene says something about his abilities. In 2006, four years after he was stopped in two rounds by journeyman Cecil McKenzie, the 32-year old Nishijima entered MMA. He competed against the much larger Mark Hunt at Pride 31, losing by knock out in the third round of an exciting slugfest. The loss was the most competitive fight of Nishijima’s MMA career: he lost each of his remaining four bouts more definitively than he did his match with Hunt. Nishijima most recently popped up in combat sports in 2009, losing twice that year in K-1.

Melton Bowen

Bowen was the first boxer to step into the Octagon after Art “One Glove” Jimmerson. The 35-year old Bowen didn’t make it past the first round of the UFC 4 tournament, losing via armbar to UFC 3 tournament champion “Ninja Cop” Steve Jennum. Before fighting in the UFC, Bowen put together a 32-6 record as a heavyweight boxer. Although he continued to box after his UFC appearance, he never scored a victory over a name opponent.