One punch can change things

By Franklin McNeil

ESPN.com

Archive

The best boxing heavyweight today is not Tyson Fury. But Fury is undefeated and no other boxer possesses his gift of gab. When Fury speaks, people listen -- though few like what they hear. At 6-foot-9, 250 pounds, Fury is an imposing figure. Of his 21 opponents, 15 failed to go the distance with him.

Upon first glance, Fury's numbers are impressive. They, however, do not add up to taking him seriously -- his dearth of quality opposition is a factor. It would be difficult finding knowledgeable fans who'd give him a reasonable shot at dethroning Wladimir Klitschko.

But Fury is undaunted by what others think of him or his chances in a fight. Fury is a very confident man, so much so that he proclaims himself the world's best fighter -- boxing or mixed martial arts. This is where the enigma that is Tyson Fury gets interesting; becoming a boxing champion isn't his sole goal. He also wants dibs at UFC heavyweight titleholder Cain Velasquez, inside the Octagon no less.

Any professional boxer making his UFC debut against that promotion's champion would be a massive underdog. We're talking Powerball-type odds. This doesn't mean, however, the boxer has zero chance of pulling off an upset. Fury would have a chance against Velasquez -- a slight puncher's shot. Like all boxers, Fury is foremost a fighter. So he would step into the cage confident. And that is half the battle.

Fury would also have a significant edge in height and reach (85 inches) -- Velasquez stands 6-1 with a 77-inch reach. These are the only advantages Fury has over Velasquez inside the cage, but they are keys if he is to upset the champ. The only reasonable chance Fury has against Velasquez is to catch him flush on the jaw as he attempts to close the gap, either during a takedown attempt or to grapple against the cage.

To refute this notion, most MMA fans will cite the UFC debut of former boxing champ James Toney against Randy Couture in August 2010. Couture easily disposed of Toney in one round.

But Toney, a natural boxing super middleweight, had neither the height nor reach advantage over Couture. And he was never a power puncher at heavyweight. But Fury is a legit heavyweight and, wearing 4-ounce MMA gloves as opposed to 10-ounce boxing gloves, his hand speed and power will increase.

A well-placed right hand by Fury on Velasquez's jaw could stagger the UFC titleholder. This is unlikely to play out, but anything is possible in MMA.