Best MMA boxers vs Tyson Fury

We've all seen it done, the impossible, as a talented MMA fighter like Francis Ngannou should have, could have, kind of did beat up boxing title-holder Tyson Fury at his own sport.

Was Fury not prepared, or is Ngannou just that good?
When a fight comes down to a decision like that, it makes other MMA fighters question whether they too could knock out the boxing champ? 

Who are some of the heaviest hitters in MMA, and how would they fare against the current champion, Tyson Fury? Who has the best chance of knocking out the champ? 

We have made our top 10 list of the next MMA strikers who might give Tyson a run for his money. To make this even better, we have tapped the big brains of some of our friends and colleagues to help offer their predictions.

Coming in at number one is the big British fighter Tom Aspinall. At 6'5", Tom comes close to the height of Tyson, although he gives up 7 inches in reach. Most impressive is the striking accuracy of Aspinall, who tops the UFC heavyweights with a solid 66%.  Tom is also Tyson Fury’s sparring partner, which means he knows the big man inside and out. This 30-year-old British behemoth has been moving steadily up the ranks, so why not give Tom a shot? Talk about an amazing all-British matchup, as Tom Aspinall and Tyson Fury could definitely fill any stadium in the UK.
Funnily enough it was also Tyson who claimed that Tom was the only man who could ‘beat up Jon Jones.’
High praise indeed. 

A Brazilian boxer since the tender age of six, Jailton has continued to adapt his fighting style while adding new techniques. Ask anyone in the UFC, and they will tell you to beware of Almeida's punching power and the 7 massive knockouts he has scored in his professional career. With a 64% strike accuracy rate and a 79-inch reach, Jailton could cause Tyson all sorts of problems. 

Frenchman Ciryl Gane, aka 'Good Kid,' has been a bruiser since he first joined the UFC from TKO League Major MMA. As the former champion of that league, Gane was able to effortlessly transition to the UFC, where he has found himself ranked World #1 as of fall 2023. At 6'4", 256 lbs, and with an 81-inch reach, Gane could easily step into the fight against Fury and make for a messy night. 

This big, brash Brazilian is no stranger to big throwdowns, after being out-punched by Derrick Lewis in UFC 291. Despite this loss, de Lima has a fearsome reputation as a guy who likes to stand up and trade punches. Marcos might be 8 inches shorter than Fury, but his strike accuracy rate of 59.5% shows that when he does hit you, he makes it count.

A multiple title-holding champ, Jon Jones is widely regarded as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, who has never been stopped or outscored in his career. Coming in at 6'4", 250 lbs, and with a limber 84.5-inch reach, the 36-year-old Jones would definitely provide a marquee matchup versus Tyson Fury. MMA fans might lament that we only ranked Jon at #5, but it’s his 58% strike accuracy that drops him down. Jones’s 10 wins by knockout might certainly give Tyson some pause before stepping into the ring.

Moving closer to the height of Fury is the massive Russian Alexander Volkov, aka 'Drago.' Like Tyson, Alexander uses his 6'5" frame to land shots as a striker and impose on other fighters, and it helps that his strike accuracy finds a target 58% of the time. Volkov vs Fury would be a battle of the titans!

Stipe Miocic could have gone professional in numerous sports, including baseball and football, but it was high school wrestling that pushed the young American toward MMA. This big boy from Ohio has an 80-inch reach to match his 6'4" build and bolsters this with a strike accuracy of 53%, even if he is 41 years old. Stipe is also known for his battering of punches on Francis Ngannou at UFC 220, as well as pummeling Daniel Cormier at UFC 252 to win both matches. Both fighters are gritty and would give it their all.

How would Tyson Fury deal with the wrath of 'The Black Beast'? 38-year-old Derrick Lewis has been around the MMA game for a long time, and this hard-punching Texan has a reputation for liking to mix it up. At 6'3" and with a 51% strike accuracy rate, Lewis is probably better known as holding the record for most knockouts in UFC history. Derrick Lewis is another one of the UFC's stand-up fighters and is often characterized as a 'classic heavyweight.'

Another athlete with a big pedigree in other sports is Curtis Blaydes, aka 'Razor.' A champion wrestler and standout defensive end in high school, Blaydes was able to parlay his wrestling skills to MMA success. Despite his skills on the mat, Curtis is one of those fighters who uses his big size and 50% strike accuracy to throw down toe-to-toe.