Tit for Tat: Vitor Belfort Challenges James Toney to a Boxing Match

In the pro boxing vs. MMA debate, one of the last rallying cries of the pro-boxing anti-MMA crowd is “well, MMA fighters are too scared to step into a boxing ring with pro boxers”. Now that James Toney has once again proven that one-dimensional athletes will never hold up to true Mixed Martial Artists in an MMA fight, no matter how skilled they are in that one dimension, many were left wondering what would happen if the opposite was put into effect and a great MMA fighter met a great boxer in a boxing ring. The closest we’ll likely ever get to that, since UFC President Dana White has come down strongly against letting his top fighters fight in a boxing ring, will be a boxing match pitting former UFC and Elite XC fighter Kimbo Slice, who recently transitioned from MMA to boxing after a lackluster MMA career, against James Toney. Still, that hasn’t stopped one fighter from stepping up to the plate and saying that he’ll answer the challenge, as Vitor Belfort of all people recently said that he would agree to face James Toney in a boxing ring.

Belfort took his message to the masses with the following statement he released through his official Twitter account (edited for clarity): “Dana, let me fight James Toney in a 6 round boxing match. I think I can catch him with my speed. Dana, this will be the first boxing match in UFC history and I promise he will feel my power and that we will show the world that a UFC fighter can do better.”

Now, as interesting as this fight sounds on paper, I’m almost certain that it’s not going to happen. For one, Dana White has said time and time again in several post-UFC 118 interviews that he won’t be making any more pro boxing vs. MMA fights. James Toney was a rare exception, says White, only because Toney literally stalked Dana across the country until he received his contract. Dana has a strong opposition in particular to UFC fighters going over to boxing for one-time super-fights, as he’s continuously shot down the request of Anderson Silva, one of the most dominant UFC fighters in UFC history, to fight pro boxing legend Roy Jones, Jr. in a boxing ring. For better or for worse, it seems as if Dana White isn’t willing to risk the chance of one of his fighters getting KO’d in a boxing ring, even if the fighters themselves are willing to put their reputation on the line to score another victory in the boxing/MMA rivalry.

But let’s play Devil’s Advocate for a little bit. Could Vitor Belfort beat James Toney? He’s certainly not lying when he said that his speed could catch Toney. Belfort hits hard and hits fast, throughout all the highs and lows of his career, that’s the one thing about him that has never changed, it’s why 13 of his 19 wins have come by (T)KO. With Belfort in the middle of another career rebirth (his best yet, I would say) while James Toney is at arguably the lowest point of his career following the incredibly humbling loss he suffered to UFC Hall of Fame Member Randy Couture, this match would mean big things for both men.

But here’s what I think: this is James Toney’s house. He may not be in his glory years, but still, this is his domain. He’s a Heavyweight Champion for a reason. James Toney may have only one dimension, but he once ruled that one dimension with an iron fist. Toney still has some good years left in him as a boxer, and no matter how good Belfort’s striking is in MMA, Toney is one of the best pro boxers still in the game. This would be Toney’s fight. If it ever happened. Which it probably won’t.

And what about you, fans and friends? It’s Vitor Belfort vs. James Toney in a boxing ring- who’ve you got?