MMA Fighters & Boxing Counterparts: Part 2

Tito Ortiz = Jack Dempsey

Fighting with equal parts charismatic flair and take-no-prisoners mentality, Ortiz was an early forerunner of the kind of jaw-dropping, savage beating that helped catapult MMA from a leg-humping exhibition into kinetic spectacle. Dempsey, whose signature flattop was the earlier version of Ortiz’s dyed-blonde look, drew unprecedented crowds to watch him fight, including the first million-dollar gate in 1921 when he met the game but overmatched Georges Carpentier. It was a breakthrough moment for boxing, and Dempsey followed a fourth-round KO with big-money, high-profile bouts against Luis Firpo and Gene Tunney.

When Dempsey destroyed Jess Willard in 1918, it was a stunning display of violence, and a stark departure from the kind of slap-and-clinch style that was dominating boxing. Ortiz’ destructions of Jerry Bohlander and Guy Mezger were refreshingly simple, considering the extended lay-and-pray that seemed to dominate the sport at the time.

Ortiz helped usher the sport out of the dark era and towards mainstream appeal. If you were at UFC 40, where Ortiz headlined in his first match with Ken Shamrock, you could literally feel the palpable tension in the air. Now a free agent, Ortiz’s place in the history books remains open to interpretation as he tackles a new generation of fighters.

Another funny parallel exists between the two. During World War I, Dempsey was photographed at a blue-collar factory job to help drum up support for the war effort. However, he absent-mindedly wore a pair of fancy dress shoes to the shoot, which raised an uproar from the public that he was a draft dodger and “slacker.” Ortiz had similar problems with dress shoes in London one night (insert Lee Murray joke here).

Mark Coleman = Jim Jeffries

In every sport, an athlete comes along with physical tools that redefine the equation and raise the bar. Basketball had George Mikan and Bill Russell, the first of the mobile centers. Football had Lawrence Taylor. Coleman and Jeffries were both imposing physical specimens who simply crushed opponents and looked terrifyingly effective in the process.

At UFC 10, Coleman debuted with three wins in one night, as he stopped Moti Horenstein, Gary Goodridge and Don Frye and was heralded as a new kind of fighter, someone who could take you down and make you pay dearly.

Coleman’s early displays of ground-and-pound at UFC 10 made him seem invincible at the time and took some of the sheen of off Brazilian jiu-jitsu’s dominance of the still-developing sport. At 245 pounds of solid muscle, the ex-college wrestler seemed too strong for his peers.

At 6-foot-1 and 220 pounds, Jeffries simply ground down opponents with strength, will and power. Winning the heavyweight title from hall of famer Bob Fitzsimmons, Jeffries also stopped Jim Corbett twice. Retired for five years, he returned in 1910 against Jack Johnson in a racially tinged bout and was dominated in a one-way contest that was stopped in the 15th. In his prime, he was handful for any heavyweight.

Chuck Liddell = Bob Foster

Regardless of his shocking one-punch stoppage loss to Rashad Evans earlier this month, Liddell’s legacy is safe.

What’s interesting about Liddell in this comparison is how his power overshadowed his considerable technical skills. With a massive right hand that defined endless highlight-reel stoppages, he’s rarely had to show off other traits because of his ability to dominate and dictate fights at his preferred stand-up range. But Liddell remains a master of springing back to his feet. And his ground-and-pound is among the most accurate in the game, as he puts together precise combos on stunned foes with laser-like accuracy.

Foster reigned as light heavyweight champion for six years, making 14 defenses, including stunning one-punch knockouts over Dick Tiger and Bobby Quarry. Foster was also a fine technical boxer when he had to be, with a wonderfully fast, stiff jab and a 6-foot-3 frame that he stuck and moved when he needed to. Like Liddell, his knockouts tended to outshine other astute parts of his game.