by James Slater – A very interesting article appeared in Today’s issue of The Sun newspaper, in which heavyweight contender David Haye responded quite angrily to a quote made by his former foe Enzo Maccarinelli. Apparently, Enzo said recently that he wouldn’t mind going into MMA one day, and that he would “fancy knocking out” Michael Bisping, the UK’s top UFC fighter..
Haye, who in the past has had experience in mixed martial arts, Jiu Jitsu and kickboxing – practicing these arts for around six years – said the man he stopped in 2-rounds this past March would have no chance against guys like Bisping.
“Believing you can be a star in the UFC just because you are good with your fists is like a cricketer expecting to win Wimbledon just because he’s good at hitting a ball with a bat,” Haye said. “Boxing and mixed martial arts are two completely different disciplines and it would be foolish to expect to switch between the two and dominate.
“If Enzo Maccarinelli and Michael Bisping were to meet in The Octagon it would be a no contest – Bisping would beat Maccarinelli ten times out of ten. Michael knows the MMA game inside out, whereas Enzo would be completely new to it. On the flipside, if Enzo and Michael met under boxing rules, Maccarinelli would be the one with his arm raised at the end. As a pure puncher, Enzo is by far the better of the two. After all, his job is punching people in the face. The problem Enzo would have in the UFC is that MMA rules incorporate various other skills aside from just punching.
“Would Enzo be able to defend Bisping’s knees? Would he be able to stuff Michael’s takedowns? Would Enzo even know how to react to being put on his back? Would his footwork be as sharp fighting barefoot? The answer would probably be no to all those questions.”
It does seem as though “The Hayemaker” is more than just a curios fan of MMA. Appearing to know his stuff, Haye has gone on record as saying he would like to go into MMA after his own boxing career is over. The 28-year-old has clearly done far more research and homework than has Enzo.
“I’ve rolled around with MMA guys in the past – and even use British mixed martial artist James Zikic for sparring – and I know how hard it is to fight these guys,” Haye said. “They are very physically strong and very dangerous in the clinch and on the ground. Those are two positions that pro boxers are not used to. Also, despite always starting on my feet with these guys, I was finding myself taken to the mat eight out of ten times. That gives me a two in ten chance of landing a punch and knocking my MMA opponent out.
“If Enzo can’t land that bingo shot right away, he’s likely to get kneed to hell and back or submitted in the blink of an eye. It really is apples and oranges.”
It seems Enzo Maccarinelli, judging by what Haye says, anyway, should definitely stick to boxing!