If Andre Berto gets his way, we could feasibly see Floyd Mayweather’s last two opponents meeting in the Octagon at some stage in the near future.
Berto, who holds a 31-5 professional record in the ring, has announced that he wants to make the move to the UFC and has publicly told the organisation’s president to give him a call.
The switching of codes has never been more topical, following Conor McGregor’s unsuccessful boxing debut last weekend.
The UFC lightweight champion was given the chance to shock the world as he was matched up with 49-0 Mayweather on Saturday night and despite his pre-fight confidence, McGregor was stopped in the 10th round after fatigue set in.
It remains to be seen where McGregor’s next fight will take place. On the one hand, there are millions to be made in a grudge boxing match with his incensed former sparring partner Paulie Malignaggi while there remains the unignorable realisation of a trilogy with Nate Diaz in the Octagon.
The lines have never been more blurred between MMA and boxing.
And Berto might do the exact opposite of what McGregor attempted by donning the 4oz. fingerless gloves for his next fight.
“Tell Dana to call me,” Berto told TMZ Sports. “I’ll go to the UFC. I wanna be the first fighter ever to be a world champion in boxing and then go get a world title.”
Berto went 12 rounds with Mayweather two years ago, losing a unanimous decision, before he stopped Victor Ortiz in the fourth round last year. ‘The Beast’ most recently came unstuck against Shawn Porter in their April clash however he now sounds prepared to show off his hands against the elite of the UFC.
Boxers moving to the realm of MMA have had varied success. The likes of Holly Holm transitioned to mixed martial arts seamlessly, going on to become the UFC women’s bantamweight champion while arguably the most high-profile boxer to compete in MMA is James Toney, who was given an unceremonious welcome to the UFC by former heavyweight and light heavyweight champion, Randy Couture.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QIYYd-v8jI
Given the more business-savvy approach that WME-IMG would take with any potential superstars nowadays, Berto would likely be given a less daunting debut opponent than Toney got when he was submitted via an arm triangle back at UFC 118.
Keep your eyes on this one…
