There is little talk of boxing in the Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) world, but as we have seen over the last several years, the possibility of boxers moving into mixed martial arts (MMA) is higher than ever. While it has been far more common for MMA artists to get in the ring with celebrity boxers, Jake Paul is the latest celebrity boxer to announce a move into MMA, and many may follow.  Fighters like James Toney and Ray Mercer are examples of boxers who legitimately attempted a switch to MMA, and professional fighting looks to be moving in this direction, even if only for entertainment. So, fans of BJJ need to keep up with the best boxers in the world. Here are the top ten pound-for-pound boxers in the world and the odds you will see them in an MMA octagon someday.

Terence Crawford

Terence Crawford, 36, of Omaha, Nebraska, is the top-ranked pound-for-pound fighter. Topping our list of the world’s top 10 boxers, Crawford has held championships in three different weight classes and is currently the undisputed welterweight champion. However, as he has only participated in boxing, Crawford is not a fighter we should expect in the MMA ranks any time soon.

Naoya Inoue

Nicknamed “The Monster,” Nayoa Inoue has held multiple championships in four weight classes and is known for tremendous power. 88% of his wins have ended in a knockout, and at 31, Inoue is still at the top of his game. He was the #1 ranked pound-for-pound boxer according to The Ring in 2023, the first Japanese boxer in history to do so. Currently, he is the top active super-bantamweight fighter in the world.

Oleksandr Usyk

Few boxers are a hotter commodity right now than Oleksandr Usyk. The 37-year-old Russian will fight Tyson Fury on May 18, the winner becoming the first unanimous heavyweight champion in over 20 years. The trash-talking between the two has already heated up, but most comes from Fury. Usyk is the highest-ranked heavyweight despite being just a slight favorite over Fury.

At 37, it is unlikely that Usyk will transition to MMA, and he has just 21 total fights to his name.

Dmitry Bivol

According to The Ring magazine, Bivol is the 2022 Fighter of the Year. The 33-year-old Russian holds the light heavyweight title, which he has held since 2017 with the World Boxing Association (WBA). Bivol is known for his unique boxing style, which could naturally lend itself to MMA, especially with BJJ training. His precise style would translate naturally to kickboxing and further into MMA if he pursues that route.

Canelo Alvarez

As the most experienced fighter of this bunch, Alvarez has 64 fights on his record at 33 years old. He is the first and only undisputed super middleweight champion and one of the world’s most recognizable boxers. Alvarez got into some recent beef with UFC star Connor McGregor, and while a fight is unlikely, McGregor taunted Alvarez under the presumption of a fight under MMA rules.

Devin Haney

Devin Haney is one of the youngest fighters on this list. He is from San Francisco, California, and previously held the unanimous lightweight championship. He is ranked as the best active lightweight boxer, and his next fight is scheduled with Ryan Garcia, a fighter who was recently in the news for training in BJJ. Haney is still without a loss but has not recorded a knockout in nearly five years.

Artur Beterbiev

Yet another Russian fighter, Beterbiev, is the unified light-heavyweight champion and has been since 2022. He was an Olympic boxer and the world’s highest-ranked light heavyweight. He also has the unique distinction of being the only active world champion with a 100% knockout ratio. Someone with that skillset could be a natural MMA fighter with some BJJ training, giving him extreme punching strength.

Gervonta Davis

At 29, the world’s lightweight champion is another boxer known for his tremendous punching power and counterpunching ability. The Baltimore, Maryland product nicknamed Tank has 27 knockouts in his 29 fights.

Shakur Stevenson

Another former Olympian, Skakur Stevenson, trained at the Alexandria Boxing Club and was wildly successful as an amateur. The southpaw is a tactician in the lightweight division and could become a strong grappler with the proper training.

Tyson Fury

Few fighters on this list are more likely to become an MMA fighter than Fury. The heavyweight champion most known for his bouts against Deontay Wilder stands at a towering 6’9”, a height that struggles to translate to the octagon. He is 34–0–1 in his career with 24 knockouts and seeks to become the undisputed heavyweight champion in his May fight with Usyk.

Can Boxers Transition to BJJ?

It is rare for a fighter to be an expert in multiple disciplines. Most boxers have little to no MMA experience, making the transition challenging. However, there are fighters more inclined to such a transition, and the sport is moving in that direction, so we shouldn’t put it past any of these fighters