Chris Eubank Jr. Focused On Boxing, Not Ruling Out MMA Transition
Chris Eubank Jr. Focused On Boxing, Not Ruling Out MMA Transition
Lauded boxer Chris Eubank Jr. says a move to MMA may be in the cards moving forward.
The talk now may be about mixed martial artists such as Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz acquiring boxing licenses, but don't think this will always be a one-way flow of fighters.
British super-middleweight boxer Chris Eubank Jr. will face Renold Quinlan Feb. 4 for the IBO super-middleweight title. Eubank, 27, has been boxing as a professional since 2011, quickly building a record of 23-1 in Europe.
Given his background with his father's legendary status within the sport, you may have assumed Eubank has boxed from an early age. The truth, however, is that Eubank's first combat sports training was in the disciplines of grappling and jiu-jitsu.
"Before I started boxing, I tried MMA and I was grappling and did some jiu-jitsu," Eubank said, speaking exclusively to FloCombat. "I used to have lessons in our old house in my dad's gym. I did that before I even started boxing.
"I had a lot of energy as a kid, and it was a thing to channel my energy into because my dad didn't want me to box. That was the next best thing I could do--grapple and wrestle and stuff like that."
While Eubank has some grappling experience, he admitted that when he found boxing he only had one discipline that he wanted to pursue.
"Once I started boxing and I was allowed to box, MMA didn't interest me anymore," Eubank said. "There's just something about standing in that ring and having nothing but your fists to rely on against another man. There's no rest, there's no escape, there's no lying--it's the purest form of combat.
[instagram url="https://www.instagram.com/p/BJN30AuhrPM/" hide_caption="0"]
"With MMA you can take your man down and lie on him for a little bit. There's none of that in boxing. You have to punch and avoid getting punched for 12 rounds. It's the purest form of combat and once I was doing that, I forgot about doing MMA."
Despite saying boxing was the purest form of all combat sports, Eubank said he wouldn't rule out a transition to MMA later in his career. While his experiences in grappling and jiu-jitsu came at a very young age, he still believes his past training would help him if he made the jump across.
"Boxing is 100 percent my focus at the moment--I'm about to fight for a world title, so nothing else is on my mind," Eubank said. "But, in the future, who knows? I was pretty handy in the grappling area with armbars and leglocks and all that--I was good at it, especially for a kid of my age.
"So you know, I haven't done it since I started doing it all those years ago, but I'm pretty sure I can remember it if I had some more training. I don't think it would actually be a huge shock or challenge for me to transfer over if I wanted to."
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British super-middleweight boxer Chris Eubank Jr. will face Renold Quinlan Feb. 4 for the IBO super-middleweight title. Eubank, 27, has been boxing as a professional since 2011, quickly building a record of 23-1 in Europe.
Given his background with his father's legendary status within the sport, you may have assumed Eubank has boxed from an early age. The truth, however, is that Eubank's first combat sports training was in the disciplines of grappling and jiu-jitsu.
"Before I started boxing, I tried MMA and I was grappling and did some jiu-jitsu," Eubank said, speaking exclusively to FloCombat. "I used to have lessons in our old house in my dad's gym. I did that before I even started boxing.
"I had a lot of energy as a kid, and it was a thing to channel my energy into because my dad didn't want me to box. That was the next best thing I could do--grapple and wrestle and stuff like that."
While Eubank has some grappling experience, he admitted that when he found boxing he only had one discipline that he wanted to pursue.
"Once I started boxing and I was allowed to box, MMA didn't interest me anymore," Eubank said. "There's just something about standing in that ring and having nothing but your fists to rely on against another man. There's no rest, there's no escape, there's no lying--it's the purest form of combat.
[instagram url="https://www.instagram.com/p/BJN30AuhrPM/" hide_caption="0"]
"With MMA you can take your man down and lie on him for a little bit. There's none of that in boxing. You have to punch and avoid getting punched for 12 rounds. It's the purest form of combat and once I was doing that, I forgot about doing MMA."
Despite saying boxing was the purest form of all combat sports, Eubank said he wouldn't rule out a transition to MMA later in his career. While his experiences in grappling and jiu-jitsu came at a very young age, he still believes his past training would help him if he made the jump across.
"Boxing is 100 percent my focus at the moment--I'm about to fight for a world title, so nothing else is on my mind," Eubank said. "But, in the future, who knows? I was pretty handy in the grappling area with armbars and leglocks and all that--I was good at it, especially for a kid of my age.
"So you know, I haven't done it since I started doing it all those years ago, but I'm pretty sure I can remember it if I had some more training. I don't think it would actually be a huge shock or challenge for me to transfer over if I wanted to."
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