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MMA Shockingly Ranked Outside Top 5 in ESPN's Level Of Difficulty

ESPN's recent list has MMA just outside the top five.

Zain Bando

MMA Shockingly Ranked Outside Top 5 in ESPN's Level Of Difficulty
MMA Shockingly Ranked Outside Top 5 in ESPN's Level Of Difficulty /

A list from ESPN repurposed on 'X' Tuesday ranking the 10 most difficult sports to compete in, including MMA.

Notable sports were mentioned, which included American football, tennis, basketball, soccer, and ice hockey.

Boxing came in at No. 1 as the most challenging sport, while MMA came in at No. 6

It is unsurprising given that both are combat-based, but MMA arguably has more involvement, given that all disciplines are fair game instead of just using punches to win a fight.

Crossover fights are more common in today's sport than ever before. A few examples include Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Conor McGregor, Jake Paul vs. Tyron Woodley, Jake Paul vs. Nate Diaz, and Randy Couture vs. James Toney, to name a few.

It's safe to assume that more of these crossover bouts will continue as long as the interest is plentiful. The latest example will see Francis Ngannou, a former UFC heavyweight champion who successfully transitioned into boxing, face Anthony Joshua on March 8.

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Although UFC is nearing its 31st birthday in November, knockout artists continue to pop up in leaps and bounds, including older legends like Chuck Liddell, Quinton Jackson, B.J. Penn, and Anderson Silva. Each prided themselves on highlight-reel finishes, making them mainstays in their respective divisions.

No matter how long combat sports continue, boxing will always be an intricate part of the MMA scene as one of the most common ways for a fighter to win a fight.

MMA and boxing weren't the only combat sports to make the list, as wrestling came in at No. 5.

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Zain Bando
ZAIN BANDO

Zain Bando is a writer for MMA Knockout, part of the Sports Illustrated/Minute Media umbrella. He has covered combat sports since 2019 for notable outlets BJPenn.com and FanSided MMA. He also co-hosts a podcast called "The MMA Outsiders," part of the Empty The Bench Podcast Network, which airs Tuesday nights at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT. A Chicago suburban native, Bando has been enthralled with MMA since 2006 and has been fortunate to attend some of the most high-profile events in the sport's history, both as a fan and media member, including UFC 264, Bellator 297 and Kayla Harrison's PFL MMA debut. He is excited to take the next step in his combat sports writing journey and looks forward to continuing his following of the fight game for years to come. Bando can be reached via email at zainbando99@gmail.com or by social media @zainbando99

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