Boxers Toney, Mayorga Must Learn From “One Glove”

Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, Chuck Liddell or Kimbo Slice.

James Toney, the former Ring Magazine boxer of the year, has requested some big names for his first Mixed Martial Arts fight. But Toney might want to familiarize himself with a slightly more obscure name before entering the octagon: Art Jimmerson.

Jimmerson was the first professional boxer to moonlight with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Having compiled a mixed record moving between weight classes, Jimmerson was brought in to round out the motley crew of fighters for UFC 1. He took his place alongside kickboxers, shootfighters and a sumo wrestler.

Jimmerson entered the event confident that his punching technique would prevent opponents from getting close. Jimmerson donned a solitary boxing glove on his left hand so he wouldn’t injure himself while throwing the numerous jabs he was sure to land. “One Glove” was paired with jiu jitsu black belt Royce Gracie in the opening round.

The story goes that famed MMA referee John McCarthy took Jimmerson aside before his fight. McCarthy, having trained with the Gracies, showed Jimmerson some of the ground game to come. According to McCarthy, Jimmerson’s eyes went wide with fear.

“I grabbed him in a double leg and put him on the ground,” McCarthy told Real Fighter Magazine. “He looked up at me and said, ‘Oh my God. He’s going to break my arms and legs, isn’t he?”

Gracie never got the chance. Once the fight hit the floor, Gracie secured the mount, straddling Jimmerson’s chest. The boxer squirmed, panicked and tapped out.

The official decision was submission due to “bad position.”

A lot has changed since 1993. The UFC no longer exists as a “style-versus-style” organization. Toney will be wearing four ounce UFC gloves, not the Jimmerson special. Still, will Toney have learned enough jiu jitsu, wrestling and kickboxing to survive against the new breed of multi-talented UFC fighters?

A good barometer for Toney’s chances will be the May 15 fight between former UFC lightweight Din Thomas and former WBC Welterweight Champion Ricardo Mayorga at Shine Fights 3.

Mayorga is making bold predictions about his MMA debut. The outlandish boxer is known for a pair of victories over Vernon Forrest and losses to Oscar De La Hoya and Felix Trinidad. Mayorga has provoked Thomas repeatedly and the two scuffled at the Shine press conference.

“I am going to smash him the way I smashed all the superstars in boxing,” Mayorga told MMAWeekly. “To me, a fight is a fight, in a cage or on the street. Fighting is my middle name.”

However, like Jimmerson, Mayorga could be in over his head. Thomas is an experienced veteran, holding wins over former UFC Welterweight Champion Matt Sera and lightweight contender Clay Guida. Of his 25 wins, 14 have come by way of submission.

While many want to turn the arrivals of Toney and Mayorga into some kind of “boxing versus MMA” debate, the truth is that fighters want to test themselves against the best in the world. MMA fighters like Chris Lytle and KJ Noons have moved to boxing, with Marcus Davis and Alessio Sakara coming the other way.

In many ways, Art Jimmerson was a trailblazer. Toney and Mayorga hope to follow in spirit, if not in terms of style.

-Morgan Marx