Houston Astros star Carlos Correa feels he is the best fit out of any MLB player to step into the octagon for a UFC fight.
Will it ever happen? Unlikely. However, Correa, who is an avid MMA following with his own podcast on the sport, admits he fantasizes about putting on a pair of four-ounce gloves and experiencing that rush.
“It would be me,” Correa said on a recent MMA Junkie Q&A when asked which MLB player would make the best UFC fighter. “I would love to cross over into the UFC. I grew up boxing and I loved it, but I realized, ‘Man, in baseball, you don’t get hit as much.’ In boxing I’m going to have to be constantly getting hit in the face and stomach in the ribs and that hurts. I stuck to baseball and it worked out well for me. But definitely I would love to try.”
In addition to a bit of a boxing background, Correa said he follows the sport as closely his anyone. On a recent edition of the his podcast, “The Walkoff,” he accurately predicted Justin Gaethje to beat Tony Ferguson on short notice at UFC 249.
Correa intends to continue to analyze the sport going forward, but he knows his knowledge will forever be limited to someone who has never stepped in the cage for a professional bout. He said he would love to go through the full experience.
“Getting KO’d, I would love to know what that feels like in the octagon,” Correa said. “But also getting a KO. It’s hard to speak about it and talk about the adjustments fighters need to make when you’re on the sidelines. But when you’re actually in there feeling the power from your opponent, it’s tough to make those adjustments. It will be a different perspective if you’re able to get in that octagon.”
Numerous roadblocks stand in the way of Correa’s dream ever coming to fruition. The former No. 1 overall pick, 2015 Rookie of the Year and 2017 World Series champion remains under contract with the Astros through the 2021 season, and is likely to receive another lucrative deal afterward.
Athletes from other sports have made the switch over to MMA in the past, with CM Punk from the WWE being the most recent and glaring example. Correa’s situation is far different, though, and therefor the chance are slim.
The thought lingers in his mind, though, and Correa even knows what weight he’d fight at if this fantasy ever became reality.
“I can make 205,” Correa said. “I weigh about 215, 220. I could make 205 easily. So, Jon Jones would kick my ass.”
Houston Astros star Carlos Correa 'would love to cross over into the UFC'
