In the mixed martial arts world, dream matchups are made and argued over with as much fervor as a ’96 Bulls fan talking to a 2016 Warriors fan. Who would win — Brock Lesnar or a prime Fedor? How about Chuck Lidell vs. Jon Jones? The hypotheticals will never end, and making creative matchups in the Octagon becomes one of the best parts of MMA fandom. That’s why it’s interesting whenever two athletes size each other up for a fight that will never happen. It’s something that deserves to be over-analyzed.
So when TMZ caught up with Dwight Howard after UFC 196, and asked him the tough questions like who would win in an MMA fight — him or LeBron, it was time to break it down.
“That’s tough. Obviously, I have to go with myself, I can’t say, “LeBron’s gonna knock me out.” I can’t do that.
Dwight was pretty cool about his answer, but that won’t stop us from really diving into this matchup. I’ve long held the belief that an elite athlete like LeBron James could win the UFC heavyweight title if he started training at a relatively early age. We’re talking prime LeBron here, not like 37-year-old CM Punk. So what would really happen if we had LeBron vs. Dwight in a vacuum, and they could fight?
First, let’s break down their tale of the tape.
LeBron James
—Height: 6-foot-8
—Weight: 250 pounds
—Reach: 84.5-inches
Dwight Howard
—Height: 6-foot-10
—Weight: 260 pounds
—Reach: 88.5-inches
Obviously, the speed advantage will go to LeBron here. Using his quickness, he could pop in and out, strike Dwight on multiple levels and get out fast. At heavyweight, one shot could end it. Speed kills. Dwight also has a far longer neck, which could make him more susceptible to a knockout. But let’s go further into the intangibles.
LeBron would probably take this training far more serious than Dwight Howard. He’d also probably want to win more. That alone is sometimes all you need to get your hand raised, but Howard’s physical gifts are impossible to deny. He could very well wall-n-stall LeBron into being exhausted. Twenty pounds is a lot to give up in an MMA fight, and this isn’t Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz, where both men would rehydrate to around the same weight, this is Dwight Howard, big man, smothering LeBron.
Another thing — both men have ups. This fight would probably feature the most flying knees in the history of any fight ever, and Howard would have the advantage. Dwight Howard has a 39.5-inch vertical leap that would be perfect for a knee right into James’ unsuspecting solar plexus. And let’s not forget his reach if he could work the jab, or pull off the appropriately named Superman Punch.
Still, I’ve made the rounds and the overwhelming amount of votes from our staff, in this case, went to LeBron James. Why? Maybe because he’d want it more. Maybe because he’d pull off some superhuman move to leave Howard looking up at the stadium lights? Maybe because he’s LeBron.
Couldn’t you picture him doing this after the win?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gYZlyiEJGI
