The Dana White-led promotion is filled with freak athletes, who have enough power even to crush people double their size. Some of the UFC fighters even possess the raw speed, power, and aggression that could even make them an absolute beast in other sports such as the NFL. Be it the bone-crushing takedowns that imitate tackles or unfathomable power and speed that scream wide receiver potential – there’s a question going on in the minds of the MMA community.

Out of all of the fighters who trade leather in the Octagon, who could fare well in the gigantic NFL field? Well, worry not as we are going to answer that exact question today. So, without any further ado, let’s get started.

Kamaru Usman (6’0″, 170 lbs)

Former welterweight champion with five title defenses and that too against the demons of the 170 lbs division, Kamaru Usman is one of the best talents to have ever embraced the Octagon. With a career record of 20 victories and only 4 losses, ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ has held the welterweight title for three years from 2019 to 2022. His title reign included a victory over, Jorge Masvidal X2, Colby Covington X2, and Gilbert Burns.

With elite wrestling and exceptional cardio, Usman has clinched victories over his adversaries. If we talk about the NFL, then Kamaru Usman’s attributes align with the positions such as running back or cornerback. Despite his weakened knees, Usman has amazing power in his lower body and his pace would enable him to break tackles with ease and gain significant yardage as a running back. In defense, his agility and quick reflexes would make him a formidable cornerback as well.

Yoel Romero (5’10”, 205 lbs)

The only thing that pulled Yoel Romero from clinching the middleweight title was his age. Despite that, ‘The Soldier of God’ made sure that his opponents didn’t go out of the Octagon with a straight face. Often regarded as a Cuban superhuman experiment, Romero boasts an immense athletic background, including an Olympic silver medal in freestyle wrestling for Cuba in 2000. His MMA record stands at 16 victories and 7 losses, Romero was a powerhouse.

With immense agility and explosive power, Romero’s striking as well as wrestling suggest that the fighter could have been an exceptional linebacker or a strong safety if he had played NFL. A linebacker would require a combination of strength, speed, and tactical awareness to tackle the offensive play of the other team, and ‘The Soldier Of God’ had every single off to become a perfect linebacker. In addition to that he could have become a strong safety as well, due to his ability to read his opponents and deliver exceptional progress.

Islam Makhachev (5’10”, 170 lbs)

Lightweight champion, Islam Makhachev is arguably one of the most well-rounded fighters in the history of MMA. With an amazing career record of 27 victories and only 1 defeat, the Dagestani fighter is governing the lightweight division. The champ has held the lightweight title since 2022 and he has finished most of his opponents who faced him in his title fights. What are Makhachev’s weapons? Well, it’s his amazing wrestling or we could say Combat Sambo as well as his explosive power.

His balance of strength and tactical intelligence make him a prime candidate for positions like slot cornerback or safety in the NFL. However, what needs to be considered is that Makhachev’s height would be a problem in that, so to tackle that the Dagestani can play at the rear end as a kicker due to the fact that he has strong kicks. Makhachev’s ability to anticipate their opponent’s moves and well as their positions would help him get control of the field. In addition to that, his swift response to change mirrors his ability to rule the NFL field as well.

Jon Jones (6’4″, 250 lbs, 84.5″ reach)

With a career record of 28 victories and 1 loss, that too due to disqualification, Jon Jones is the greatest fighter to have ever embraced the Octagon. With 15 title defense, Jones has both the light-heavyweight as well as the heavyweight title under his banner. ‘Bones’ has been with the UFC for over a decade now and has fought two generations of fighters but none of them were able to stop his wrath. His strength is his amazing wrestling, and prodigious fight IQ.

Jones’ combination of size, reach, and athleticism would have made him an ideal defensive end or tight end in the NFL. As a defensive end, his length and agility would be assets in pressuring quarterbacks and disrupting passing lanes. Offensively, as a tight end, his catching ability and route-running would pose significant challenges to defenders.

Ciryl Gane (6’4″, 247 lbs)

With a career record of 13 victories and only 2 defeats, Ciryl Gane has quickly made his name for himself in the UFC’s heavyweight division. After defeating Derrick Lewis at UFC 265, the French athlete clinched the interim heavyweight title, however, he was defeated by Jon Jones back in 2022. Gane is celebrated for his striking precision and footwork, attributes not commonly associated with heavyweights. His background in Muay Thai has contributed to his technical striking and defensive acumen.

Gane’s nimbleness and size suggest he could have excelled as a defensive end in the NFL. His ability to maneuver around offensive linemen and apply pressure on quarterbacks aligns with the skill set required for an elite edge rusher. In addition to that position Gane can play at cornerbacks, linebackers, and defensive backs. Additionally, his spatial awareness and hand-eye coordination would be beneficial in batting down passes and containing outside runs.

Well, these are the top 5 fighters who would make a name for themselves if they had been in the NFL. What are your thoughts on the list? Would you have added any more names? State your thoughts in the comments below.