First off, this isn't a stupid question, I routinely ask myself how guys in the MMA would do as boxers and if someone has the drive, desire, and dedication to learn and utilize other martial arts then I am sure they would have SOME success in boxing. However, I do think far too many MMA fighters don't know proper punching technique.

JohnyFolds, I mean no disrespect to Chuck Lidell, but in all honesty as a BOXER if you look at his fights in MMA, just the "striking" he did, he was technically unsound. Sure he acheived great results, he was a GREAT MMA fighter and his ability to land MEANINGFUL PUNCHES in MMA was very good (and fighters are getting better at not throwing punches like little girls these days) I just see when he threw punches he was technically unsound to the extent where a guy who knows even a little about boxing could see where he would leave himself open to counters.

Chuck vs Rampage in the UFC was not AGE it was SKILL...Chuck lazily pushed a jab out and dropped it by his waist MULTIPLE TIMES and the answer to that as the opposing fighter is RIGHT CROSS...that is Boxing 101, very simple easy mistake and he got KO'd on account of it.

Now had he trained as a boxer all his life and been taught how to box and absorbed all the boxing knowledge he could handle and he could make it happen in the ring, then I see no reason why he couldn't have been a contender. But just based on his MMA I don't think he'd do any better than say an Andrei Arlovski.

In boxing a lot of guys can BOX and a lot of guys can PUNCH...it's the cream of the crop that can do both or that can master pure boxing or pure punching....your average MMA fighter can't punch and won't be able to grasp how to box without lots and lots of training, that's how the best boxers become the best boxers