Dana White is high on the quality that the Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby possesses, believing UFC gold could be in his future.
There’s a lot of discussion about which sport has the most athletic athletes. Players of each sport often believe they can venture into their opposite number and compete as hard as the professionals, but how many could make the switch over to combat sports?
According to Maxx Crosby, Dana White and Hunter Campbell believe that he has the ability to transition into mixed martial arts and quickly become a UFC champion. The 6 ft 5, 250 lbs powerhouse would be a welcome addition to the heavyweight division, a weight class often criticized for its lack of star power.
Whether or not an appearance in the octagon is in his future, Crosby has been receiving much praise from UFC CEO White.
“You know, it’s funny. Hunter Campbell and Dana, you know, they’re hilarious,” Crosby said. “They’re fully convinced that by the year 2030 or 2031, I’m going to be the heavyweight champion.”
“I’m not the type of person where, I’m never going to put a limit on what I do. I live one life, and I definitely have certain things I want to accomplish and things I want to do. And I’m never going to close the door on opportunity. So, I truly don’t know.”
Having a career in the NFL isn’t great on the body, and players’ physical state has a strong chance of deteriorating the longer they spend in the league.
Despite his dedication to football, Maxx Crosby implements boxing and mixed martial arts drills into his training and preparation. Crosby has sparred with several former UFC champions, with Dominick Cruz on that list.
However, the sparring session that most caught fans’ attention was the rounds he shared with Sean Strickland.
Dana White says NFL player Max Crosby has the potential to win a UFC HW title.
Here’s a clip of him sparring former champ Sean Strickland pic.twitter.com/YIqjWIssQV— MMA UNCENSORED (@MMAUNCENSORED1) February 8, 2026
If Maxx Crosby can retire relatively unscathed, a UFC career could be on the horizon.
“[My] body’s been through a lot. But, if it makes sense at the time and if it’s in my heart and my soul that I want to go out there and go compete, it might just happen. You never know.”
“So, yeah. I love fighting. I feel like I got, definitely, the right mentality, the athleticism, the power, and speed. We’re just about putting that all together and being fully in.”