A former NBA player plans to try his hand at mixed martial arts.
Royce White is transitioning to MMA from basketball, he recently said in an interview with ESPN. White, a first-round pick of the Houston Rockets in 2012, said he believes he could one day fight for the UFC heavyweight title.
He launched a book earlier this week called “MMA x NBA, A Critique of Modern Sport in America,” which details his move to the new sport.
“I’m one of the best athletes in the world,” White said. “Among the NBA community, part of my appeal as a draft prospect was my unique size, athleticism, vision and that I probably have one of the 10 biggest set of hands in the NBA. I think all of those things will translate beautifully to the UFC.”
White said he has been training in MMA for six or seven months, but as of now it is unclear when he will be ready to step inside the cage for the first time. White has been training at Minnesota Martial Arts Academy, best known as the home of former UFC champions Brock Lesnar and Sean Sherk, according to MMA Fighting.
“I’ve always been a fan of the fight game since I was young,” White said. “I played point guard as a 265-pounder in the NCAA. In order to do so, not only do you have to have great court vision, you have to have great tempo and great footwork.
”Those things naturally translate to the fight game. I’m excited about it, but more so than anything, I’m excited about learning this thing that I’ve loved from the sidelines for so long, and applying it.”
White, who’s 6-foot-8 and 250 pounds, suffers from generalized anxiety syndrome and missed his rookie season because of the condition. He would go on to never play a game for the Rockets. He later played three games with the Sacramento Kings in the 2013-14 season, but was eventually let go.
Most recently, White played for the London Lightning in NBL Canada, a league founded in 2011. He was the league MVP in 2017 after leading the Lightning to the championship.
White, 27, became known after expressing concerns of a lack of a mental health policy within the NBA.