The old boxing v MMA debate

[jd_uk]

YouTube - ESPN: UFC vs. BOXING

Watched this video and I can't help thinking how pathetic Joe Rogan sounds. Here's my take on it:

I like some MMA. I can respect the skills and athleticism of the fighters but the whole 'boxing is dead' argument you hear from some ignorant MMA fans is just BS.

How can boxing be anywhere close to dead when Mayweather has probably just made $60 million from 1 fight? What do the top MMA fighters make per fight? I'm guessing it's not even 1/50th of that. Makybe Mayweather really is the last of the big names? But then there's Pacquaio whose popularity has doubled in the last year. What about all the up and coming exciting fighters like David Haye and Amir Khan from the UK or the kids that Pacquiao sparrs with? Some of the most famous people of all time have been boxers and it is mighty arrogant of MMA fans to even try comparing the likes of Chuck Lidell and Tito Ortiz to these. MMA is very popular but as many have said, it's fanbase has so far been quite limited to young, white guys - boxing is popular throughout the world.

On to the whole 'MMA is real fighting but boxing is just one aspect of fighting'. Boxing is a sport just like MMA is a sport. Why does it matter what works in real life? MMA doesn't even work in real life. You try that sh*t in real life and risk a jail sentence, getting stabbed/shot, beaten up by your opponents gang. The whole argument is just stupid pointless. As if you can hug on the floor for 5 minutes in real life and get stood up by the ref if nothing is happening?

I prefer boxing because for me, stand up fighting is more exciting and not many MMA guys have decent punching skills. The skills, speed and endurance of Mayweather is a thing of beauty in my opinion. The power and speed of Pacquiao is just unbelievable. I don't enjoy watching guys get wrap their legs around each other.

Having said that, George St Pierre is my favourite MMA fighter by far and he isn't a stand up fighter. I think he is an amazing athlete but most of all I like the respect he shows at all times which brings me to another point; I find the lack of respect often seen in UFC quite hard to watch. In my opinion,one of the ugliest sporting moments I have ever seen is when Brock Lesnar decided to taunt his opponent AFTER he had beaten him. Watch the Condenter and Ultimate Fighter series' and compare the difference in attitude between the two sets of guys. Those Ultimate Fighter guys are a BAD avdert for the sport - getting drunk and fighting each other in their house. The Contender guys just want to be the best and earn money for their families.

People like Joe Rogan who aggressively try to attack boxing are only serve to take away the credibility of MMA. The two are different sports and will attract different types of fans. For me, a good MMA fight will never be as exciting as a good boxing fight but that is just my opinion. I respect the hard work of boxers more so than I do MMA fighters.

 

[75th]

Just my $.02, but boxing fights are, for the most part, boring as all fuck.

 

[DJLegacy2k1]

Boxing IS dead, wtf are you talking about? Just because some of the FEW headlines make BANK doesn't mean anything. Do you know HOW MANY belts their are? The average fan has NO clue about the set up, most of the belt are meaningless, and UNLESS its a HEADLINE fight, no one gives a fuck. They are boring to watch 8 out of 10 times. So much politicing and other BS goes on just to gt a decent fight signed, that no one cares.

Seriously, MMA is where it's at, period.

Boxing is Punch, Block, Move...The training for MMA fighters is SOOO much more brutal. They lean MANY different styles and skills...WTF are you talking about?

-Legacy

 

[the_alcatraz]

Just my $.02, but boxing fights are, for the most part, boring as all fuck.

Agreed.

 

[stosstruppe]

Just my $.02, but boxing fights are, for the most part, boring as all fuck.

+2

I'd rather watch an episode of "What Katie Did Next" (Kate Price / Jordan) with her current MMA fighter husband Alex Reid than a boxing match.

 

[jd_uk]

Boxing IS dead, wtf are you talking about? Just because some of the FEW headlines make BANK doesn't mean anything. Do you know HOW MANY belts their are? The average fan has NO clue about the set up, most of the belt are meaningless, and UNLESS its a HEADLINE fight, no one gives a fuck. They are boring to watch 8 out of 10 times. So much politicing and other BS goes on just to gt a decent fight signed, that no one cares.

Seriously, MMA is where it's at, period.

Boxing is Punch, Block, Move...The training for MMA fighters is SOOO much more brutal. They lean MANY different styles and skills...WTF are you talking about?

-Legacy

See this is the type of defensiveness (Joe Rogan style) which I think takes away from the credibility of the sport. Btw, the responses aren't surprising as I know how big MMA is on bodybuilding boards.

seriously though..how can you ask what I am talking about? We aren't just talking some big fights - ANY of the headline fighters in boxing will make more than any MMA figher. Hell, even Amir Khan is a multi millionaire and he's already lost. Beating an over the hill Barrera is his only notable victory. If Mayweather and Pacquiao fight they will each make over 100 times more than any MMA fighter ever has in a fight. Anyone who says the interest is not there in boxing is having a laugh and ends up sounding stupid ala Joe Rogan.

The training is more brutal? It is just as tough, but in different ways. A MMA fighter would struggle with boxing training and vice versa. I've done both (boxing a couple of times a week and MMA slightly less regularly) and I find hitting the heavy bag the hardest of all. Grappling is tiring and requires a different sort of strength but is nowhere near as cardio intensive. MMA fighters obviously have to incorporate more weightlifting into their training but then don't have to run the distances that boxers do. Boxers (besides heavy weights) do a lot more body weight work to keep the speed that MMA fighters lose by training to grapple. It's just different. To say is is tougher is just ignorant. To be the best in either sport takes ridiculous amounts of work and pain.

The amount of belts in boxing has I agree been a farce at times but in ways can also make things more exciting in my opinion. It means so much more when a boxer unifies the division. Also, the super six tournaments are proving very successful for those who have the need to know for certain who is THE best. Again, this is partly for ignorant fans because styles make fights and sometimes there is no 'best'. Only rarely do you have real stand out fighters like Pacquaio and Mayweather. I know what you're saying but for me, the controversy of boxing and the setting up of fights makes it MORE interesting than having one company dominating an industry rolling out event one hundred and something after the other.

I forgot to mention in my original post. The main man behind UFC Dana White is a disgrace to his own sport - obviously a very good business man to have marketed UFC (mostly to people who share his type of personality) but the way he speaks on the internet to journalists and the like hasn't done the sport any favours in my opinion.

 

[75th]

For the record...Im not disparaging boxing as a sport. I just think MMA is infinitely more exciting, and it seems as though its filled with classier people as well.

 

[DJLegacy2k1]

This makes no sense: Boxer train in BOXING. MMA fighters train in Boxing, Judo, Muy Thai, Ju-Jitsu, Wrestling, and I could go on and on. For someone to say "boxers train harder" is BS. Plus boxers to train to get thrown around and have to defend submissions, they train to have BIG gloves block their face.

People are so defensive because it should be common sense for people to see MMA fighter train harder and give more exciting events, and that no one cares about boxing any more.

-Legacy

 

[jd_uk]

People are so defensive because it should be common sense for people to see MMA fighter train harder and give more exciting events,


and that no one cares about boxing any more.

-Legacy

lol, come on man you can do better than this. It's ridiculous to say nobody cares about it given the undeniable facts that I've posted.

Of course it makes sense to say that to be the best in either sport requires the same level of effort and toughness. No, boxers don't have to learn how to perfect a leg lock or a kick but they do have to develop what they do to a much higher level than an MMA fighter would. An MMA fighter is a 'jack of all trades' but definietly not a master of boxing because they are too slow (from weight training) and have to stand a greater range because of the kicks. You done both? I find weight training way less painful than an early morning 10 mile run followed by sparring. MMA fighters obviously do less cardio because they want to keep the muscle on for ground fighting and don't have to have the same level of speed and cardio conditioning for their fights. Btw I do weights twice a week too just because I'm vain(!) but try to do enough boxing to stay fast.

 

[Daeo]

Gotta agree with djlegacy. Boxing is boring. Who wants to watch 12 rounds of the same shit over and over. I can't remember the last time a headline fight ended up in a ko or tko. And who gives a fuck how much a fighter makes? It's not like I'm getting any of that money...