The difference in technique between MMA striking and boxing punching?

[Isaac Hunt]

It seems to me there is a big difference in the striking/punchng techniques employed by MMA fighters and boxers. MMA fighters seem to have a lot more weight on the rear leg and have less leverage as a result,there are other set up differences.
Has anyone here really looked into the differences and can go into detail. I am really interested in the opinions of guys like Rockin and Ray Corso but anyone is welcome to chime in.

[Ray Corso]

That's very true, good observation!
The mma sport allows kicks so your weight needs to be on the back leg to raise the front leg and deliver! That's also why so many mma fighters don't take a good punch! Their weight is back side and that gets you rocked. In boxing your weight distribution is kept at 65% up front and you do shift depending on your techniques.
Methods are far apart in the two combat sports, most mma fighters square up a lot also once they round kick and throw punches. Its not that its wrong because that's the finish on those moves and theres no ducking in mma unless you want a foot in your face! Bobbing & weaving will get your face kicked in!

mma is ok when the top guys are competiting with each other but the lower caliber guys are not enjoyable to watch. In boxing you can see a great fight with less talented guys if their willing to win. The lesser mma caliber fights are boring once they go to the matt! That's when the lack of talent gets obvious!

The lack of star power in boxing the last 25 years has allowed mma to grow I think most men can identify with it easier than boxing. I know theres skill and talent in the sport but it has resemblance to a street fight because you can ground n pound. Just a thought.
Ray.

[Cuauhtémoc1520]

MMA boxing will never be on the level of boxing simply because of the mechanics. Let's remember as an MMA fighter you need to be more squared when you are in your stance.

Standing in a boxing stance, you give your front leg up and it will get kicked to shreds. You also need to defend against take downs, and be prepared to check kicks and counter with your own kicks.

It's apples and oranges to be honest.

[nivek535]

they kick, boxers dont

[Beavis_5000]

The difference is in MMA is they use Muay Thai mixed with boxing for striking. Even the ones that don't throw many kicks use MT defensive techniques and stance as MT stance is better for defending takedowns.

But MT itself doesn't focus much on technique with using the hands. If you watch a pure MT fighter they are very sloppy with their punches.

So imo the ultimate striker is one who incorporates boxing with MT. There are holes in both which the other can fill the gaps.

With all this being said, imo not many people will beat a true MT fighter from Thailand who has trained their while life. Their bodies are just too conditioned to take abuse and you cant hurt them. All the while they will chop you down with leg kicks and knees. Even the best strikers in the UFC cant hang with these boys.

A wrestler could take them down and out point them but no striker can hang with them. Not Aldo, Pettis, Olivera or who ever else. These boys will get broken down by a true thai fighter.

Aldo's leg kicks aren't **** compared to these dudes.

[Isaac Hunt]

MMA boxing will never be on the level of boxing simply because of the mechanics. Let's remember as an MMA fighter you need to be more squared when you are in your stance.

Standing in a boxing stance, you give your front leg up and it will get kicked to shreds. You also need to defend against take downs, and be prepared to check kicks and counter with your own kicks.

It's apples and oranges to be honest.

Thank you forr chiming in and thank you to Ray also. Both of you point out the squared up stance. I have noticed that this has a big influence on how an MMA fighter looks at and uses his jab. With the boxer in the classic stance the jab is pumped out from the shoulder with minimal pivot motion and is hidden (that is how it looks to me anyway). With the MMA fighter in his squared up set up there is a bigger torso turn pivot and it is more of a punch than jab with the intention to keep the opponent away rather than point score. Their jab is much easier to read but is more punch than jab.

[Cuauhtémoc1520]

Thank you forr chiming in and thank you to Ray also. Both of you point out the squared up stance. I have noticed that this has a big influence on how an MMA fighter looks at and uses his jab. With the boxer in the classic stance the jab is pumped out from the shoulder with minimal pivot motion and is hidden (that is how it looks to me anyway). With the MMA fighter in his squared up set up there is a bigger torso turn pivot and it is more of a punch than jab with the intention to keep the opponent away rather than point score. Their jab is much easier to read but is more punch than jab.

I was just recently in ATT in Coral Springs and I worked with some of the pro's there. I can tell you another aspect of it is the way they are built. So many of them are so muscular and are stiffer. A lot of them come from wrestling or ju-jitsu backgrounds.

[Isaac Hunt]

The difference is in MMA is they use Muay Thai mixed with boxing for striking. Even the ones that don't throw many kicks use MT defensive techniques and stance as MT stance is better for defending takedowns.

But MT itself doesn't focus much on technique with using the hands. If you watch a pure MT fighter they are very sloppy with their punches.

So imo the ultimate striker is one who incorporates boxing with MT. There are holes in both which the other can fill the gaps.

With all this being said, imo not many people will beat a true MT fighter from Thailand who has trained their while life. Their bodies are just too conditioned to take abuse and you cant hurt them. All the while they will chop you down with leg kicks and knees. Even the best strikers in the UFC cant hang with these boys.

A wrestler could take them down and out point them but no striker can hang with them. Not Aldo, Pettis, Olivera or who ever else. These boys will get broken down by a true thai fighter.

Aldo's leg kicks aren't **** compared to these dudes.

Very good post and very true.

[ShoulderRoll]

With all this being said, imo not many people will beat a true MT fighter from Thailand who has trained their while life. Their bodies are just too conditioned to take abuse and you cant hurt them. All the while they will chop you down with leg kicks and knees. Even the best strikers in the UFC cant hang with these boys.

I would agree. A trained Thai boxer would eat these guys for lunch in a pure standup fight.

The striking in MMA is inferior, but their strength is that they are supposed to be well rounded. They know enough to be able to function standing and can also take the fight to the ground where most elite strikers won't know what to do.

[Cuauhtémoc1520]

I would agree. A trained Thai boxer would eat these guys for lunch in a pure standup fight.

The striking in MMA is inferior, but their strength is that they are supposed to be well rounded. They know enough to be able to function standing and can also take the fight to the ground where most elite strikers won't know what to do.

Yea and it's not like there haven't been great Thai fighters in MMA but that's not enough.

MMA is something completely different. It's the reason they have just grappling competitions, and exclude striking.

An MMA fighter will never have the boxing skills of a boxer, the kicking skills of a Tae Kwon Do fighter, the knees or elbows of a Muay Thai fighter.

Yet, in an MMA cage, all those guys would be destroyed by a true MMA fighter.