I think it's just the insecurity. Ignorant people will not allow for UFC to grow big without ridiculing it, not realizing that their comparisons between an MMA fighter and a boxer makes no difference to people who truly understand the science and art of both respective combative sports.
You cannot compare a boxer who specializes in boxing and compare him to an MMA fighter who specializes in a specific martial art just because there's boxing (and striking) involved in MMA (although MMA fighters now train to specialize in multiple martial arts). Boxing involves the sweet science of boxing. MMA involves boxing (striking) and more.
I always go back and forth between whether an MMA fight nowadays is more exciting or whether I would rather watch a boxing fight leaning slightly towards boxing. Yet if I were to really choose only one I would choose boxing. But I give the utmost respect to MMA. The UFC which is the main face of MMA in the U.S. and even worldwide for that matter has come a long way and have literally grown from nothing. Back in the 90's and even up until the early 2000's, not much people heard of the UFC. They now have sell out crowds, are bringing in huge amounts of money a year, and shattering PPV records and yearly records every event they hold.
The sport (and the UFC specifically) has just grown too big. Why you ask? Well for one thing it's new compared to boxing's history and is drawing in more fans each time they hold an event. But a huge factor is the value of both their fighters and their belts. Because the UFC has less fighters and only one belt per division (ranging from Lightweight to Heavyweight), there is much more value given to the belt because of the fact that there's only one belt holder per division. In boxing, there is the WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO titles making their four potential belt holder for each division and that takes away value from the actual champion's belts. Also, there are much less freedom for the fighter (whether it's a pro or con) which means that the UFC has much more control over the matches they produce. With less fighters, there are more fights between the highest ranked opponents giving fans more of what they want to see. Rarely do you hear an MMA fighter strictly choose the money over everything else when considering his options of fighting another opponent. Not to say that they don't, it's just the fighters are more willing to fight the top opponents and almost any opponent that gets put in front of them even if it means that they will receive less money. Basically the fighters aren't as protected...
Not only that but a UFC fighter on average fights much more than a boxer especially if they are a title holder. But some fans just don't give enough respect for the sport and the reason isn't solely because UFC is rising and boxing is slowly declining (although ignorant people will not admit this) but the critics who are boxing fans cannot stand that MMA incorporates boxing into their sport not realizing that the sport does not focus strictly on striking like Muay Thai but rather all sorts including top ground game martial arts like Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. MMA also involved Karate, Wrestling (a very popular style in MMA), Kick-boxing, Muay Thai, Sambo and much more. Nevertheless in the UFC, the three main martial arts include Muay Thai, Jiu-Jitsu and Wrestling including several different subsets of these three martial arts.
So really, there's a brief description on how boxing and MMA differ. As I've said I enjoy watching MMA including the technicality of the sport and have been watching for quite some time before most casual fans have held an interest in it but even though it's very difficult to pick which one I'd rather watch, I'd probably lean towards boxing more simply because to the real fans, it's a sport that will never die out. But the critics have to honestly stop acting immature and comparing the two mega sports. Both have similarities yet their differences outweigh them and both have something great to offer their fans...
Anderson Silva, who is the best fighter on the planet P4P, is a Muay Thai fighter.
And I said that most of these guys have been training in martial arts since childhood. Not MMA.
MMA is relatively new as a sport.
The examples you used in your quote are those you handpicked to backup your statements.
The point of my post was to point out to the guy that there are in fact bona fide martial artists in MMA, and have been since its inception.
why is pacquiao wearing a giants jersey?
and they call marquez gay?
You know what? You REALLY need to shut it honestly..
i have an mma account at another site and u sir HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO F*CKEN GOD DAMN CLUE about how much mma fans disrespect boxing..if u had ANY IDEA you wouldve just shut the hell up to be honest..ive been watchin mma before MAJORITY of UFC fans even knew what mma was to begin with..
and yes if the ppv is good I ORDER THE DAMN thing MYSELF cause thats how much i like mix martial arts..but i find damn funny whenever someone here ON BOXINGSCENE say some bullshit about "i love mma and boxing fans should talk nice about it"..YOURE not the one explain why boxing is great to those 16yr old TUF fans..YOURE not the one with an mma account and explaining why boxing is not dead..YOURE not the one in an mma site asking why do mma fans ALWAYS talk about how a boxer would get "knocked the f*ck out" in an octagon but NEVER do they talk about how an mma'er would in a boxing ring.. other mma sites have WAAAAAAAAAY more people in it and SO F*CKEN MANY of them just ridicule boxing its unbelievable...boxing sites does NOT have as many people in it.....WITH THAT SAID::i hate it when someone on a boxing site comes along every now and then starts preaching about how great mma is..
So to the thread starter:SHUT YOUR F*CKEN MOUTH AND KEEP YOUR F*CKEN YAP SHUT ABOUT LECTERING BOXING FANS WHO ARE SICK AND TIRED ABOUT HEARING HOW BOXING IS DEAD YOU F*CKEN SON OF A BITCH
Hahaha this post proves what I'm trying to get at. BTW I said boxing is declining and I wrote in quotes that only some ignorant people will disagree. As I said I prefer boxing but I have the decency to admit that it's slowly declining. I don't try to hide this fact with irrelevant garbage and total ignorance of both sports. Why hide it? Even if boxing declines to its lowest point I'll still prefer it over MMA but what I'm trying to get at is just how desperate some fans can be (like yourself) that cry when they hear the word "MMA On The Rise"...What the fuc* is there to be ashamed of? It's the facts. You don't like it then don't post in here. Plain and simple. And it's the boxers themselves who help put boxing into this mess to begin with. Guys like Mayweather who say they don't love the sport anymore well you tell me is that a positive or a negative? Guys like Hatton who frequent UFC events more often then boxing ones (and that might not be a proven fact but nonetheless when it happened, people went crazy).
People need to get their head out their ass and realize these are two different sports that should never ever be compared. Had MMA been strictly kickboxing, then there would be much more to compare but it's not. It involves all sorts of martial arts something boxing doesn't. And boxing involves a specific science and boxing mechanic that MMA can never produce nor specialize in. They're world apart. Let's keep them apart.
The number one criticism of MMA from people here is that :
a) It's only a fad and will be gone soon
b) MMA fighters fight on the ground which makes them gay (from the homophobes)
and
c) A boxer would destroy an MMA fighter any day
The first two is mere opinion and preference but the last one makes me chuckle. The simple fact that one can combine an art and a science and two completely different combative sports is laughable. It's like comparing the poster goblin to an orangutan.
Oh wait...Never mind...
Anderson Silva, who is the best fighter on the planet P4P, is a Muay Thai fighter.
And I said that most of these guys have been training in martial arts since childhood. Not MMA.
MMA is relatively new as a sport.
The examples you used in your quote are those you handpicked to backup your statements.
The point of my post was to point out to the guy that there are in fact bona fide martial artists in MMA, and have been since its inception.
.....then why is it they never exhibit any martial arts skills? All we hear is false claims, but what we see is totally different.
Doesn't matter no one is going to change anyones mind here time to agree to disagree untill 2 top notch fighters from each agree to fight without rules.
Change anyone's mind about what? The dispute isn't some sort of disagreement about which is the most effective fighting system (which is MMA, every time) but what constitutes the best sporting entertainment. Some boxing fans like MMA as well while others don't, and some MMA fans like boxing as well, while some don't.
Personally I think MMA is like basketball; I can admire the athletes but the sports themselves bore me to tears. Just an opinion though, and I certainly wouldn't knock MMA fans. Or indeed basketball fans.
It's more about structuring of the card then the actual fights. There's really no backup plans in boxing cards in case of fast finishes. They do not plan for situations like that at all.
This isn't true. Every big live fight card has numerous walk-on four rounders available in case one of the scheduled events ends in an early knockout. TV unfortunately does not take advantage of these, probably for contractual reasons, which is a real shame. If you spend $50 on a fight card then you should get your money's worth. IN the UK they show a good portion of the undercard on ppv fights. And why not?
You don't think the Gracie's, who are responsible for starting the UFC, and MMA as we know it, were a fixture of MMA in its early years?
Royce Gracie ring a bell ?
Please re-read my post. I never said all MMA fighters were lifetime martial artists, but a lot of them were...and many of them have extensive wrestling backgrounds.
You are making it seem like Joe Schmoe the grocery bagger can just walk into a cage and dominate the sport. Please, many of these guys are world class athletes.
I don't see the correlation between how someone fares in professional boxing, which is one dimensional, and how they fare in MMA. Two totally different sports, in which they might find that boxing may not have been their strong point after all.
TANKABBOTTTANKABBOTTTANKABBOTTTANKABBOTT
Thanks.
Thats definitely debatable considering the Tank Abbots of the world was a fixture of the MMA scene in the early years.
MMA has obviously improved its talent pool but to sit here and tell me that all the fighters we see today are lifetime martial artists is BS. Patrick Cote fought for a title and his strength is BOXING and yet in pro boxing hes 0-4.
Cote didnt even start MMA/boxing until he was in the Army at 18-19 years of age.
Marcus Davis, Chris Lytle all were former boxers, MEDIOCRE boxers and they are fighting and succeeding at the highest level of MMA.
Frank Mir didnt start BJJ until he was 22 and hes the UFC champion. Franklin was a high school math teacher with literally no background of any martial art. Sean Sherk was a high school wrestler who quit MMA for 2-3 years and worked in construction.
You don't think the Gracie's, who are responsible for starting the UFC, and MMA as we know it, were a fixture of MMA in its early years?
Royce Gracie ring a bell ?
Please re-read my post. I never said all MMA fighters were lifetime martial artists, but a lot of them were...and many of them have extensive wrestling backgrounds.
You are making it seem like Joe Schmoe the grocery bagger can just walk into a cage and dominate the sport. Please, many of these guys are world class athletes.
I don't see the correlation between how someone fares in professional boxing, which is one dimensional, and how they fare in MMA. Two totally different sports, in which they might find that boxing may not have been their strong point after all.
Anderson Silva, who is the best fighter on the planet P4P, is a Muay Thai fighter.
And I said that most of these guys have been training in martial arts since childhood. Not MMA.
MMA is relatively new as a sport.
The examples you used in your quote are those you handpicked to backup your statements.
The point of my post was to point out to the guy that there are in fact bona fide martial artists in MMA, and have been since its inception.
Thats definitely debatable considering the Tank Abbots of the world was a fixture of the MMA scene in the early years.
MMA has obviously improved its talent pool but to sit here and tell me that all the fighters we see today are lifetime martial artists is BS. Patrick Cote fought for a title and his strength is BOXING and yet in pro boxing hes 0-4.
Cote didnt even start MMA/boxing until he was in the Army at 18-19 years of age.
Marcus Davis, Chris Lytle all were former boxers, MEDIOCRE boxers and they are fighting and succeeding at the highest level of MMA.
Frank Mir didnt start BJJ until he was 22 and hes the UFC champion. Franklin was a high school math teacher with literally no background of any martial art. Sean Sherk was a high school wrestler who quit MMA for 2-3 years and worked in construction.
Anderson Silva, who is the best fighter on the planet P4P, is a Muay Thai fighter.
And I said that most of these guys have been training in martial arts since childhood. Not MMA.
MMA is relatively new as a sport.
The examples you used in your quote are those you handpicked to backup your statements.
The point of my post was to point out to the guy that there are in fact bona fide martial artists in MMA, and have been since its inception.
Anderson Silva who I think is the best MMA fighter in the world has been training in boxing extensively over the past 3 years and has talked about having a boxing career after his MMA career.
And before training in boxing, Silva lost 4 fights, with improved boxing Silva hasnt lost in the UFC.
Even other MMA fighters say Silva is not solely a MT fighter, he mixes in boxing, alot of boxing.
And Penn is ALL boxing. Same with Fedor.
Anderson Silva, who is the best fighter on the planet P4P, is a Muay Thai fighter.
And I said that most of these guys have been training in martial arts since childhood. Not MMA.
MMA is relatively new as a sport.
The examples you used in your quote are those you handpicked to backup your statements.
The point of my post was to point out to the guy that there are in fact bona fide martial artists in MMA, and have been since its inception.
The problem is it has NO ebb and flow. There's no drama all fights end within minutes it's very bland. My major problem is how does a UFC fight end in a fast KO on the undercard and it's considered great but if Ortiz,Jacobs and Lopez get quick KO's then its a bad undercard.
I think the biggest misconception is that MMA is UFC when it should be the other way around. As far as drama for fights, you should've been around when Pride FC was around because they promoted their fights better (IMHO) than UFC.
People don't watch MMA for ebb and flow.
The demographic for MMA is 18-35 year old males. They want to see explosions in the ring...and most of the time, you get that in MMA, whether it be from a brutal kick to the head, or someone getting put to sleep in a guillotine choke...
People watch MMA for the adrenaline rush that boxing, for the most part fails to provide, with all of these safety first fighters only looking to get a nod from a judge.
Every MMA fighter is looking to end the fight as soon as possible.
And how is watching a boring 12 round decision not bland in itself ?
LOL @ it being a fad. Why do you boxing elitists feel like your beloved sport is being threatened ? It makes no sense.
The two sports will coexist whether you like it or not.
You know absolutely nothing about MMA, and your ignorance is proven with this statement alone.
Do you know how many Olympic Gold Medalists in Judo have tried their hands at MMA ?
Do you know that almost every top tier fighter holds a black belt in some sort of martial art, many training since childhood ?
Do you know how many of these guys are decorated Muay Thai fighters ?
Are they not bona fide martial artists ? Sorry but your foolish statement holds no validity whatsoever.
Muay Thai is the most effective form of standup fighting PERIOD.
Of course, its beneficial to train boxing as well, but even the boxing stance is flawed when it comes to MMA.
You really think fighters try to end fights in MMA. Machida doesnt try to end fights. Silva was dancing and mocking Cote for 3 rounds until Cote got injured. And there are a TON of lay and pray fighters in MMA who squeeze out decisions.
There are absolutely NO decorated Muay Thai fighters and many of them, MOST of them have NOT been training MMA their whole lives. For christ sake, Penn didnt start Jiu jitsu until he was 19 years old. Rampage wrestled in junior college and was fighting in Pride 2 years later. Lesnar was a collegiate wrestler, than WWE star for 5 years before going to football, getting cut and than going to MMA nad winning a BELT a year later. GSP didnt even start wrestling until he was 21 years old and his backgound is KARATE which has very little IF ANY application in MMA.
And ALOT of the fighters who hold black belts got them illegitimately. Even Helio Gracie says Wanderlei Silva, Anderson Silva's black belts arent legit. Its not what you know, its who you know. And being a black belt doesnt often transfer into MMA. Black belt and world class BJJ fighter Alberto Crane couldnt even beat HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLER, Roger Huerta at his OWN GAME on the ground. In fact, Crane got beaten to a pulp by a fighter with ALOT less credentials. And 1 UFC, they had 4 black belts get subbed to fighters with lesser belts or no belts at all.
THe only current judo guys I know are Ishii whos a gold medalist and thats about it. There are guys like Yoshida, Parisyan who have judo backgrounds though.
And Muay Thai is NOT the most effective because plenty of boxers have beaten MT fighters in MMA. Muay Thai is less effective in MMA because of the threat of takedowns. With boxing you simply wont get put on your back as frequently as Muay Thai fighters. That is why WRESTLERS choose boxing and even some BJJ guys like Penn would rather BOX you than use MT. Even Kenny Florian said im not afraid to be on my back that is why I use Muay Thai. Just because a fighter chooses not to kick doesnt mean its less effective. Fedor, Penn are somewhere in the top 4 P4P in MMA and both those guys use their boxing ability and RARELY if EVER use kicks. Look up what Frank Shamrock said about boxing in MMA. He said punching is the quickest way to damage someone and he also said MMA lacks boxing ability. That is why some people have the impression that boxing might not be as effective as other arts which is false but part of the problem could be that no GOOD boxer has ever made the transition to MMA.
I give MMA a lot of respect. I don't see how saying a Boxer would most likely have a more successful MMA career than an MMA fighter would have a boxing career is disrespectful. its not, but its simply not true. If a boxer were to fight in MMA, his boxing stance would have to drastically change due to take downs. Therefore his boxing would be much hindered IMO. I love boxing more than MMA, but i like both. Most people dont think rationally because they love boxing so much. Boxing is boxing, MMA is MMA. Keep them seperate.
The problem is it has NO ebb and flow. There's no drama all fights end within minutes it's very bland. My major problem is how does a UFC fight end in a fast KO on the undercard and it's considered great but if Ortiz,Jacobs and Lopez get quick KO's then its a bad undercard. MAKES NO SENSE.Right now UFC/MMA is new and just like all things new within time it wears out so only time will tell if it keeps it's fanbase. Personally I think it's a fad.
Finally, Just my preference but if I'm gonna do a combat sport I'd rather not be on top of another guy with his junk in my face it really doesn't look to fun or exciting to me.
People don't watch MMA for ebb and flow.
The demographic for MMA is 18-35 year old males. They want to see explosions in the ring...and most of the time, you get that in MMA, whether it be from a brutal kick to the head, or someone getting put to sleep in a guillotine choke...
People watch MMA for the adrenaline rush that boxing, for the most part fails to provide, with all of these safety first fighters only looking to get a nod from a judge.
Every MMA fighter is looking to end the fight as soon as possible.
And how is watching a boring 12 round decision not bland in itself ?
LOL @ it being a fad. Why do you boxing elitists feel like your beloved sport is being threatened ? It makes no sense.
The two sports will coexist whether you like it or not.
There are no bona fide martial artists in ufc and I suspect there never will be. Anybody with a measurable IQ can see what is going on.
You know absolutely nothing about MMA, and your ignorance is proven with this statement alone.
Do you know how many Olympic Gold Medalists in Judo have tried their hands at MMA ?
Do you know that almost every top tier fighter holds a black belt in some sort of martial art, many training since childhood ?
Do you know how many of these guys are decorated Muay Thai fighters ?
Are they not bona fide martial artists ? Sorry but your foolish statement holds no validity whatsoever.
In fact, i'd go as far as to say its the most IMPORTANT striking art in MMA.
Muay Thai is the most effective form of standup fighting PERIOD.
Of course, its beneficial to train boxing as well, but even the boxing stance is flawed when it comes to MMA.
And UFC/MMA champions dont fight more than boxing champions. Fedor fought a tomato can last December and Sylvia in July and he isnt fighting until late January. Fedor fights twice a year. Noguiera had a very long layoff. GSP fought last December, April, August and is fighting in late January. GSP and A. Silva are the most active UFC champions but its nothing out of the ordinary.
In boxing, Pavlik fought 3 times in 08, Cotto, Margarito, Dawson all had 2-3 fights in 08 and Pacman had 3 fights in 08 as well.
The complaints I hear about boxing is EXACTLY whats going on with the UFC. And the funny thing is nobody even notices. Wanderlei Silva is DONE as a fighter. The guy has lost 3 of his last 4 fights NOT INCLUDING TONIGHT, and the only win he has is over a mediocre fighter in Keith Jardine who is completely one-dimensional and not even good at his dimension. He got KO'd by Crocop, Henderson, lost a UD to CHUCK LIDDELL who stinks and now got KO'd by Rampage.
AND YET, I couldnt stop hearing from MMA fans that this fight will be fireworks and that the WINNER of this fight will get a title shot. And the majority of the people I talk to thought Silva would win and that win over Jardine resurrected his career. And of course the UFC hyped this fight for months and even had Dana claiming that this fight could be the best on the card and that both fighters with a win could position themselves for a title shot. What the hell has Silva done to earn a title shot. He BEAT JARDINE. Jardine sucks and he LOST to Liddell who aside from his win over Silva last Decemeber hasnt won in like 2.5 years.
I think it's just the insecurity. Ignorant people will not allow for UFC to grow big without ridiculing it, not realizing that their comparisons between an MMA fighter and a boxer makes no difference to people who truly understand the science and art of both respective combative sports.
You cannot compare a boxer who specializes in boxing and compare him to an MMA fighter who specializes in a specific martial art just because there's boxing (and striking) involved in MMA (although MMA fighters now train to specialize in multiple martial arts). Boxing involves the sweet science of boxing. MMA involves boxing (striking) and more.
I always go back and forth between whether an MMA fight nowadays is more exciting or whether I would rather watch a boxing fight leaning slightly towards boxing. Yet if I were to really choose only one I would choose boxing. But I give the utmost respect to MMA. The UFC which is the main face of MMA in the U.S. and even worldwide for that matter has come a long way and have literally grown from nothing. Back in the 90's and even up until the early 2000's, not much people heard of the UFC. They now have sell out crowds, are bringing in huge amounts of money a year, and shattering PPV records and yearly records every event they hold.
The sport (and the UFC specifically) has just grown too big. Why you ask? Well for one thing it's new compared to boxing's history and is drawing in more fans each time they hold an event. But a huge factor is the value of both their fighters and their belts. Because the UFC has less fighters and only one belt per division (ranging from Lightweight to Heavyweight), there is much more value given to the belt because of the fact that there's only one belt holder per division. In boxing, there is the WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO titles making their four potential belt holder for each division and that takes away value from the actual champion's belts. Also, there are much less freedom for the fighter (whether it's a pro or con) which means that the UFC has much more control over the matches they produce. With less fighters, there are more fights between the highest ranked opponents giving fans more of what they want to see. Rarely do you hear an MMA fighter strictly choose the money over everything else when considering his options of fighting another opponent. Not to say that they don't, it's just the fighters are more willing to fight the top opponents and almost any opponent that gets put in front of them even if it means that they will receive less money. Basically the fighters aren't as protected...
Not only that but a UFC fighter on average fights much more than a boxer especially if they are a title holder. But some fans just don't give enough respect for the sport and the reason isn't solely because UFC is rising and boxing is slowly declining (although ignorant people will not admit this) but the critics who are boxing fans cannot stand that MMA incorporates boxing into their sport not realizing that the sport does not focus strictly on striking like Muay Thai but rather all sorts including top ground game martial arts like Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. MMA also involved Karate, Wrestling (a very popular style in MMA), Kick-boxing, Muay Thai, Sambo and much more. Nevertheless in the UFC, the three main martial arts include Muay Thai, Jiu-Jitsu and Wrestling including several different subsets of these three martial arts.
So really, there's a brief description on how boxing and MMA differ. As I've said I enjoy watching MMA including the technicality of the sport and have been watching for quite some time before most casual fans have held an interest in it but even though it's very difficult to pick which one I'd rather watch, I'd probably lean towards boxing more simply because to the real fans, it's a sport that will never die out. But the critics have to honestly stop acting immature and comparing the two mega sports. Both have similarities yet their differences outweigh them and both have something great to offer their fans...
Tell BJ Penn, Rampage, Couture, Evans, Noons that boxing isnt a MAIN MARTIAL ART. In fact, i'd go as far as to say its the most IMPORTANT striking art in MMA.
I watch MMA, I enjoy it but I just cant grow to love it. I hate the fanbase and I think MMA fans are the stupidest and most childish fanbase in the world. And I know most fighters train 2-3 disciplines for the sport but I just cant get past the fact that when I watch 2 fighters strike in MMA, i'm essentially watching 2 mid-level boxers/Muay Thai guys duking it out and im paying to see these guys fight.
Another thing is, im watching Silva/Rampage and Silva cant even avoid a telegraphed jab for crying out loud. And there was ONE takedown attempt which was a WEAK one by Rampage. And these guys stood in the pocket the whole fight with traditional boxing stances for the majority of the fight. The bad part is most fans love a striking battle but god forbid its a technical one between 2 world-class boxers with 8oz gloves on. They dont want that, they want a couple 205'ers with 4oz gloves and mid-level boxing ability. And they love it because the fight is going to be quick.
The problem is it has NO ebb and flow. There's no drama all fights end within minutes it's very bland. My major problem is how does a UFC fight end in a fast KO on the undercard and it's considered great but if Ortiz,Jacobs and Lopez get quick KO's then its a bad undercard. MAKES NO SENSE.Right now UFC/MMA is new and just like all things new within time it wears out so only time will tell if it keeps it's fanbase. Personally I think it's a fad.
It's more about structuring of the card then the actual fights. There's really no backup plans in boxing cards in case of fast finishes. They do not plan for situations like that at all.
I think it's just the insecurity. Ignorant people will not allow for UFC to grow big without ridiculing it, not realizing that their comparisons between an MMA fighter and a boxer makes no difference to people who truly understand the science and art of both respective combative sports.
You cannot compare a boxer who specializes in boxing and compare him to an MMA fighter who specializes in a specific martial art just because there's boxing (and striking) involved in MMA (although MMA fighters now train to specialize in multiple martial arts). Boxing involves the sweet science of boxing. MMA involves boxing (striking) and more.
I always go back and forth between whether an MMA fight nowadays is more exciting or whether I would rather watch a boxing fight leaning slightly towards boxing. Yet if I were to really choose only one I would choose boxing. But I give the utmost respect to MMA. The UFC which is the main face of MMA in the U.S. and even worldwide for that matter has come a long way and have literally grown from nothing. Back in the 90's and even up until the early 2000's, not much people heard of the UFC. They now have sell out crowds, are bringing in huge amounts of money a year, and shattering PPV records and yearly records every event they hold.
The sport (and the UFC specifically) has just grown too big. Why you ask? Well for one thing it's new compared to boxing's history and is drawing in more fans each time they hold an event. But a huge factor is the value of both their fighters and their belts. Because the UFC has less fighters and only one belt per division (ranging from Lightweight to Heavyweight), there is much more value given to the belt because of the fact that there's only one belt holder per division. In boxing, there is the WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO titles making their four potential belt holder for each division and that takes away value from the actual champion's belts. Also, there are much less freedom for the fighter (whether it's a pro or con) which means that the UFC has much more control over the matches they produce. With less fighters, there are more fights between the highest ranked opponents giving fans more of what they want to see. Rarely do you hear an MMA fighter strictly choose the money over everything else when considering his options of fighting another opponent. Not to say that they don't, it's just the fighters are more willing to fight the top opponents and almost any opponent that gets put in front of them even if it means that they will receive less money. Basically the fighters aren't as protected...
Not only that but a UFC fighter on average fights much more than a boxer especially if they are a title holder. But some fans just don't give enough respect for the sport and the reason isn't solely because UFC is rising and boxing is slowly declining (although ignorant people will not admit this) but the critics who are boxing fans cannot stand that MMA incorporates boxing into their sport not realizing that the sport does not focus strictly on striking like Muay Thai but rather all sorts including top ground game martial arts like Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. MMA also involved Karate, Wrestling (a very popular style in MMA), Kick-boxing, Muay Thai, Sambo and much more. Nevertheless in the UFC, the three main martial arts include Muay Thai, Jiu-Jitsu and Wrestling including several different subsets of these three martial arts.
So really, there's a brief description on how boxing and MMA differ. As I've said I enjoy watching MMA including the technicality of the sport and have been watching for quite some time before most casual fans have held an interest in it but even though it's very difficult to pick which one I'd rather watch, I'd probably lean towards boxing more simply because to the real fans, it's a sport that will never die out. But the critics have to honestly stop acting immature and comparing the two mega sports. Both have similarities yet their differences outweigh them and both have something great to offer their fans...
The reason this phony martial arts crap is popular is not difficult to understand. The brutes and savages, whom we call fans, want a minimum of skill and a maximum of violence, and that is they get in the cage. It is nothing more than streetfighting and all the disgusting brutality it entails. Boxing was very much like this back in the nineteenth century, until it was cleaned up. The ugly side violent public displays has now reemerged, but it adherents pretend it is ultimate skill of martial arts. They can spew off all the propaganda they like, they can tell all the lies they want, but they can not change what is in view. There are no bona fide martial artists in ufc and I suspect there never will be. Anybody with a measurable IQ can see what is going on.
The problem is it has NO ebb and flow. There's no drama all fights end within minutes it's very bland. My major problem is how does a UFC fight end in a fast KO on the undercard and it's considered great but if Ortiz,Jacobs and Lopez get quick KO's then its a bad undercard. MAKES NO SENSE.Right now UFC/MMA is new and just like all things new within time it wears out so only time will tell if it keeps it's fanbase. Personally I think it's a fad.
Finally, Just my preference but if I'm gonna do a combat sport I'd rather not be on top of another guy with his junk in my face it really doesn't look to fun or exciting to me.
I give MMA a lot of respect. I don't see how saying a Boxer would most likely have a more successful MMA career than an MMA fighter would have a boxing career is disrespectful.
What you say is absolutely true. One can not just train in boxing a few years and expect to beat the guys who train boxing for their whole life. That is why you dont see mma fighters trying to fight a boxing champs in a boxing match and no boxing champs would dare to fight a mma champion in an mma match. They will get humiliated either way.