"Been on a decline due to its own results,"- Frank Mir

UFC 111 headliners Dan Hardy and Frank Mir said they still support the sweet science, but its hiccups are wearing them thin. "I've always been a huge fan of boxing ... but as far as what boxing's doing, I think it's no statement to say that it's been on a decline due to its own results, and also the fact of what the UFC is now," Mir today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) in a conference call promoting his interim-title fight with Shane Carwin on March 27. Hardy said he watched the Pacquiao fight in a sports bar and was not happy with what he saw. "I've always been a huge fan of boxing, and I'm very selective about what boxers I watch and what fights I watch," said Hardy, who fights welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre at UFC 111. "I would say unfortunately, 50 or 60 percent of the time I've watched a boxing match that I've been looking forward to, I kind of feel like I've been robbed of 45 minutes of my life." The UFC welterweight contender said the boxing ring allows fighters to hide and avoid the fight. But he also put the blame on Clottey for refusing to engage. "Clottey didn't really want to fight Pacquiao," he said. "He didn't come to win. It was kind of like my fight with (Akihiro) Gono, my first fight in the UFC. The guy didn't come to win, and they're not my kind of fighters. "I like guys that don't mind taking a risk and putting their neck on the line – just (for) the adrenaline rush for that fight. Unfortunately, there aren't that many boxers out there who will do that now. I think that's why MMA is coming up so fast – because people need to see that intensity in the fight that I think boxing's losing." Mir said boxing's decline has forced the sport to put together substandard match-ups because there are few bankable stars in its divisions. "They're trying to move guys into different weight classes to make superfights," he said. "There's really no weight division that has anything going on in it. If you look at boxing as far as (the) mainstream, I think you're hard pressed now to even ask people who's in the heavyweight division in boxing, which has always been one of the premier weight classes for the sport of boxing. "Right now, if it wasn't for the two or three superstars that they have in their sport willing to fight each other – even through they're not in the same weight class – I don't think you'd have any boxing matches going on whatsoever." http://mmajunkie.com/news/18334/ufc-111-fighters-talk-pacquiao-vs-clottey-fan-apathy-and-boxings-struggles.mma :thumbsdow thoughts?

Comments (19)

Yeah _______ wow so it is competitive. you know what, even though boxing is declining, it will never be dead. it's us that'll keep it alive and these guys talk like boxing doesn't have star quality fighters to keep it that way. fcuuukkkk....... thaaaaatttttttt.

16y ago

CubanGuyNYC

Some very narrow-minded comments, especially this one. If all you care about are the super-fights then you're not really a boxing fan. There are great fighters all across the weight-classes at the moment (lots of overlooked names in the lower weight-classes in particular), but if all you're interested in is the next big HBO PPV; you're missing out and it's your own fault. I think these guys, Mir and Hardy, were referring to the appeal of boxing to the masses. Hardcore fans in both MMA and boxing will always watch whatever card they can get their hands on. But that doesn't keep a sport alive. For a sport to truly survive, there has to be mass appeal. There have been many times in boxing's history when even non-fans knew who the big boxing names were: John L. Sullivan, Jack Dempsey, Joe Louis, Muhammad Ali, "Sugar" Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran, Mike Tyson, to name a few. Despite whatever points Mir and Hardy may have, MMA is a long way from overtaking boxing as the premier fighting sport.

16y ago

1toTHADOME

ever since the olympics he bought boxing back to the main stream once again in the UK. With Hatton,Calzaghe gone, Khan has stepped up to the plate now you talkin about the UK? then good for UK, buddy, and good for you too. as for khan saving boxing? khan is good, but not that great.

16y ago

dannnnn

"Right now, if it wasn't for the two or three superstars that they have in their sport willing to fight each other – even through they're not in the same weight class – I don't think you'd have any boxing matches going on whatsoever." Some very narrow-minded comments, especially this one. If all you care about are the super-fights then you're not really a boxing fan. There are great fighters all across the weight-classes at the moment (lots of overlooked names in the lower weight-classes in particular), but if all you're interested in is the next big HBO PPV; you're missing out and it's your own fault.

16y ago

ma51f

:rofl::rofl::rofl: ever since the olympics he bought boxing back to the main stream once again in the UK. With Hatton,Calzaghe gone, Khan has stepped up to the plate

16y ago

1toTHADOME

take away the hate and he is actaully right but luckly since pacman, mosley, mayweather retireing soon, Amir Khan will single handedly save boxing in the next few years, lov him or hate you know its true :rofl::rofl::rofl:

16y ago

DE100

those are ppv buys?? Yeah _______

16y ago

ma51f

16y ago

1toTHADOME

UFC 100 1,600,000 + 245% UFC 101 850,000 + 29% UFC 102 435,000 -30% UFC 103 375,000 -40% UFC 104 500,000 -20% UFC 106 375,000 -40% UFC 107 620,000 +/- 0 UFC 108 300,000 -51% UFC 109 275,000 -55% UFC 110 240,000 -62% Worry about your own sport. those are ppv buys??

16y ago

CubanGuyNYC

The last three UFC PPVs averaged less then 300k buys and Coleman vs Couture cost $50 yet its 10x worse then Hopkins-Jones. Lets just be honest here, while there is some negative talk from boxers/boxing writers, MMA fighters/writers/fans go out of their way to trash boxing at every chance they get and they openly cheer for the death of boxing. How often do you hear a boxer mention MMA out of nowhere like this?...unless its B-hop or Mayweather its never. The MMA community is obsessed with destroying boxing and they have some huge delusions of grandeur...look at how many fans think that MMA will become more popular then soccer and football or any other major sport. Its a cult sport with angry basement dweller fans. MMA is the "contender" to boxing's "champion." The sport will do whatever it has to do to survive, grow and thrive. Its supporters will take pot-shots at boxing whenever they have the chance, especially after a lackluster "superfight." But, as in nature, the fittest will survive. Time will tell.

16y ago

DE100

16y ago

RSBonos

16y ago

CubanGuyNYC

He's right to some degree, but ignorant in others. There will always be a new superstar after another has faded. Alexander, P.Will, Bradley, Khan, Gamboa, Rigondeaux, Lopez, and many others are ready to take up the mantle. What's killing Boxing is greedy promoters who rather put on several decent cards than one awesome super card. Who rather hold fights in Vegas than in Stadiums like the one in Dallas. Who rather make a few more pennies than invest in the sport of boxing by putting on the best show possible. The highlighted points are especially valid.

16y ago

CubanGuyNYC

Mir and Hardy are speaking for a lot of people. I have to agree with much of what they said in the article. "Scientific" fighters are a part of the sport, but some guys just play it too safe. Boxing, like all sports, is also entertainment. It's not entertaining to watch a guy who shows up to safely collect a paycheck and not even try to win. In MMA the fighters have little choice but to engage, otherwise they just get pummeled. Like Hardy said, it's easier to avoid a war in boxing. But I believe that boxing will always have some superstars that'll come along and "save" it.

16y ago

keepthemhandsup

i aggre that i too am feeling like im getting robbed 45 minutes of my life watching a fight that anit shit and it's too many of em. and that nobody don't want to take risk and want to move up weight classes they're not suppose to be in i don't aggre that it isn't a division that anit worth watching...their will always be a divison that has a primer class...just gotta look outside the HW'S and WW's

16y ago

RSBonos

LOL at two of the most overrated MMA fighters criticizing anyone, let alone a whole sport. They are just shilling for the UFC, its part of their contract to put down boxing and pretend that Fedor isn't the toughest mofo in MMA. Both these guys would be nowhere without the empty hype of the UFC brand name, if they fought for any other MMA promotion they couldn't sell any PPVs. Dan Hardy is the same douche who constantly has made it his crusade to put down boxing and boxers like Froch and Calzaghe who have never even heard of the bum. Mir is a big boxing fan and a Pactard, he is just towing the company line.

16y ago

1toTHADOME

mma/ufc results even reach a million ppv sales yet?

16y ago

Heru

Was this the same guy that was on Manny's dick after the Cotto fight? Talking about how he tries to copy Pacquiao's style? These assholes should stop talking about boxing, period. Then these mmgay fans ask why we hate on mmgay. Both of these guys can suck a dick.

16y ago

ThePunchingBag

16y ago