Has MMA/UFC hurt Boxing?

[jaskieee]

I think boxing is still worse.

In MMA, you can lose to a submission and not take significant head shots the entire fight.

But in boxing, there's only two targets...the head and the body. And it's much harder to get a knockout from a body blow....so most fighters aim up.

Besides, in MMA, once there's a big knockdown, there's no more fight. The fighter is allowed to mount the opponent, and if said opponent isn't defending himself properly, the fight is over.

In boxing, you're allowed to get back up, only to get knocked down again.

Another thing, MMA fighters have shorter careers. They also get better endorsements, so they don't have to fight as much.

Overall I think MMA fighters take LESS punishment than boxers throughout their careers.

You make a good point, however i just think of some instances such as Mir vs Noguira, Evans vs Griffin where a fighter has been knocked out and still takes a few more hits while unconcious. Its like Abraham-Dirrell X's 3.

And yes it is true that the submissions such as chokes and joint manipulations arent as detrimental as consistent blows to the head and body, but if that is what MMA becomes reduced to its fan base will deteriorate because people dont watch the sport to see people get put in armbars, or to see someone sit on someones elses back and get them in a sleeper hold. The sport has fans because the knockouts are entertaining. That is what the fighters aim for, that is what the promoters encourage, that is what the fans want.

[Mayweather41-0]

agreed. On the body, yes. On the head, nobody knows yet but I suspect it would be less.

In MMA fights there are broken ribs, broken jaws, dislocations, torn ligaments, etc.

man...brutal on the body.

Yeah it really is brutal on the body, but I still think American Football is the most brutal sport on the body.

[shadeyfizzle]

I think that as time goes on and these MMA stars age, they are going to be showing signs that the sport is not good at all. Blows such as kicks, punches in 6oz gloves and elbows cannot be good for your brain! They will all turn out worse than Ali.

MMA has already been proven far safer than boxing in that there is no break on a clinch if a fighter is rocked, giving a fighter the time required to recover, and that the refs are much quicker to step in and prevent a fighter from taking repeated blows than in boxing.

The elbows allowed in mma might look more damaging from a spectator's point of view but are actually more likely to cause cuts than knockouts.

4oz mma gloves have been proven to cause no more force/trauma than boxing gloves. Knockouts are just more likely in mma because the smaller gloves make punches harder to see.

[Mayweather41-0]

You make a good point, however i just think of some instances such as Mir vs Noguira, Evans vs Griffin where a fighter has been knocked out and still takes a few more hits while unconcious. Its like Abraham-Dirrell X's 3.

And yes it is true that the submissions such as chokes and joint manipulations arent as detrimental as consistent blows to the head and body, but if that is what MMA becomes reduced to its fan base will deteriorate because people dont watch the sport to see people get put in armbars, or to see someone sit on someones elses back and get them in a sleeper hold. The sport has fans because the knockouts are entertaining. That is what the fighters aim for, that is what the promoters encourage, that is what the fans want.

I also agree that some knockouts like Bisping vs. Henderson and some of the other ones I have seen like rashad evans are worse because if you get hit while you are unconscious the blows you are hit by are magnified by about 4 times the force than if you were conscious.

[FirePunch]

No seriously . Boxing has suddenly resurrected from the early and middle 2000's drought . Ufc and boxing have different fan bases some like both . Its like basketball and football both popular and co exist some people like watching dunks some like watching touchdowns .

Same with boxing and MMA some like watching punching and some like watching grappling and some both .

Never thought id see a star bigger than delahoya or tyson and floyd and manny are pretty damn close to surpassing those guys fanbases .

There will always be a new breakout stars i guarantee that

[mrpain81]

No seriously . Boxing has suddenly resurrected from the early and middle 2000's drought . Ufc and boxing have different fan bases some like both . Its like basketball and football both popular and co exist some people like watching dunks some like watching touchdowns .

Same with boxing and MMA some like watching punching and some like watching grappling and some both .

Never thought id see a star bigger than delahoya or tyson and floyd and manny are pretty damn close to surpassing those guys fanbases .

There will always be a new breakout stars i guarantee that

Pretty much.

If anything it has created more Combat Sport fans, Promoters have hurt boxing more then anything but it's a double edged sword. Boxing was mainstream when it was on network but network wasn't paying much. It's the promoters job to get the best deal for his fighters, when Boxing moved to premium networks it lost the mainstream but the fighters started making more money.

The problem was that promoters got lazy, they stopped building up a local following for their fighters and just started relying on casino and big HBO/Showtime money.

While Boxing has become a niche sport in the USA it's flourishing world wide, there has never been a time where boxing was bigger internationally.

[Left2theliver]

Honestly, I think the rise of MMA has helped Boxing.

As dumb as this Boxing vs. MMA feud is, i think it really forces both sides to ty and put on the best fights out there.

[Gorilla Dogs]

its leaving boxing in the dust right now. boxing has to shape up and give the fans what we want now

[F-22 Raptor]

BOXING it's killing ITSELF. it has been doing it for the past 10 years.

[Al Bernstein]

When you look at ppv numbers for UFC, you guys have to remember most of those buyers are boxing fans too. I seriously doubt the pure UFC fans out number the UFC fans that like to watch boxing as well. This whole boxing vs UFC thing is not as big as it seems.