Why Is It Harder To Remain Undefeated In MMA Than Boxing

[A.K]

jack of all trades but masters of none is why, but jon jones has done a pretty good job not losing.

[BWC]

True.

I also wanted to say, for a lot of the "cons" that I mentioned for mma, they can be temporary or indefinite positives for some fighters. A heavy handed guy with good technique could put away plenty of fighters in those 4 oz gloves early in fights before he's even really tested and taken into "deep waters" like many boxers are prone to. A lot of these bad things are really just part of a double-edged sword. It's a sport that's under different circumstances and maybe that will change as the fighters improve and there's a change in the quality of fights and perhaps even the rules change. I can ruminate as to why there are few undefeated elite guys currently in mma, if any, but it's so different from boxing that I'm not actually trying to compare it.

This is exactly what happened to Conor McGregor who was a bit of a decent club boxer before going to MMA. He blasted these FWs out in one round for awhile and got hyped to the sky. The first guy with some size and a chin who didn't crumble after the first few big shots handed him a relatively shocking loss.

Guys just aren't getting developed in MMA the way they do in boxing. They don't gradually move up in comp and "get rounds". They are just thrown in with the wolves and are told to put on a show. It's really a terrible philosophy for building a sport IMHO.

[Ryn0]

This is exactly what happened to Conor McGregor who was a bit of a decent club boxer before going to MMA. He blasted these FWs out in one round for awhile and got hyped to the sky. The first guy with some size and a chin who didn't crumble after the first few big shots handed him a relatively shocking loss.

Guys just aren't getting developed in MMA the way they do in boxing. They don't gradually move up in comp and "get rounds". They are just thrown in with the wolves and are told to put on a show. It's really a terrible philosophy for building a sport IMHO.

UFC is far, far better at building MMA than any boxing promoter right now. Because they've created a philosophy where being undefeated or having a few losses doesn't matter they churn stars out constantly. I prefer watching Boxing but the marketing machine that the UFC have far surpasses them majority of boxings.

When Tito Ortiz left, Penn lost and Liddell retired they already had replacements, Couture was still around, they put Lesnar on the stage who lost but they had Silva, Jones, Velazquez. Silva lost, Jones is going through a nightmare but Velazquez can still draw now you have Rousey who lost but guarantee her rubber match with Tate does huge numbers as will Mcgregors rematch.

UFC build stars the way boxing can't because no one cares about the '0' and you are consistently told to fight the best and you don't have a choice if you want a paycheck. And you are wrong about fighters not being built up. There are few examples when fighters come in and get title shots early because they have great backgrounds, Lesnar was on of Americas greatest living amateur wrestlers before he came into the UFC.

The UFC also stack their cards with great match ups not just fighters 'getting rounds'. Imagine on a Mayweather card having Thurman - Porter on the undercard that's the kind of stuff you'll consistently get in the UFC, that's how boxing should be building guys.

[BWC]

UFC is far, far better at building MMA than any boxing promoter right now. Because they've created a philosophy where being undefeated or having a few losses doesn't matter they churn stars out constantly. I prefer watching Boxing but the marketing machine that the UFC have far surpasses them majority of boxings.

When Tito Ortiz left, Penn lost and Liddell retired they already had replacements, Couture was still around, they put Lesnar on the stage who lost but they had Silva, Jones, Velazquez. Silva lost, Jones is going through a nightmare but Velazquez can still draw now you have Rousey who lost but guarantee her rubber match with Tate does huge numbers as will Mcgregors rematch.

UFC build stars the way boxing can't because no one cares about the '0' and you are consistently told to fight the best and you don't have a choice if you want a paycheck. And you are wrong about fighters not being built up. There are few examples when fighters come in and get title shots early because they have great backgrounds, Lesnar was on of Americas greatest living amateur wrestlers before he came into the UFC.

The UFC also stack their cards with great match ups not just fighters 'getting rounds'. Imagine on a Mayweather card having Thurman - Porter on the undercard that's the kind of stuff you'll consistently get in the UFC, that's how boxing should be building guys.

Well in my view that's the problem. In UFC an exciting prospect like Sage Northcutt who could have headlined PPV cards for years to come just took an embarrassing sub loss to a journeyman I train with at the Lab here in Phoenix. The guy is a freaking no one. This is why MMA does a poor job of developing fighters

[Ryn0]

Well in my view that's the problem. In UFC an exciting prospect like Sage Northcutt who could have headlined PPV cards for years to come just took an embarrassing sub loss to a journeyman I train with at the Lab here in Phoenix. The guy is a freaking no one. This is why MMA does a poor job of developing fighters

No it isn't the problem, because despite that loss Northcutt will continue to headline cards and make big purses. That's what boxing needs, prospects that can get big fights without the fear that a single loss will destroy their marketability or purse.

If all the top fighters and prospects in boxing knew their purses would stay relatively consistent even if they lost a single fight they wouldn't be afraid to fight the best guys.

[ianjamsie]

The 4 major awarding bodies in boxing don't help.

[Xi_]

More ways to lose in mma.....mma is still boring to me though.

[KLockard23]

More fighting styles means more ways to lose, smaller gloves that make it easier to get knocked out, guys are allowed to pounce on their opponent if they hit the canvas unlike in boxing, fighters are made to fight the best more often, etc.