Would it be a fair assumption to say...

[Pat bateman]

The best way of being a better fighter is too literally fight? No matter how much theory or study, fitness training etc matters compared to real fight experience or am I way off geezers.

Discuss.

[Santa_]

[boliodogs]

Training and sparring is how you get ready and perfect your skills for real fights. Real fights show you where you need to improve so then it's back to training, practicing and improving your weaknesses. If all you did was have real fights without training, sparring and perfecting your skills you would really be making things hard for yourself.

[A.K]

You sound uneducated

[Larry the boss]

You have to study before the test

[Zaroku]

If you gotta learn while fighting, you are going to sustain a lot of unneeded damage, and possibly scar tissue.

Study, go through the motions. Develop the mind body connection. It’s needed to build reflexes, and ability.

[iamboxing]

I think he means when an average boxer faces a master boxer. Yes, trying to outbox them doesn't work and plays into their hands. Only way is constant pressure, creating openings by rough handling them, cutting off the ring and taking the fight to them. Watch SRL vs Lalonde for a good example - Lalonde only had one option.

[DaNeutral.]

I think to really get fighting fit you need fights. All the Sparring rounds in the world dont fully prepare you for the fitness you need to go 12 tough rounds. Theres no real nerves and tension in Sparring that you get on fight night and those nerves and tension do sapp energy. But you hone your skills in the gym and you polish them in sparring and then you try to execute them on fight night. But then you need to make sure you have proper Sparring partners and not ego soothers.

[Tony Trick-Pony]

A lot of fighters these days aren't active enough, without question. Even fighting softer guys and piling up rounds is good to build up confidence and gain experience in the ring and learning how to deal with certain tough situations and possibly against a weaker opponent instead of having the same problem pop up against a tough opponent and not know how to deal with it. There's no substitute for a real boxing match on learning.

That said, you have to learn from your mistakes and work very hard in the gym and always keep learning. That's the difference between good and great. The old veterans know lots of tricks the young guys haven't had time or the experience to pick up on just yet.

[Tony Trick-Pony]

I think to really get fighting fit you need fights. All the Sparring rounds in the world dont fully prepare you for the fitness you need to go 12 tough rounds. Theres no real nerves and tension in Sparring that you get on fight night and those nerves and tension do sapp energy. But you hone your skills in the gym and you polish them in sparring and then you try to execute them on fight night. But then you need to make sure you have proper Sparring partners and not ego soothers.

Exactly. You don't learn anything from "yes" men.