Marvin Hagler: "I See No Skill in The UFC"

By Mark Vester

Hall-of-Fame former chamion Marvin Hagler is not impressed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Hagler tells the Ottawa Sun that he does not see any skill in the UFC, and thinks boxing will be back in the swing once a superstar is found.

"I don't see any skill in (UFC) or art ... anybody can do that kind of fighting off the street," Hagler said. "Boxing will never die. It will come back some day, some year. We'll find another superstar."

The one thing that does bother Hagler about the current state of boxing are the numerous sanctioning bodies in the sport.

"It cheats the public," Hagler said. "All the fans want to be familiar with the real champion. Some people don't even know any of them now. They still think Mike Tyson is the champion."

i love boxing , but UFC is kick ass to just different kinds of combat :)

....it's like comparing football in america to the futbol played in the rest of the world...two totally different things.

I agree its just two different kinds of skill, doesn't mean they have no skill because its different.

I can see why these masters of boxing watch UFC and see no skill. I mean all Hagler sees are two guys using incredibly medocre boxing skills, and he doesn't understand the ground game so he sees no skills.

There is skill in the lower weights...

But most of the guys higher up are just street punk type fighters...chuck i like, but come on, he has no real boxing skill or MMA, he just hits hard and can take a punch - that isnt skill, thats the shit people do in underground boxing...

People class the ufc as some sort of martialart contest..is it FUCK! take any 50+ year old grand master from any disciplin and they would rip the lot of them apart with ease IMO no doubt about it in my mind... why Coz they study martial arts, these UFC study bits of this bits of that get into a street fight with rules and callthem selves MMA experts... itsa joke really to class them as such

It isn't fair for a former boxer to say UFC has no skills, yet I think he is right on. Boxing is something which to me is more specific, the UFC is fighting. Most UFC fighters were probably good street fighters, but doesn't mean they can box in a ring.

i think UFC is good. i don't like it better than boxing but it's decent. i would like to see much guys with a boxing background do MMA.

I have to be honest. Street fighting is interesting but not artistic. This is just an opinion but I guess this is what the message boards are for -but in my opinion there is no way UFC will ever be close to what boxing is as a pure sport. It is a fad right now and it will stay that way for awhile. But it will not take boxings place. People like to see another guys ass being kicked probably more than seeing a guy like a Mike McCallum or a Winky Wright fight. The pure boxers. Look at youtube and all the fights there, but boxing is an artform when it is done properly in closer quarters and it is precise without alot of options and space to do it. No kicks, take downs etc. you have above the waist and your hands and you have to fight in a certain form. That is what makes it precise and makes the guys doing it so good at it. . Problem is that money got involved in boxing and one promoter controls some fighters and another other fighters. I think there is alot of dedication to UFC but I think if you look at UFC fighters you will see alot of guys who were good at streetfights who found a way to do something they love and earn some money. But boxing is the way to really get respect and put dedication into a sport. On one aspect I am tired of guys like Winky and Tito and Oscar and Shane and Bernard becoming partners, but at the same time I think boxers should be the promoters and not guys like King and Arum. Although King was a good promoter. Arum was terrible. I would like to see one boxer come out and control it all.

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Originally Posted by Mar

....it's like comparing football in america to the futbol played in the rest of the world...two totally different things.

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Not even close to that. Its more like comparing American football to rugby, but even those are further apart in a sense. THe problem with the ufc though I still enjoy it is that They are so sloppy with their stand up, and often hesistant to engage.

UFC is just peaking now b/c 12-18 year olds in general do not appreciate things on the same level as older people do. That is why true warriors such as Hagler speak out against it.

Kids see Spike TV which all its energy drink commercials with strippers.

They see the cage and think "Oh wow, this is hardcore"

Here is a typical commercial between UFC matches:

[youtube=425,350]qRuNxHqwazs[/youtube]

Hagler just shows his age here. I prefer the speed and precision of boxing but MMA has come a long way from the freakshow it once was.

I doubt UFC can ever come close to boxing in overall pure sport.

im a fan of both but i love boxing it's in my blood

like i said the only reason people like mma because the way they get ko or randy couture

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Originally Posted by Preme

There is skill in the lower weights...

But most of the guys higher up are just street punk type fighters...chuck i like, but come on, he has no real boxing skill or MMA, he just hits hard and can take a punch - that isnt skill, thats the shit people do in underground boxing...

People class the ufc as some sort of martialart contest..is it FUCK! take any 50+ year old grand master from any disciplin and they would rip the lot of them apart with ease IMO no doubt about it in my mind... why Coz they study martial arts, these UFC study bits of this bits of that get into a street fight with rules and callthem selves MMA experts... itsa joke really to class them as such

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Bullshit. I would love to see a Tae Kwon Do Master take on Matt Hughes in a fight, Hughes would choke or knock his ass out in less than one minute GURANTEED. Hagler deserves a ton of respect, but he is not educated about MMA or UFC at all. I doubt he's watched much more than a full match or two. There is a lot of skill in the submisions, take downs, take down defense, and reversals involved in MMA. Not everyone can pull off a flying knee, spinning back fist or head kick either. Boxers need to stop disrespecting MMA and saying there is no skill involved, just shows how little they know about MMA.