Why is MMA a threat to boxing?

[The Student]

Plain and simple, we watch sports because we crave excitement. When kickboxing emerged and I m not talking the Thai version which has been around almost forever with a little exaggeration of course, Someone once said that those of us that crave violent sports invented another one. I really give a rat's ass about yuppies that did not have the stomach to watch a man's sport so they started by canceling a high rated show on cable network USA. Let';s face it, there are those of us that are squeamish and there are those of us that can't get enough. We are fans. while those hypocrites trying to abolish boxing and focus their attention on our sport. MMA was stepping up to the plate, raw and unorganized. Boxing has been around and taken a beating from people outside the boundaries of fans like us. MMA has rules that I can't abide by and when yopu are on the floor and get hit behind the head while you are down, where's the sport in that you might ask. All I can say is to each his own and if the MMA makes you happy then more power to you. I have been practicing martial arts in dojos and not in a ring and I boxed amateur but now remember this, Boxing has risen again but those promoters and those wannabe executives that never broke a sweat in their lives are the real threat to boxing. I usually find one more quality in all the gyms I frequent, there are more gentlemen in boxing than in other sports and I mean the fighters.

Actually most MMA organizations, well any recognized and sanctioned organizations do not allow hitting in the back of the head at all.

MMA has rules, as does boxing... The rules are just very different as they are two very different sports. The ground game is an integral part of MMA. The only time you can hit someone when they are on the ground is when they have the ability to intelligently defend themselves.

Tons of fights are won by fighters who are on their back.

I'm a fan of both sports, I think they're both great for their own reasons. The main reason why MMA is a threat to boxing is the UFC and their marketing machine. As someone already mentioned they have studied boxing's structure and are capitalizing on their mistakes.

Also I noticed that here in Toronto atleast, they've been able to really capture the younger audiences.. some of who still enjoy boxing (but that seems to be the more mature ones). When I talk to younger guys it seems like that whole 'cage fighting' and the illusion of raw, no rules, anything can happen stuff is what appeals to them most.

I personally think that boxing and mma will co-exist. But boxing needs to take a few lessons from the ufc as the ufc took lessons from boxing and become aggressive with their marketing and promo. The MMA is constantly growing not because it's a superior sport but because the guys behind it have a more long term vision and a better business model, imo.

[Drago]

the average age of a boxing fan is alot older than the average age of mma fan, there lies the foundation for mma to overtake boxing.

[Drago]

plus its easier for a boxing fan to get into mma than vice versa what with boxing having 17 weight catagories & multiple titles!

[Kev]

I've been getting more and more into MMA over the last three or so years. I used to be a hater but now I get more pumped for a UFC card than I do for all but the biggest boxing fights.

I'm not sure how the OP can say MMA is boring, for the most part it's far more entertaining than boxing imo. Better matchups, far more variety in fights, stacked fightcards, less predictable, more upsets, more brutal, it's a great, great sport imo.

Compare the recent UFC cards with the supposedly 'stacked' Marquez Diaz 2 boxing card. That was supposed to be one of the best boxing cards top to bottom and the undercard was mostly dull dull dull. I found the Linares Juarez and Casamayor Gurerro fights painful to watch. It did liven up a lot when Daniel Jacobs got knocked out and the main event was pretty good, but I found the UFC far more entertaining, the Nelson Dos Santos fight was great, Matt Hughes won in impressive style, Clay Guida is always entertaining and the main event for me was epic with Anderson Silva getting a 4 round beat down before saving himself from disaster in the last round.

There's hardly ever a boxing event that can compare top to bottom like that and the UFC does it pretty much routinely now. It's not just them either Showtimes Strikeforce shows have had some great fights too, and unlike woman's boxing which is sleep inducing, the girls in MMA can really kick ass and put on some epic slugfests.


MMA is a great sport, it's still in its infancy but its establishing itself as a major rival to boxing right now.

Guys like Randy Couture, Chuck Liddell and Rampage Jackson are bigger household names than most boxers now as evidenced by the fact that both Jackson and Couture (and even Bob Sapp) have made the transition to films.

It's just got a much younger, cooler image and is eaiser to understand and more viscarally appealing to the casual fan.

[El Kabong]

Those same people that like the "younger cooler image" of UFC also like Jersey Shore.....so no thank you.

[Kev]

Those same people that like the "younger cooler image" of UFC also like Jersey Shore.....so no thank you.

ha I know what you're saying but imo fighting is supposed to be a raw sport, yet boxing's image is tuxedo's and bow ties, whereas UFC's is baseball caps, affliction clothing and tatoos. You can mock it, but that more appeals to the mentality of most who enjoy watching fights.

Boxing in order to gain credibility over the years has tried to civilise combat, turning into pugilism with the Queensbury rules, a respectible sport. MMA has aimed for those who like explosions, big action movies and rap music. They have embraced things like Twitter and actively associate themselves with younger interests. It's simply more hip. The purists can look down on it, the same way we might look down on the Twilight films. But it wont stop angst ridden teens flocking to the cinema in their tens of thousands to catch a glimpse of Edward Cullen....

[Mattyhitman]

I've been getting more and more into MMA over the last three or so years. I used to be a hater but now I get more pumped for a UFC card than I do for all but the biggest boxing fights.

I'm not sure how the OP can say MMA is boring, for the most part it's far more entertaining than boxing imo. Better matchups, far more variety in fights, stacked fightcards, less predictable, more upsets, more brutal, it's a great, great sport imo.

Compare the recent UFC cards with the supposedly 'stacked' Marquez Diaz 2 boxing card. That was supposed to be one of the best boxing cards top to bottom and the undercard was mostly dull dull dull. I found the Linares Juarez and Casamayor Gurerro fights painful to watch. It did liven up a lot when Daniel Jacobs got knocked out and the main event was pretty good, but I found the UFC far more entertaining, the Nelson Dos Santos fight was great, Matt Hughes won in impressive style, Clay Guida is always entertaining and the main event for me was epic with Anderson Silva getting a 4 round beat down before saving himself from disaster in the last round.

There's hardly ever a boxing event that can compare top to bottom like that and the UFC does it pretty much routinely now. It's not just them either Showtimes Strikeforce shows have had some great fights too, and unlike woman's boxing which is sleep inducing, the girls in MMA can really kick ass and put on some epic slugfests.


MMA is a great sport, it's still in its infancy but its establishing itself as a major rival to boxing right now.

Guys like Randy Couture, Chuck Liddell and Rampage Jackson are bigger household names than most boxers now as evidenced by the fact that both Jackson and Couture (and even Bob Sapp) have made the transition to films.

It's just got a much younger, cooler image and is eaiser to understand and more viscarally appealing to the casual fan.

Great post Bilbo !



Lyle - would you rather watch a boring card of boxing with a suit on, or an exciting stacked UFC card in you jeans and t-shirt ?

I know which i would rather watch, but then you are a fan of the Klits, so i guess i've answered my question really