Media mainstream sportscenter starts show with mma vs boxing debate

[MPhelan]

MMA is a great sport, and I don't think any experience I have as a fan can match when I went to Nagoya, Japan and watched PRIDE 13 live. The whole show was magical.

I like to box more, I think it's more fun. I wouldn't mind fighting MMA, but I don't enjoy grappling as much as boxing and I know that my hands are where the bulk of my talent lies.

They're good, complementary sports. I don't see why they have to vie with each other. For most of my friends that I introduce to boxing, I use MMA as the medium. It's an easy entryway into combat sports. From there, I'll show them boxing matches so that a lot of my friends are both boxing and MMA fans, just like I am.

The whole MMA vs. boxing debate boils to the idea that fans are somehow incapable of appreciating both. The name calling and insults are the products of this fallacy.

[VictorCharlie]

Ok Lyle and Trainer I think we all get that MMA is akin to watching paint dry for you, but what would it take for you to see MMA is a legit sport with legit participants?

[Trainer Monkey]

I think it's idiotic how both Rogan and Dibella feel the need to prove one sport is better than the other, or moreso, why people here try to do the same thing. Fight fans can like boxing, or MMA, or both. I like both. I don't think it's really even competitive, but they really complement each other. Like for instance in recent years where there would be a long stretch we'd have to wait between blockbuster boxing ppvs, UFC now in a way fills in the blanks, (Liddell-Jackson coming in between DLH-Mayweather and Judah-Cotto). And for those who bash UFC, they at least have their most dominant fighter also happening to be their most exciting fighter (Liddell), and as Brian Kenny pointed out yesterday, boxing hasn't had that since Tyson in the 80s.

You want an honest awnser?
Not a fans awnswer?
UFC needs investors,so they cook it up to make it look like the wave of the future
So if they can make the big bad wolves of Wrasslin and Boxing look past it,maybe they can draw in more money
The USFL did the same thing back in the 80s,so they could afford to sign guys like Steve Young,and Herschel Walker,and Reggie White

[southakron314]

Lyle at least be some what informed
Randy Couture is the HW champ not Tim Sylvia
Chuck is a LHW not hw
Title fights are five 5 minute rounds

What a whopping 3 rounds.Boxers used to 15 rounds until 1984 when Ray boom boom Mancini killed Duk Koo Kim after a vicious right hand to the chin he later went into a coma and died.Ive never scene or hered someone dying in MMA.3 five minute rounds is 15 minutes. 12,3 minute round is well over double that fifteen rounder where three times that. You cant compare
boxing and MMA. Boxers are clearly more well conditioned and by far way more superior as strikers with there hand. MMA is clearly more superior with the ground game and the martial arts.I just happen to preferr boxing. I know guys who do MMA and I cant stand a single one of them from there crappy attitudes to there terrible tribal tattoos.

So its not about a fighters athleticism or skills....your arguments have denigrated to ragging on a whole group of atheletes b/c of their tattoos and percieved attitudes? There is a word for intolerant people who make broad sweepping generalizations and stereotypes....bigot

No worries Van Man.. Me and you have been on Saddo's for about the same time.... And trying to educate people against there predjudices, Ignorance and falsehoods against MMA is futile.... MOst people who put down MMA dont know a gotdam thing about it and wind up looking like complete A-Holes to people who know the ins and outs of the sport. Entertainment value is always subjective and thats fine but, when people are just straight up idiotic and lacking real perception, I just dont waste my time anymore. If they want to sound like uneducated street urchins thats fine by me

So you watch the lastest t.v series of this show and agree these guys fighting in the house provided by the owner of UFC are class acts.I'm sorry to so idiotic and so ignorant to say these perfect gentlemen are complete jerks.God send me to the fiery pits for having such a biased opinion on something that is so obvious.

Thanks for the I wont retaliate though But who gives a flying fuk if they hump pigeons in the park during there freetime... What the hell does it have to do with their skill set and abiltiy to take a punch... Are you for real I'm covered in tats and train in MMA so when you offend the sport you are offending me.. Tell you what I dare you to tell Leban what you think of him and the sport he dedicates himself, trains and bleeds..

I'm sure he would do the same that I would.. See what your really made of and if you are even in a position to run your yap

9x out of 10 the critics are nothing more than keyboard jockeys that think they know something because they saw it on TV or they know someone who trains, so it makes them a tough guy and an expert

Baby any day.. I will say what I think to any man.I'm not the biggest dude.6' 220. But well all bleed red baby.I boxed for 10 years. Kenmore boxing club and then goodshepards gym on Howard street. My father was a small time ham and egger pro welter weight .He wasnt the greatest pro. He only had 19 fights.He was 11-7-1.But he is besides the point. I gave an opinion you are the one talking in a tone that seems like wrath like .If Leban was here I would tell him what how he can be a little more classy and less trashy.I guarantee he would have a tough time taking me on my feet.I swat harder than he dose. I guarantee you that. He would probablly have to take me down and work his game and choke me out.I was a amateur from 8 years till I was 18.I won a silver glove at 120. I have knocked kids out with headgear on. My son is 5 years old and is going to the gym allready.So don't put down what you don't know or understand. Because I know and understand MMA guys. My cousin dose it and my wife's ex boyfriend dose it. And if you ask me they are both a complete waste of Oxygen. Then I see what these so called men do on T.v .Of all places the home that is provided to them by the owner of the company.The best education I got was on the streets. Hopefully you never had to fight your way in and out of neighborhoods in Connecticut. In urban Akron's dirty south side you do. I used to carry a cue ball stuffed in a sock for protection when I was 12.You have to do what you have to do.I still live in Akron but in a different area but still in the south side non the less. I have been slashed with a knife shot at, jumped, I have even had a dog sicked on me during a street fight.So don't tell me what for.Im sure you are a decent man an hopefully you can understand where Im coming from.True....I had 3 best freinds growing up.1 is still alive.Alan deceded to taste test a buck shot and Marcus was murdered in his sleep by his neighboor for drug money.I hate my past.I don't ever want that for my child or even yours if you have any its not fun. I do not wish that upon any man if I agree with him or not.

I'll say it your face I'll say it to anyones face that I think alot of MMA guys a a bunch of jackasses who are covered in tattoos who can never hold a real job.Peter Manfreo is a union electrician.So I said that to your face .That alot of MMA guys are classless swatters who leave their chin hanging out like yesterdays laundry. So I'm saying it basically if I could point blank to your face.Its hard being a new england gansta isn't it.Connecticut.huh.I just watched IFL. I laughed the whole time these kids have holes in their game big enough to fit a truck in. Thats all Im saying. Boxers are better condtioned and have better chins and strike with their hands alot better than MMA.I also belive that out of the over 9,000 ranked world boxers the average one has more class than the average MMA guy.

[Trainer Monkey]

Ok Lyle and Trainer I think we all get that MMA is akin to watching paint dry for you, but what would it take for you to see MMA is a legit sport with legit participants?

Oh I view it as a sport,just one that has no identity right now
Of course Volleyball and Cricket are sports too
The best thing for MMA is to acknowledge its a variation of Greco Wrestling,which is what it really is.
Long term its its best chance for survival,but as long as it sells itself the way it is,itll make short term money,because of the machismo factor,but it will never be a real sport
There wont be any Olympic Medals,there wont be any Gold Gloves,itll just be a sideshow
Honestly I wouldnt mind if it became legit(hell,nobodies forcing me to watch,nobodies forcing me to wach Golf either,thank god)but right now its just this amorphous nothing.
Hey let it it decide what it is,and you guys can enjoy watching it.

[VictorCharlie]

I'm a Sergeant in an Infantry company. So I work closely with 120+ guys between the ages of 18-38. I can say this most of them could name the UFC's belt holders easier then any particular 5 boxing champs. They buy the PPVs and watch freebies much more so than boxing. We also train in Army combatives which is a toned down version of MMA. A number of guys have started to compete as well. Now I know that Infantry soldiers aren't a perfect microcosm but we do come from all walks of life and they are much more interested in MMA than boxing. I personally grew up on boxing but have been turned off over the last several years. I enjoy training in MMA and respect the fighters as great atheletes and technical fighters. I like having one champion, I like having most of the fights that I want to see actually happen, I like how the fight cards usually have multiple fights I'm interested in, I like that MMA fights usually dont end in controversial decisions. For me I feel like I get more for my money as a fan of MMA. To me boxing is losing its fanbase not only through the crappy alphabets and promoters but more importantly at its ground base. My hometown of College Station, Tx is close to 200,000 people. It has one boxing gym that barely stays in business and is tucked away in downtown and if you didn't know where it was you'd walk right by it. The dissapearance of boxing gyms is taking more and more of boxings future fans than anything else

[southakron314]

I'm a Sergeant in an Infantry company. So I work closely with 120+ guys between the ages of 18-38. I can say this most of them could name the UFC's belt holders easier then any particular 5 boxing champs. They buy the PPVs and watch freebies much more so than boxing. We also train in Army combatives which is a toned down version of MMA. A number of guys have started to compete as well. Now I know that Infantry soldiers aren't a perfect microcosm but we do come from all walks of life and they are much more interested in MMA than boxing. I personally grew up on boxing but have been turned off over the last several years. I enjoy training in MMA and respect the fighters as great atheletes and technical fighters. I like having one champion, I like having most of the fights that I want to see actually happen, I like how the fight cards usually have multiple fights I'm interested in, I like that MMA fights usually dont end in controversial decisions. For me I feel like I get more for my money as a fan of MMA. To me boxing is losing its fanbase not only through the crappy alphabets and promoters but more importantly at its ground base. My hometown of College Station, Tx is close to 200,000 people. It has one boxing gym that barely stays in business and is tucked away in downtown and if you didn't know where it was you'd walk right by it. The dissapearance of boxing gyms is taking more and more of boxings future fans than anything else

You are totally right about too many belts. That is one thing that has put boxing in such a resesion. That and the promoters need to take on the roll as a more of a agent than a pimp. I trhink Golden boy and Bob Arum are the only two I would trust.But that is weird how your town has only one gym. In Akron 330,000 population has i think 8 or nine. Goodshepards is the cutthroat kind. I was their from 1992-1995. Boxing is huge in my neck of the woods.Cleveland right up the street has over 13.But it seems Youngstown gets all the credit they have produced world champs and now a new glimmer of hope to try to mask its bullet ridden past in Kelly the Ghost Pavlik. I guess it could be a geography thing too. Both these citys are about 40 minutes away from me. Sad thing is Youngstown makes Cleveland look like Beverly Hills.

[southakron314]

But another thing these MMA guys usually train in boxing alot. These guys need to go to these holes in the wall to learn how to use your hands. Throwing a punch is a science.Look at Hearns. Skinny as a rail but can tear down a wall without any tools.

[luvfightgame]

But another thing these MMA guys usually train in boxing alot. These guys need to go to these holes in the wall to learn how to use your hands. Throwing a punch is a science.Look at Hearns. Skinny as a rail but can tear down a wall without any tools.

This has been discussed over and over. You can't use the same stance when you have to worry about getting taken down or kicked. You can't commit to a punch the same way. It's apples and oranges watch what you like and don't sweat the differences. And I watch both regularly every fighter and boxer has holes in their games. Watch FNF and see how many guys don't make mistakes or don't fight the right game plan. Hell ODH abandoned his jab in the middle of a fight when it was working. JT was inactive and timid against a feather fisted undersized challenger. Even his trainer was riding him half the fight to be aggressive. I would categorize those as holes. Everyone has them no matter what sport and especially in MMA and Boxing. I am a fan of both and this argument is silly. They are different and neither is better than the other. As far as class of the fighters, I would have to say boxing has a much higher percentage of former convicts as champs. Let's not get in to that stuff.

[Punisher136]

Thats just it lyle. Jackson and Lidell will be compared to Mayweather/de la hoya when it comes to sales figures and all that. I hope the fight ends in under 2 minutes with an anticlimatic wide open head shot.

While i'm on fire i'd like my second and third wish to be:

2. A hooked up black saleen s7 with green ground effects decent rims and expanded interior and an auto transmission (so i could actually fit in and drive the mfer)
3. Carrie Underwood in the passenger seat.

I'm just hoping

[VictorCharlie]

well I have to say I'm dissapointed in the outcome of the fight.... but that shit is pretty funny punisher

[Punisher136]

MMA is a great sport, and I don't think any experience I have as a fan can match when I went to Nagoya, Japan and watched PRIDE 13 live. The whole show was magical.

I like to box more, I think it's more fun. I wouldn't mind fighting MMA, but I don't enjoy grappling as much as boxing and I know that my hands are where the bulk of my talent lies.

They're good, complementary sports. I don't see why they have to vie with each other. For most of my friends that I introduce to boxing, I use MMA as the medium. It's an easy entryway into combat sports. From there, I'll show them boxing matches so that a lot of my friends are both boxing and MMA fans, just like I am.

The whole MMA vs. boxing debate boils to the idea that fans are somehow incapable of appreciating both. The name calling and insults are the products of this fallacy.

Bilbo stated it clear as day early in this thread, Since the sports dawning the heavyweight champion of the world has been viewed as the baddest man on the planet. Boxing fans have problems accepting mma fighters on that same level when most of their fights end in under 5 minutes a lot of the time consisting of one guy in the fetal position getting his face pounded in.

[amat]

It's not clear as day though. The only baddest man on the planet were Tyson and Hagler. But that's fair because they really were the baddest man on the planet. No one called Ray Leonard the baddest man on the planet, or De La Hoya, but they are two of the biggest draws in the last 30 years.

[Punisher136]

It's not clear as day though. The only baddest man on the planet were Tyson and Hagler. But that's fair because they really were the baddest man on the planet. No one called Ray Leonard the baddest man on the planet, or De La Hoya, but they are two of the biggest draws in the last 30 years.

The heavyweight world champion. The weak american heavy crop is the only real thing wrong with the sport. These bad decisions and alpha titles while around before tyson but while he was around no one really seemed to notice or complain much.

[VictorCharlie]

I love both sports...the only time I get irked is when the legitamacy of MMA and the skill and athleticism of its participants is questioned...its not about one better than the other to me just a simple matter of respect