Top five reasons why boxing will always be better than MMA

[albsur2006]

My take on why boxing will always be better than MMA and why MMA is a little overrated:

5. Submissions. Submissions just aren't all that exciting. Right when a submission is locked in, the match is over in 90% of the cases. Plus, watching two submission specialists fight can be a lot more boring than watch two technical boxers box because of the technique involved in trying to secure a submission. It usually involves a lot of grappling and holding on the ground which can be very boring and can be drawn out an entire five minute round if the ref doesn't call both fighters to their feet.

4. History. There just isn't that much history in MMA. A lot of the elite fighters now can arguably be the best in the history of MMA because there is not that much history. You can look at this in a positive light or a negative light. It can be positive because you're watching history right now, it can be negative because at times you feel disconnected from fighters because you can't compare them to anyone great from the past. You can compare Floyd Mayweather or De La Hoya to Sugar Ray Leonard or Henry Armstrong and see how they measure up, but you can't compare Chuck Liddell to anybody. There are hardly any legends in MMA yet boxing has a Hall of Fame. It takes away a certain level of validity and nostalgia from today's MMA fighters. Boxing will always have this and will always be ahead of MMA, because it will take MMA at least twenty years to get what boxing has now.

3. Being undefeated is underrated. People in boxing cry about being undefeated is overrated. Well that's complete bullshit because being undefeated is one of the most interesting things in sports. When the Indianapolis Colts are 12-1 no one cares, when the Colts are 13-0 closing in on the Dolphins record, people start paying more attention and there's a certain awe about something hasn't been beaten before. That's exactly why Floyd Mayweather, Ricky Hatton, Joe Calzaghe, Mikkel Kessler, Miguel Cotto, and others are some of the biggest stars in the sport. People either want to see if they can stay undefeated or if they can be beaten. In MMA, everyone pretty much has been beaten. I love Chuck Liddell but I know that he can be beaten. I don't know if Joe Calzaghe can be beaten so I follow him a little more closely than I would Winky Wright. Granted, some of the biggest stars in both sports have losses, but there's just something unexplainable about being undefeated. MMA just doesn't have this.

2. Length of matches. The fights in MMA are too short IMO. I understand that MMA is more physically taxing than boxing due to all the wrestling involved but fights should at least be six to eight rounds not four or five rounds. And there are waaaay too many high profile matches that end in the first round. I understand that's just the nature of the sport but come on. If Pacman vs Morales only lasted one round, or if Marquez vs Barrera only lasted one round, I couldn't help but feel the fight was a bit anticlimatic. You don't wait for months to watch someone submit a minute into the fight. That's the great thing about boxing, when you get two elite fighters together, you know that you're usually gonna get 12 rounds of action or a mid to late round KO. Some big MMA fights end before the fight party even begins (Ortiz vs Shamrock II).

1. The most exciting boxing match will be better than the best MMA match and the worst MMA match will be worse than the worst boxing match. It's that simple. While MMA is the new rage due to the blood and sheer violence, MMA matches just don't flow. I've watched both sports and boxing flows much better, there are momentum swings, a sense of nervousness when watching a fight, and in truly special fights, there are times when you are left speechless (Corrales-JLC I). As you can tell, there's something unexplainable about an awesome match. MMA is really herky jerky, the action is so sudden and quick that there is no chance for sustained action. I've seen a lot of MMA, even back when Gracie was the king, and I've never been speechless. Which leads me to my other point. If you thought a bad boxing match was unwatchable then you haven't watched a bad MMA fight. Have you watched two fighters hug each other on the ground for two minutes straight throwing tiny elbows. The UFC has been getting better about breaking up fighters when the action stops but it's still pretty bad at times. Imagine a clinch lasting for an entire minute in boxing and that's how bad some UFC fights can be. Simply put, watch both sports, and you'll see that the ceiling for a boxing match is much higher than a MMA fight, and the floor for a MMA match is much lower than a boxing match.

Boxing will never die.

[Beanflicker]

I'm a huge boxing fan, but I can't say that I agree with many of those points. I don't believe there is a "superior" sport, different strokes for different folks. Personally I think boxing is a lot better than soccer, but there are a lot of people that would disagree with me, so I respect that.

I will say that I will always look at boxing as the toughest sport, and boxing as the toughest athletes on the face of the earth. There are some very tough, skilled guys in MMA, but IMO it just doesn't match up to boxing. In boxing you are going to take way more punishment on average. You are going to fight longer.

If you're hurt, you can't shoot for a takedown. Even if you choose to get on your bicycle, boxing is 100% man to man, two guys fighting always in an equal position. You can't take a guy down and pound on him while he can do nothing more than try to tie you up or try to block. You can't kick a guy in the head while he is down (like you could before Pride was bought out).

Also, I believe boxing is structured more as a respectable sport that rewards skill. The rules are not influenced by mindless mob mentallity. If two guys in MMA are on the ground and there is not enough action, they will stand them up to a neutral position. With rules like this, MMA puts more emphasis on blood and violence than on the better man winning, which in turn appeals to the lowest common denominator: people who have no understanding of the fight game, but just want to see someone get beat up.

Can you imagine if, during a Roy Jones fight, the ref stopped him and said "Ok, there isn't enough punches landing, so to make it more interesting we're going to restart with him pinning you in the corner". It would be retarded.

[Punisher136]

There was only one fight in the history of boxing that i can recall a ref telling the boxers to start mixing it up. I think teddy atlas was one of the commentators and he was furious that the ref did such a thing. It was Byrd-Williamson. I think he was just afraid of the people who paid a couple hundred bucks for their front row seats storming the ring. Thats the only fight i can recall tho.

You can't compare boxing to any team sports. Team sports have seasons and emphasis on the team aspect (and usually one champion per seasons end unless you're playing college football). Good because if you suck maybe some of your team mates can carry weight, Bad because even if you're the best player in the world you'll lose when you're surronded by bums. There's an I in Boxing. There's no superbowl or world series. There can be a huge champonship match on any given day of the year. It's almost guaranteed that across the world there's many boxing matches going on daily (legally and illegally, amateur and pro, men and women, young and old)

[BoxingGorilla]

AL B!

[LegendBoxing65]

well I agree that boxing is more refined than MMA but I love boxing.. I think it is unique and a great sport. MMA is just not as refined and never can be.. The submission takes away the refinement. MMA will be fine for a few years, but it will never be what boxing is.. Impossible. Boxing is as much a part of the american subconscious as baseball.

[El Kabong]

......let us also post a #6No rolling around on the ground like retards!







(and very few horrid tribal tatoos)

[HeadFone39]

All of your points are subjective to some degree and it sounds like your grasping at straws to somehow prove that boxing is somehow "better".

5) No, submissions aren't boring. I could say "Hey, once a boxer lands with one good punch, the fights over." NO SH1t If you think grappling is boring, you aren't paying attention and haven't seen to much, moreover you are way over simplifying it. EXACTLY LIKE THOSE WHO SAY BOXING IS BORING!!!!!!!
4) No one is denying the rich history of boxing. But from the other perpective, MMA is exciting because it is building that history now.
3) Again oversimplification, If there where MMAists who could continue on undefeated records like some boxers, it would be because every MMAist is fighting the EXACT same way. Styles make fights, and in MMA there's about a million.
2) Dude haha Ortiz-Shamrock II never should have happened. Again, styles. And Again if you think to many high profile fights haven't gone the distance, you haven't watched much MMA. ALSO, mma has an organized history of just 15 years, and they are doing something not attempted in sports for a long long time. Give MMA time to develop the defense.
1) "The most exciting boxing match will be better than the best MMA match and the worst MMA match will be worse than the worst boxing match. It's that simple." I really really try to stick to intelligent discussion and respect other opinions, but this is just verbal diarrhea. Again if you think this, you haven't actually watched a lot of mma. Thr truth is the transition from standing to ground fights is becoming much more seemless. Fighters are becoming more well rounded. To anyone whos actually followed MMA in the last 5 years, this is glarringly apparent.

I hear many of these points repeated again and again, but they just stem from the fact that the boxing fan has spent most of their life watching boxing and just don't have the patience for other aspects of the fight.  PEOPLE HAVE TO STOP TRYING TO COMPARE BOXING TO MMA. Let's build bridges (and fix boxing) people.

[Puya]

ME I'm a fan of the sweet science some people call it boring the same ways I hate MMA on the floor but clearly there is a reason why MMA is gaining more fans every day.

[TheBESTP4P]

ME I'm a fan of the sweet science some people call it boring the same ways I hate MMA on the floor but clearly there is a reason why MMA is gaining more fans every day.

im a fan of the puya science! te amo

[meowza]

1. The most exciting boxing match will be better than the best MMA match and the worst MMA match will be worse than the worst boxing match. It's that simple. While MMA is the new rage due to the blood and sheer violence, MMA matches just don't flow. I've watched both sports and boxing flows much better, there are momentum swings, a sense of nervousness when watching a fight, and in truly special fights, there are times when you are left speechless (Corrales-JLC I). As you can tell, there's something unexplainable about an awesome match. MMA is really herky jerky, the action is so sudden and quick that there is no chance for sustained action. I've seen a lot of MMA, even back when Gracie was the king, and I've never been speechless. Which leads me to my other point. If you thought a bad boxing match was unwatchable then you haven't watched a bad MMA fight. Have you watched two fighters hug each other on the ground for two minutes straight throwing tiny elbows. The UFC has been getting better about breaking up fighters when the action stops but it's still pretty bad at times. Imagine a clinch lasting for an entire minute in boxing and that's how bad some UFC fights can be. Simply put, watch both sports, and you'll see that the ceiling for a boxing match is much higher than a MMA fight, and the floor for a MMA match is much lower than a boxing match.

cc Damn straight.
Can't remember who said it, but they said boxing is the ultimate spectacle. Always has been, always will be.
If you were to create the best boxing match possible, best MMA fight possible, best football match possible, best baseball game possible, or the best on ANY sport possible, nothing beats the best boxing match for sheer spectacle.
None of your Super Bowls, World Series, Master's Tournaments, etc can compete.

[amat]

All of your points are subjective to some degree and it sounds like your grasping at straws to somehow prove that boxing is somehow "better".

5) No, submissions aren't boring. I could say "Hey, once a boxer lands with one good punch, the fights over." NO SH1t If you think grappling is boring, you aren't paying attention and haven't seen to much, moreover you are way over simplifying it. EXACTLY LIKE THOSE WHO SAY BOXING IS BORING!!!!!!!
4) No one is denying the rich history of boxing. But from the other perpective, MMA is exciting because it is building that history now.
3) Again oversimplification, If there where MMAists who could continue on undefeated records like some boxers, it would be because every MMAist is fighting the EXACT same way. Styles make fights, and in MMA there's about a million.
2) Dude haha Ortiz-Shamrock II never should have happened. Again, styles. And Again if you think to many high profile fights haven't gone the distance, you haven't watched much MMA. ALSO, mma has an organized history of just 15 years, and they are doing something not attempted in sports for a long long time. Give MMA time to develop the defense.
1) "The most exciting boxing match will be better than the best MMA match and the worst MMA match will be worse than the worst boxing match. It's that simple." I really really try to stick to intelligent discussion and respect other opinions, but this is just verbal diarrhea. Again if you think this, you haven't actually watched a lot of mma. Thr truth is the transition from standing to ground fights is becoming much more seemless. Fighters are becoming more well rounded. To anyone whos actually followed MMA in the last 5 years, this is glarringly apparent.

I hear many of these points repeated again and again, but they just stem from the fact that the boxing fan has spent most of their life watching boxing and just don't have the patience for other aspects of the fight. PEOPLE HAVE TO STOP TRYING TO COMPARE BOXING TO MMA. Let's build bridges (and fix boxing) people.

CC 2. Agreed completely. Except I also agree with Meowza that no other sporting event compares to a great boxing match. It's just the inherit nature of the sport but obviously that has not given boxing the edge in the last few years to other sports.

Excellent post though.

[Poom]

The reason there is not many undefeated fighters in MMA is because the best actually fight the best and listen to the fans , unlike in boxing where we get "Mega fights" like PBF vs De la Hoya which the hardcore fans never even wanted in the first place, and a load of other good fighters building up records fighting tomato cans etc.

I love boxing more but im bitter.

[TheBESTP4P]

well true thats cuz MMA doesnt have corrupt promoters and shady bodies that regulate/manipulate the sport...........or atleast not as bad yet

[superheavyrhun]

I agree with you the most part and your reasons for saying what you've said, because in my mind it is glaringly obvious that the emphasis in UFC is very different to boxing, and in boxing the emphasis is less on hurting the opponent and slightly more on getting through with the most punches, so in that respect it does have an aspect of fencing in it, while UFC is a straight out fight. Small differential, but it makes it a big difference to viewers.

The example I'll draw on is that of my former housemate, who, after never showing an interest in combat sports before became a big fan of UFC and watched it all the time. Having one tv in the house made that a problem for everyone else, and although I'd watch it with him, I didn't find it as good to watch as a boxing bout.

Anyhow...I think the real test of your arguments would come if you were to post it on an MMA forum board. Go on, I dare ya!

[Counter]

my way of looking at it boxing is the ultimate, this may upset ppl wot i am going to say now but mma comes across a bit like hug a homo. Im sorry but you know to grown men hugging each other sometimes its like watching paint dry................ the only bit of action you see is when they try AND BOX AND I DO MEAN WHEN :P:P:P:P:P fighters full of steroids, pfffft look at bob sapp, hell pfffft... thats all i gotta say.