Mike Tyson: UFC has surpass boxing and its more entertaining

[generalbulldog]

An excerpt of the article, and he doesn't even know who the hell are Donaire and Montiel, 2 top 10 p4p fighters.

But when the Donaire-Montiel bout is mentioned, Tyson is puzzled.

“Are they good?” he asks. “Excuse me for asking, but I’m not familiar with them. Is it going to be a good fight?”

Tyson is still a fixture at fights in Las Vegas, but says he believes the Ultimate Fighting Championship has surpassed boxing because of the way it promotes and stages its events.

“It’s just more entertaining than going to a boxing match now,” Tyson says of going to a UFC card. “When you go to a boxing match, once the fight is over, you’re waiting for another match and there is nothing going on. We’re just sitting there with an empty ring and nothing is happening. We might as well stand up, because the audience is the show there. If you go to UFC, ‘Boom, boom, da, da, da, da,’ it’s like we’re in a club, we’re partying. Everybody’s passing their drinks and it’s a party.

“When the fighters come out, there’s more music and they build a story up about the fighters and then there is the fight. The fights are awesome – they’re awesome, really – and then, ‘Boom,’ the fight is over and then there is more music. It’s a party and a fight at the same time. I know it sounds crazy, but that’s what it is.”

He chuckles and explains what he’d do if he were a promoter. He clearly has been paying attention, because everything he says makes sense.

Tyson finds peace from unusual source - Boxing - Yahoo! Sports

You know boxing is in deep shit when 1 of it's most exciting and recognizable past champion doesn't even know who Montiel and Donaire is and thinks another combat sport is more exciting.

[bzkfn]

Its personal opinion. Honestly, I disagree. He clearly wishes boxing was more like WWE. Because if you want music, more build up and story to it, then you're looking for WWE and one of the reasons I'm not as big a UFC fan is it comes off like pro wrestling. Rogan & Goldberg constantly shouting, the pre-video build up packages, Bruce Buffer sounding like an amateur announcer...they even signed Brock Lesnar to attract those kind of fans.

I'm not trying to shit on MMA, but Boxing has a much more professional feel to it. You just feel there is more to it, its more real. I say this as a fan of both (although I much prefer Strikeforce to UFC, just becomes Strikeforce come off more like a Boxing Event in alot of cases, and I think alot of this is down to Showtime's presentation), but Boxing will always be my sport.

[TheMacMagician]

Opinions opinions......

I have a colleague at work who would probably fight me to the death over whether UFC/MMA is more popular, more entertaining or generally better than boxing.

He's bang wrong, IMO.....

[Nameless]

There is space for both, these are 2 different produces, really. The only thing is that boxing received a few black eyes from the inside (I am thinking about SUlaiman, among other things) and has yet to recover from that and way to make the whole thing more exciting, the super 6 tournament was in my opinion a great idea and it is a pity that everything that shouldn't have happened finally occured. The sport is slowly getting out of his slumber I feel though and though the road is still long, I've seen a few nice initiatives that gives back a bit of luster to something that definitely needs something shiny.

[erics44]

An excerpt of the article, and he doesn't even know who the hell are Donaire and Montiel, 2 top 10 p4p fighters.

You dont have to know who every fighter is to know and like boxing

people can have a passing interest in sports and enjoy a match and still have an opinion

I havent read all what he has said and what context it is in but if he means UFC is more entertaining outside the ring (or octagon) he might be right, if he means its more entertaining inside then he is very wrong

[Jimanuel Boogustus]

I'm not sure what opinion to have on this?

Part of me recognizes that we are in more of a 'crash-bang-wallop' type era with Youtube and Facebook and iPhones and everything is so now now now, i kinda would like to see some changes in the format of how a Boxing show is put on.

For starters, an undercard always looks shite because no one is watching it... No fucker turns up until 3 or 4 fights in. That's unacceptable imo, it makes for a terrible atmosphere both on TV and in the arena and thus makes the fight look better... Which would be a lot easier if the match up's were consistently even... Which they're not... Which again is unacceptable.

Kinda makes for a vicious circle does it not?

But maybe the introduction of in-between fight entertainment (of some description) would help stimulate the crown into believing that every second of the bill was an event. Being as they have paid good money, that would be fair right?

German promoters are on the right track. But it could be better.

[Kev]

Good points from Iron Mike . UFC has marketed itself far cooler than boxing these days, which with it's bow ties and black suits looks makes the presenters look more like they are about to host a ballroom dancing show than a brutal, pugilistic tear up.

Boxing has somehow managed to make violence look stuffy and conservative. MMA and UFC in particular have targeted their demographic far more effectively imo.

When you think of boxing and MMA these days, boxing has the reputation of being what your dad likes, whereas UFC is for the younger generations who want more excitement, danger and rawness.

Boxing needs to adapt imo because being seen as traditional and respectable isn't necessarilly good in a combat action sport.

[brocktonblockbust]

i still lke boxing better. whenever there is a boxing match, say i just tune in and i see an empty ring and the announcers are saying so and so is making his ring entrance and the lights are dimmed, i say to myself "i dunno who the fuck these boxers are going to be, but i almost dont even care, its just great to know in a few seconds to maybe 2 minutes they will both be in the ring with robes on jumping around and the lights will go on and i can hear the introductions, and i know whoever they are it will be the marquis ofd queensbury and i can't wait to see if its a competitive fight or not".........thats what i say to myself.

[JazzWolf]

I like UFC but boxing is on another level in my book. UFC is just as exciting and entertaining to watch but the fights just don't have the same intense atmosphere as boxing to me. I think boxing has a bigger heart whereas UFC needs to show more of theirs. As Mike said, it feels like a party not a fight.

[Hulk]

I'm not sure what opinion to have on this?

Part of me recognizes that we are in more of a 'crash-bang-wallop' type era with Youtube and Facebook and iPhones and everything is so now now now, i kinda would like to see some changes in the format of how a Boxing show is put on.

For starters, an undercard always looks shite because no one is watching it... No fucker turns up until 3 or 4 fights in. That's unacceptable imo, it makes for a terrible atmosphere both on TV and in the arena and thus makes the fight look better... Which would be a lot easier if the match up's were consistently even... Which they're not... Which again is unacceptable.

Kinda makes for a vicious circle does it not?

But maybe the introduction of in-between fight entertainment (of some description) would help stimulate the crown into believing that every second of the bill was an event. Being as they have paid good money, that would be fair right?

German promoters are on the right track. But it could be better.

It is bullshit that half the crowd or more like 3/4 of the crowd misses most of the undercard.

The two times that I have gone to see World Title fights (Ponce De Leon vs. Batista and Ward vs. Bika), I have gotten there early to see all of the undercard fights I could.

I mean it costs 75-150 bucks for good seats, A LOT more than that in some cases, so I'm damn sure going to get my money's worth and watch as much LIVE boxing as possible.

[porkypara]

I read the Tyson artical very quickly but what he seems to be saying is that ufc is better promoted rather than what happens in the ring/octagon.

To be honest I totaly agree.

The morden day boxing ppv format is boring and jaded apart from the main event.But the ufc is fresh and exciting and the whole ppv is exciting.

[nikola_ganchev]

I think that that boxing is giving away to MMA/UFC becouse of the non educated publik/comentators. If you don't udnerstand what the boxers are trying to do it's not interesting. The non educated public don't aprciate the professionalism of the boxers.
To watch MMA you don't need to understand what is going on. There is always movement and at the end someone is KOed.
Before a week i was in Munich and there were alot of american tourists. It made me impression that when 2 amercans are speaking to each oder there is aways alot of BOOM BAAM alot of movement and at the end nothing. They just love this! UFC/WWE suits more to our main sponsor

[El Kabong]

Very true, I for one think its easier for the uneducated fan to follow MMA because no rules = no styles = no thinking. Boxing is and always has been "the sweet science", there are different styles, different ways to achieve victory and I (as a boxing fan) know and love that about the sport, I am a fan of Willie Pep and Joe Louis, Pernell Whittaker and Mike Tyson, Wladimir Klitschko and Arturo Gatti....the sport is great and it will never fail.

[Kev]

Very true, I for one think its easier for the uneducated fan to follow MMA because no rules = no styles = no thinking. Boxing is and always has been "the sweet science", there are different styles, different ways to achieve victory and I (as a boxing fan) know and love that about the sport, I am a fan of Willie Pep and Joe Louis, Pernell Whittaker and Mike Tyson, Wladimir Klitschko and Arturo Gatti....the sport is great and it will never fail.

Coulnd't disagree more. The ground game especially in UFC is incredibly complex.

I know you hate mixed martial arts but can you not see the illogicality of your view that adding more fight disciplines reduces complexity?

Mixed martial arts is far more complex than boxing, how could not be?

Yes boxing has all the subtleties and it's fist fighting aspect is more refinedand well honed, but there is more to learn overall in UFC unless you think 1x1 equals more than 5x1.

[Mr140]

I like both but one thing i while say about mma is there is no padding records. Also another good thing is a loss does not mean the end of a fighter like boxing sometimes tends to do.