Boxing is dying! UFC myth or reality?

To be fair I don't think anyone really considered Fedor Vs Lesnar to be the best HW matchup available?

In hindsight Fedor was surpassed by the growth of MMA in recent years, but I don't think Lesnar should have ever been rated amongst the very best heavyweights.

I'm a boxing man all the way, but it can't be denied, MMA matchups happen. Elite fighters fight each other all the time, and I'd say that's the only thing I really prefer about it to boxing.

There's only 2 protected fighters I can think of in MMA, Fedor and Bisping.

The one positive thing about the UFC monopoly from a fan perspective is they pretty much dictate who fights who, and usually for the best, rather than allowing fighters to cherry pick.

 

The matchups happen because the UFC is smaller and newer. There aren't enough of fighters or enough of interest to spawn a Floyd vs Manny situation. Eventually, the UFC will get big enough to have its own Floyds and Mannys and Roys. Then, like Boxing, it will collapse in on itself, fragment, become split along geo-sanctioning-tv lines and begin a slow withdrawal from the pinnacle of martial sports. Its inevitable. The model is already there.

 

I like how MMA fans say all the big fights in MMA happen then pull the different org's excuse as soon as a fight that didn't happen gets brought up.

 

Yeah, that was my point, which the MMA fans responded to in earnest without realizing they were only underscoring it. It's like saying PBF-Pacquiao not happening is OK because Pac is promoted by Arum and Floyd is promoted by himself/G.

 

Boxing fans got over the sanctioning body/promotional body and tv station vs tv station issues a long time ago. These used to be good reasons why a fight wouldn't happen....not any more. These issues are gone in boxing, to a great extent- but they are only on the way up in the MMA, mark my words. It won't be too long before there is a schism in the MMA/UFC world.

 

MMA usually makes the best fight the best. Not always, but mostly. No boxing fan in their right mind wouldn't want the same for Boxing. It would end the nuttick fans too the Royticks and Floydfags. They'd realize that if you constantly fight at a high level you will lose. Being undefeated is overrated and it is everything in boxing. IF THE Yankees played the royals 162 times they'd win 140 games. Doesn't mean they are the best ever.

 

This is exactly my stance. I normally get slammed as being a boxing turncoat for the statement, but I stand by it. It's not an endorsement of MMA over boxing. It's just my thought, as a boxing fan, that I am tired of top fighters in the same weight class holding belts and not fighting each other.

While I love watching boxing 100 times more than MMA, the UFC absolutely holds my interest because the Champions are ALWAYS fighting the next best guy in their division. In all honestly, in recent MMA history, only Fedor versus Couture didn't happen while both were at their peaks.

And today, right now, there isn't an MMA fighter on the planet that is considered the top fighter in a particular weight class that isn't under the Zuffa umbrella. So the concept of the best fighting the best will only continue in MMA. Meanwhile we get to watch Manny and Floyd fight other guys.

Pathetic.

 

Agreed, it really is the best thing about MMA.

And there are always exceptions to every rule. Fedor is basically the exception, he's the one guy who wasn't matched against all other elite fighters available.

A bit pointless even using that as an argument, seeing as it's the lone exception.

Sometimes I do wish boxing was more controlled like MMA is, and the boxers basically didn't have much say in who they fought. As fans, it would be great, if they were basically forced into fighting any and every available top fighter.

 

So which boxing promoter has the majority of the best fighters in the world. I can safely say that the UFC has the vast majority of the best fighters. MOST of the fights we want to see do get made.

You have to be blind to not see that MMA fighters are matched way tougher than boxers. There is no building up 30-0 records fighting guys nobody has ever heard of. There are no JCC Jr's in MMA or Canelos holding titles. You have to fight real fighters to hold a belt. I will never watch MMA again the day they start creating Silver and Diamond belts and handing them out to undeserving fighters.

 

Its apparent to me that you are only familiar to MMA fron the UFC perspective. If not, then you would realize that in his prime, Fedor fought in the top organization as far as heavyweihhts were concerned, and fought all comers.

 

Yeah, killers like Zulu and Hong Man Choi. ::

He fought some good guys like Nog and Cro Cop, but he fought his fair share of total cans.

 

Show me a fighter at that time that didnt.

 

I'm no Pride fan boy, in fact a lot of it was pure garbage. There was fight fixing, there was a bunch of garbage "special rules" matches that heavily favored the more popular fighters, and there was way too many freak show fights. A bunch of japanese pro wrestlers with zero actual fighting backgrounds. It was horrid. I much prefer the UFC over pride. Always have. Only a handful of guys who came from Pride could really fight.

 

I agree totally, but you cant deny that the best HW's were in Pride at the time.

And those tourneys were hella fun!

 

Some of it was fun to watch for sure. Pride did at that time have the best HW's. I won't deny that.

 

You need to read his post again. He didn't say Fedor didn't face top competition. He said "he's the one guy who wasn't matched against all other elite fighters available."

That is basically an accurate statement. Fedor faced most of the best HW competition at the time, but there were top guys out there that he didn't face. Couture, Barnett, Rizzo, etc are all examples.

 

Fedor vs Barnett was one of the biggest fights that could have happened for years and they both fought in Pride.

 

It still could have happened, they had years to make the fight.

 

Also, seeing how Crocop toyed with Barnett, I, for one, didnt really itch for that matchup.

 

Cro Cop was a bad man back then.

 

I actually prefer Pride to the UFC, I preferred the whole production and most of the fighters.

It's apparent to me that you don't know what you're talking about and jump to conclusions like most annoying little twats online.

 

Of course not, and I've always been a big Fedor fan.

But when the opportunity arose for Fedor to join the mix in the UFC back when he still had his invincible status, and engage in fights everyone would have wanted, he didn't take it, and the fights didn't happen.

As I said, that's basically the sole exception, otherwise in MMA you couldn't ask for much more, matchmaking wise.

 

Oh so you're using Mayweather fan logic? he doesn't have to fight Barnett because he lost to Cro Cop who lost to Fedor?

 

Personally I blame Fedor as much as I blame Manny and Floyd for this debacle.

If Manny and Floyd wanted the fight, it would have happened, as rjj said. I think it's that simple, and clear enough now neither one wants it.

If Fedor wanted to fight all comers, he would have joined the UFC instead of feasting on bums hiding behind his promotional outfit. Having co promotion was completely unrealistic, they knew what the UFC is about, and they knew that wouldn't have been a possibility. That was basically their way of ducking the UFC.