Boxing can kill UFC if we get it right

UFC only gets the better of boxing when we're being dysfunctional (which is most of the time).

When boxing gets it right, and makes the big fights, UFC can't compete from an appeal standpoint.

They'll only hang around because most of the time we CANT get it right for a sustained period.

But a boxing superfight will always excite the masses more than a cage fight will.

 

The only real reason why UFC has had the success it has had is because it followed the same system boxing did at the peak of its popularity.

Dana, at first, couldn't pay fighters much so fighters fought more. The big fights are mandatory and everyone knows where the fighters stand in terms of champions and rankings.

If boxing had stuck to the same formula, UFC would have never even got off the ground. The fights are easier to predict because there's so many different martial arts and fewer rounds leads to less interesting fights - in my opinion, although I doubt the Tiktok attention span fans would agree. Plus, being able to do every martial art inevitably leads to less skilled fighters at individual sports.

 

Great points. I would add that Dana has also followed Vince McMahon's hugely flawed model of promoting the brand over the stars.

Boxing promoters are crooked, but one thing they do understand is the importance of the individual star.

Dana doesn't understand that.

 

I'll say this, despite the Crawford fight being here in vegas, going around to different casinos most didn't even have odds for it on their main betting board, or didn't until Saturday. Where as some had ufc odds posted since thursday

Alleged boxing fan, Dana white, decided to pit a ppv with 2 popular whites up against one of the best boxing fights that could be made and I bet it hurts the ppv numbers for Crawford spence

 

UFC had a card yesterday…won’t get as big a ppv numbers as Bud vs Spence but it looked like a packed arena.

Boxing doesn’t keep it consistent to keep the UFC off them. We had a few good months but we be going into another long drought of waiting months/years for…

Bud vs Boots
Tank vs Shakur
Usyk vs Fury/Wilder
Canelo vs Benevidez
Haney vs Teo vs Ryan

in the UFC, “great performance Bud incredible elite, you’re a goat. You will be fighting the #1 contender Jaron Ennis in December”…

 

Crawford ennis is a tremendous matchup but it won't crack 350k ppvs and makes zero sense for Crawford

He's guaranteed 20+ to rematch a guy he just decimated. You think he'll pass that payday to face this kid for half that in a fight he has at best a 50/50 shot to win ?

 

sure no problem it happens in the UFC, immediate rematch vs Spence in December. But after that it’s Boots…well it would be if boxing was more like the ufc.

 

If it was ufc, Crawford and spence each would have been paid 3 or 4 mill and Crawford woulda got an extra million or 2 in bonuses

 

Crawford is gonna go only for big pay days now. I doubt Team Spence will exercise the rematch clause for December.

Bud is gonna fight Jermell Charlo next. Boots will need to fight for one of the vacant titles, I think. I don’t think Keith should go for that match up, and he won’t. It’s gonna be Boots vs Stanionis.

 

Seeing how the UFC was able to root itself in the mainstream so quickly and enduringly, I'd say that in fact it's totally the opposite. The UFC showed that promoting the brand first instead of the athletes (as is the case in all mainstream sports save boxing) also work in combat sports. Boxing would be in way better shape imo of they would follow this model instead

 

Yeah, dana always said it and he's right. MMA isn't popular, the ufc is

 

Unification matches are the way to go for boxing. We have four fighters right now who are undisputed champions:

Canelo Alvarez (super middle)
Jermell Charlo (junior middle)
Bud Crawford (welter)
Devin Haney (lightweight)

Plus we have:
-Inoue only recently as undisputed champ at Bantamweight and now partially unified champ at Super bantamweight;
-Usyk as 3/4 unified at Heavyweight with the Fury fight needed to bring all tbe belts together;
-Beterbiev 3/4 and Bivol the clear top 2 at Light heavyweight.

Yes, it sucks that there are 4 belts per division plus all the bullshit regular/super/diamond nonsense as well but at least divisions are being unified now. Back in the ‘90s no sanctioning body seemed willing to risk its belt against another sanctioning body.

This kind of thing makes it a bit easier to understand for the average fan.

 

I’m not sure how much you watch MMA but there isn’t some need to be an ace at every mix martial art. Technically there are three to four main arts a MMA fighter needs. Being well versed in boxing, muay thai or kick boxing and jujitsu is pretty much all a fighter needs. That fourth art is wrestling/grappling and one should be pretty versed in that as well. But when it comes to myriad of other martial arts and kung fu styles out there —with the exception of karate— they’re pretty much nonexistent in professional MMA fighting which tells me they’re probably not useful in a real fight.

So as far as the guys not being skilled it’s actually the opposite. You’re seeing guys coming in more skilled than ever and younger than ever. Even the women’s side is showing a growth in competitiveness and skill level.

 

I agree since most people don’t even always know who the star of boxing even is unless it’s a heavyweight. In all honesty I think Dana probably prefers to not promote fighters because then he’d have to pay them more.

Boxing just needs to get rid of the promoters, it’s as simple as that. They are a cancer to the sport and are in effect what’s holding it back. Promoters put to much stock into protecting their fighters from possible losses and they prevent too many super fights from occurring.

If some rich upstart started his own boxing league similar to the UFC sans promoters, maybe boxing could finally get its due but I don’t see it happening. We’ve been waiting and hoping for that our entire lives and boxing just doesn’t seem capable of ever changing.

 

Good post.

I know - and agree - that the necessity to be the best at one martial art doesn't exist in MMA; but that's why I don't find it very appealing. I don't want to watch a guy who's good at Muay Thai, Taekwondo and BJJ. I want to watch the best Muay Thai fighter in the world, and so I watch Muay Thai instead.

I don't think I'm the only one who thinks like that, which is the true ace in the hole against MMA, IMO.

 

Oh, he understands it, which is why they will promote the likes of McGregor and Rousey but he also understands it will be short term. It's about control. Boxers are essentially free agents while even the best UFC fighters are tied into contracts and have few options. It's about "the brand". A fighters loses their selling power or falls our of favor with upper management and they can be kicked to the curb. Dana doesn't want to lose that power. Yes boxers can get tied into shitty contracts as well but the top stars are making way more money and they aren't just forced to do what the boss says like an employee.

 

I agree. When UFC first came out it was really interesting even with scrubby unknown fighters because of the kind of Bloodsport movie/Streetfighter video game aspect. Throw in Sumo wrestlers, Kung Fu guys, kickboxers, wrestlers etc., and see how it goes. As it evolved what wasn't effective got discarded. For the competitive angle it makes complete sense, but for me not a viewing one. You have guys who might be excellent in one area but out of necessity have to be jack of all trades types to a varying degree. The novelty isn't there.

Like you I would rather see the best practitioners of a sport than all-arounders. I'm not into athletics but as an example i find the the 100 meter dash more interesting than the decathlon even if one of those athletes might be able to beat Usain Bolt in 3 or 4 out of ten events.

 

Problem with current MMA is that most fighters are now able to neutralize the ground game, so most fights ends up being bad kickboxing matches (there's a few exceptions pf course, like Islam)

 

the great makhachev, best cage fighter in the world. looked to me like he got his ass kicked by that bald midget

 

Nah it was close and Volkanovski was definitely more successful than not only anyone Islam has ever fought but anyone Khabib has ever fought as well. Volk still lost though. Word is Islam will be rematching Charles Olivera next.

 

Toooo Late to "Kill" MMA, But agREED; the Biggest BOXING Match Will Always Be BIGGER Than the Biggest MMA Match...




REED

 

yea? sounds like bullshit. even if they planned a show that day they couldnt have put some regular free card on instead of a ppv, between 2 popular whites?

 

I don’t think MMA can be killed. It seems fairly stamped in on. But boxing is the bigger sport overall. It has too much tradition and history to go away, as well as it keeps replenishing itself with new talent all the time.

 

It's here. If someone with the bread, patience and foresight to build a legit infrastructure to compete with ufc we'll see a proliferation where less big matchups happen