Cintron ready to step in since Mayweather can't back up his talk.

I've been frequenting the hardcore mma boards over the past day and this is hot news amonst everybody. It seems alot of the educated MMA fans are giving Cintron a very good chance in beating Sherk considering Cintron has a very strong grasp on wrestling and a phenonmenal grasp on boxing with incredible hitting power. The fear moreso is just how devastating Cintron's punch will be with 4 ounce gloves. Best bet is for Sherk to attempt a takedown as soon as possible.
Unfortunately this isn't a true example of MMA vs Boxing because Cintron is entering the MMA circuit with a major wrestling background, therefore that means he's not purely a boxer but moreso a boxer/wrestler therefore a mixed martial artist. Floyd Mayweather is a pure boxer on the other hand.
I don't know if Cintron/Sherk will materialize. Alot to lose for the reputation of the UFC which Dana holds dear to his heart. And you don't want the integrity of the UFC's champions being tarnished should a professional boxer just come into the mma environment and kill a UFC champion. That would severely damage the UFC's reputation which boasts of having the best fighters in the world. It may not go over well with the UFC's spike crowd either.

 

Do you think if Cintron signed to fight in the UFC, that the IBF would strip him of his title? And if they threatened him with taking his belt, do you think Cintron would still go through with the fight?

Also, if Cintron lost, and lost convincingly, do you think he would be 'blackballed' by boxing promoters, since they wouldn't want their fighters losing to a guy who got his ass kicked in the UFC?

TFK

 

dsimon writes:

I like to hear the perspective of guys like Mike, who fights MMA, and some of the fans of both here on the boards. It seems to me that the scenerios described are easy to predict.

1) I think people here have too much respect for a boxer's ability to punch. If you don't want to trade with a boxer you can take a lot of effectiveness away from a punch. No boxer that I know of can control distance to a point where they can stop somoene trying to tie them up. Footwork in boxing is designed to help you hit another guy trying to punch you, not to help you avoid getting tied up.

The older fighters were different and I am not making a case that they were better! But guys like Jack Johnson were also grapplers. They could have fought in MMA IMO. They knew how to defend against clinching and often, these matches looked like Ju Jutsu matches.

In martial arts, not MMA sports based arts, you deal with a punch by not letting a combo happen. You also know how to prevent the guy from turning his shoulder over, which makes the punch connected to his body. You also control his actions with footwork and distancing so you are never in his ideal range. People who worship boxing technique forget that even the best punch loses most of its impact if it grazes, is not thrown at the right distance, if it hits a part of the body that will hurt the hand and not the person being decked (like the top of the head).

I don't fight MMA so I can't speak specifically to their techniques but from a martial arts fighting perspective, a choke or hit to the throat can happen at many ranges and distances requiring far less skill than trying to connect with a hard punch at a preset distance. I just can't imagine an MMA guy having any problem with a boxer... maybe I am niave?

 

I don't know anything about the IBF's guidelines and policies. Do they allow a champion of their organization to branch out into other sports while still wearing their title?
Also, I can't speak on behalf of boxing promoters. But MMA and Boxing are still different sports. Who knows?

 

:laughing: I think you're completely overanyalyzing the situation, dsimon. Seems like you've read a few too many books and tutorials. As for mike's opinion, all he said was Cintron has a solid base of wrestling skills. Add to that, the Pride heavyweight champion and best fighter living today Fedor Emelianenko said that the 2 best styles to learn for MMA are BOXING and WRESTLING. One cannot be complete without the other.
From what I'm reading, Cintron is solid in both. But I just wonder how far removed he is from his wrestling days. When was the last time he strapped on a spandex wrestling outfit?::

 

Yeah i actually read an article about kermit on boxing digest and it mentioned that he was really a wrestler who switch to boxing because the opportunities in wrestling was limited.

 

dsimon writes:

Not books that is how I teach how to deal with punches, based on my experience and stuff I was taught. Not like it is a piece of cake, but that is the approach.

I just mean in general regarding opinions. And yes, boxing teaches punching with gloves in excellent fashion. But punching changes a lot without gloves (another aside).

 

A punch is a punch, gloves or not. Antwun Echols was taken to Judge Joe Brown's court once for knocking some big guy out on the street. The Judge declared Echol's hands as lethal weapons and should not be used on the street for fear that he could seriously harm a person.
That's what boxer's hands can do. And if hand safety is an issue, I'd assume they'd go to the body.
I understand your philosophy though, but as always, it's not easy to transfer philosophy into real life situations.

 

he certainly has the ability to compete, but he'd probably freeze up in front of a huge audience and get choked out or something.

 

This is very interesting! I would like to see this happen!

 

THAT WOULD BE GREAT...:bears:

 

I really don't think Dana White would care if Sherk lost to Cintron. Sherk isn't a "Star". I'm sure if Kermit did take the fight and win Dana would just try to purchase future services.

 

Sherk has been fighting for the UFC for many years now, and he is the 155lb champion for the UFC. If he holds gold, then he's a big deal. He's a representative of the UFC's top talent so if he were to lose, there will be damage, particularly to the reputation of the UFC.

 

This fight wouldn't really 'prove' anything as far as mma vs boxing, regardless of what happens.
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It would be one fight and one fight only.
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Hell, I'm one of the people who argues that wrestling makes for a far better background for mma than boxing, but it's not like Cintron's wrestling experience is really anything special. The mma guy should win and should win pretty easily, imo, but if he tries to standup with Cintron, well, good luck.
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Can Cintron learn enough to keep the bout standing? I really doubt it. Even if he could, I'd expect the leg kicks to get to him. But again, with 4 oz gloves on a hard hitting pro boxer, he could win. It shouldn't change anyone's opinion as to which sport has the advantage.

 

From what I heard from MMA fans, Cintron's wrestling is actually very special seeing his high school accolades. You don't bounce around on a few gym mats to get where Cintron got in wrestling. He was an all-american. Having received scholarships to some prestigious wrestling programs.
Also, Sean Sherk is NOT a kickboxer so don't worry about the leg kicks. He's a 5'6" wrestler with no reach who relies solely on his wrestling. He has no ability to strike.
From what I've been reading in the hardcore mma forums, most MMA fans are not totally comfortable with the fight since alot of them feel Cintron, with his wrestling skills and his incredible punching power can damage the UFC's reputation if he destroys Sherk which is not as improbable as you'd like to think. It's no sure bet that Sherk can beat Cintron in the octagon.
The consensus is yes, Sherk should win because he makes his living in the octagon so it's like a second home to him whereas Cintron spent all his time in the boxing ring after dropping wrestling.
After reading many threads in the mma boards, some cats had actually picked Kermit Cintron to be a beast in the octagon if he could focus his wrestling with his boxing. Especially seeing that most fighters praise wrestling and boxing as the 2 most important styles for success in MMA. One is not complete without the other, and world champion Fedor Emelianenko is the man who will tell you that.
Therefore, that's the advantage Cintron has if he fine tunes his wrestling skills and stays sharp on his boxing.
But until it happens, who really knows?:dunno:

 

Hedging your bet early?

 

They don't teach you how to defend submissions in boxing or wrestling.

Sherk's no fool. He's not gonna stand and trade with a boxer. And even if Cintron does happen to have equal or better wrestling skills then Sherk, he'll have no idea how to fend of Sherk's submissions.

If this fight took place after Cintron trained for MMA for about 18 months, then maybe he'd have a chance, but I just can't see him walking into the octogon with minimal MMA training and winning.

MMA fans are a fickle bunch, just like boxing fans. The same fans who are hyping Cintron's wrestling skills, are probably the same fans that are pissing all over Brock Lesnar, just because he was a pro wrestler, even though Lesnar's wrestling skills are many, many, levels above Cintron's.

TFK

 

Could be. Likely scenario is Cintron keeping his boxing form and not knowing how to wrestle if the fight goes to the mat. Don't know if he could keep his wrestling form on the ground but either way, 12 to 18 months of training with a top camp to revamp those skills would give him a better chance. Though Sherk, having competed inside the cage for many years, is still the favourite on the ground and it's likely that's where the fight could end up.