posted Jun 4, 2007

It's interesting that whilst many ex-boxers appear on TV and in the media rubbishing MMA, most mixed martial artists speak respectfully about boxing.
It's sad that some ex-boxers like McGuigan rubbish the sport without understanding it's technicalities. UFC has had it's share of brawlers in the past, but the days of Tank Abbot and his ilk seem to be waneing. It's not just the sport of boxing that needs to make changes. Isn't it about time the BBC staring reporting on MMA matches seriously, and not just writing the odd article on Bisping?

add comment | complain about this comment

posted Jun 4, 2007

I totally agree Farseer, maybe MMA fans should write emails or a maybe a petition to the BBC supporting this notion. MMA has a large internet fanbase that may make this possible. Who exactly might it be best to write to on the subject?

add comment | complain about this comment

posted Jun 10, 2007

Whether the boxing purists like it or not MMA, the UFC in particular is storming forward. Frank Warren knocks it at every opportunity in his newspaper column so he must be worried about its rise in popularity. I have always been a big boxing fan but if it was a toss up now between a night of boxing or UFC i'd go for the latter probably 90% of the time. UFC has some real characters which the fans adore which boxing seems to be missing. I watched some of the early UFC when I was at school some 13/14 years ago and loved the concept then of seeing which disvcipline was the best. The way it has developed to the stage where everyone has become skilled in all the different areas of martial arts has added to its attraction. I think the rise in popularity of UFC is unstoppable. The only thing boxing can do to fight back is get its house in order, there are more world heavyweight title belts than there are decent fighters. Boxing is run by greed, none of the organisations would agree to forming one overall body because of the money involved but with boxing dying a slow death due to political wranglings I cannot see it winning any new fans whilst the UFC is around.

add comment | complain about this comment

posted Jun 11, 2007

i was a big fan of boxing in the 80's but
it just got greedy (sky , ppv )
and at one time most people could name a
few boxers but i dont think they could now

add comment | complain about this comment

posted Jul 16, 2007

At the end of the day..Boxin nowadays is rubbish. Fights are fixed so we all know who is goin to win even before they weigh in..Its full of flashy lights an rubbish songs as they enter the ring. Big promoters who wont pit them against some one they may lose at...MMa is the future of contact sport...

add comment | complain about this comment

posted Jul 17, 2007

I'm a big fan of MMA, but by saying boxing is fixed without any evidence (unless your going to produce some) you just weaken your argument.

add comment | complain about this comment

posted Jul 17, 2007

Boxing died when Don King arrived.

add comment | complain about this comment

posted Aug 25, 2007

The opinion that a world class boxer would 'pick apart' a good MMA fighter is simply not true.

Stand up striking is just one part of fighting. Under MMA rules you'd be FAR better off being a world class wrestler/ground fighter with no stand up striking, than a world class stand up striker with no ground skills/takedown defense.

An example of this is a guy like Melvin Manhoef or Schemmy Schilt. They're world class kickboxers but Schilt never did anything of consequence in the MMA world due to his lack of sprawl/takedown defense and ground skills. In Manhoef's case, his lack of takedown defense and ground skills is holding him back in MMA and he recently got submitted by a guy with very poor striking skills and a 1-4 MMA record.

Sure, Mike Tyson (in his prime) was world class with his hands, while Fedor Emelianenko is only competent at striking. However, Mike Tyson would have less ground + wrestling skills than a beginner while Fedor is a world class combat sambo practioner. Tyson would have a window of a couple of seconds to KO Fedor cold before he got taken down, mounted and submitted.

Boxing and MMA can coexist. I had zero interest in boxing and other stand up striking sports until I got into MMA. Boxing is still a tad boring for me - every time I try to watch a fight it turns into a point sparring contest. MMA is more exciting for me since the sport is so dynamic with the different skills combined - there's so many ways a fight can develop and so many ways a guy can win.

MMA has some of the best athletes and fighters in the world, and it's just a matter of time before it's popularity explodes worldwide. It is simply a process of educating the public, much like with boxing before it became accepted by the mainstream. MMA has already exploded in Japan and the US in just a few years.

add comment | complain about this comment

posted Aug 25, 2007

I will say that a boxer that spent a few years training in wrestling and ju-jitsu would have an excellent shot in MMA. However, he wouldn't be a boxer anymore - he'd be a mixed martial artist with world class hands, and a solid wrestling base with submission skills.

add comment | complain about this comment

posted Aug 25, 2007

good posts SIXX T4, shame that the beeb still don't publish any UFC reports though.

add comment | complain about this comment