Boxing
sucks compared to MMA. MMA killed
Boxing. Boxing is the past and MMA is
the future. All of these are statements
that can be heard if one so wishes to embark on the great debate between the
sport of Boxing and the Sport of MMA. There
are various opinions that people hold towards the two most popular combat
sports but the first thing that must be acknowledged is that Boxing is the
sport of punching while MMA is the sport of fighting. Yes, punching is an important part of
fighting but in many cases now, Mixed Martial Arts gets recognized as a single
art and not for what it truly is; the combination of each of the fighting
disciplines. For arguments sake we will
refer to “The big four” Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Wrestling, Kick-boxing (Mauy
Thai), and yes, Boxing. This article
aims to change the viewpoint from “MMA is better than Boxing,” to “Boxing is an
extremely important aspect of MMA.”
Keep in mind that the boxing industry in comparison to the MMA industry
is not the topic of this article.
The
early days of mixed martial arts consisted of one style of fighter taking on
another style of fighter to determine which style was superior in an actual
fight setting. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu proved
to be the original silver bullet when the smaller Royce Gracie showed the arts
ability to neutralize size and strength advantages through knowledge and
technique. Once the knowledge spread and
people began to train the art it became much less dominant and an era of MMA began
where you needed two or more “tools” in order to be effective. A good example of this is Vitor “The Phenom”
Belfort who was one of the first to be able to use his athletic striking and
his Brazilian Jui-Jitsu to force an opponent to deal with a second tool. Now in modern MMA it is imperative that a
fighter is well versed in each of the major aspects or be at risk of having a
weakness exploited. Fighters like
Georges St.Pierre and Johnny “Bones” Jones who are strong in all aspects of MMA
can exploit the smallest weakness and turn it into victory, making an otherwise
impressive fighter look elementary.
So
what’s so important about boxing then?
MMA fighters are becoming more and more educated and well-rounded which
is making it increasingly difficult to gain an edge over an opponent. UFC Legend Chuck Liddell, while more of a
kick-boxer than a “Boxer” was one of the first to really be able to neutralize
the ground game and force a stand up battle.
By using his superior wrestling ability he would force foes to stand
trade blows with him, eventually leading to the devastating knockout
finish. That strategy has become very
popular and fighters like Frankie “The Answer” Edgar and Michael “The Count”
Bisping are good examples of guys who have implemented slick technical boxing
into their MMA games. The results have
been undeniable, not only the punching skillset but proper footwork has really started
to form a gap between otherwise equal opponents. “Every fight starts on the feet,” some say
and the general landscape is becoming one where being able to box can determine
how the fight goes while it’s on the feet.
Bisping used his boxing skills to completely outclass the more powerful
and athletic Brian “The All-American” Stann, leaving him frustrated and in
admittance that “He beat me with his boxing.”
We have all heard Joe Rogan say “This is basically a kick-boxing match,”
and it happens whenever the ground skills are equal. Anyone who saw Nate Diaz pick-apart
kick-boxer Donald Cerrone with his superior boxing skill can tell you that the
knowledge that the sweet science contains is a totally different set of
skills. A set of skills that are being fully
realized as an integral part of Mixed Martial Arts.
What
needs to happen in order for Boxing to get the respect it deserves in the world
of MMA? It’s already happening, high
level fighters learning to box from great coaches and implementing their skills
is improving the quality of stand-up that fans are being exposed to. Did you ooh and ah when Anderson “The Spider”
Silva dodged those punches from Forrest Griffin and followed it up with a crisp
knockout blow? Were you intrigued at how
GSP could so thoroughly dominate a fight with just his Jab? Boxing has a lot to offer the sport of
fighting and the surface has only just been scratched. Fighters are learning more about the benefits
of boxing as a fighting style and the sooner the general public realizes those
same benefits the sooner they will be able to fully appreciate the sport of
punching within the game of MMA and as a stand-alone art.
Tommy Herr @swikshz
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