Whether boxing or MMA is more entertaining depends on the individual. But before we dive into the answers (yes, there is more than one), we would like to establish that wearing protective gears is a must for both these sports.
Most would probably say MMA is more difficult to master because it entails more than superior hand striking. While boxing involves more than that, too, MMA just takes fighting to a whole new level.
Today, we will go over some general modern views about boxing and MMA that may help you form an opinion on which is the harder, or rather better, sport.
What People Have to Say About Boxing vs. MMA
Gone are the days when boxing used to be the unrivaled leader in combat sports. Now, it’s neck and neck with mixed martial arts, a sport that is all about subduing your opponent with strikes and take-downs.
While boxing will always have history backing it, MMA has a variety and newness to it that makes it a serious threat to boxing’s position as the country’s premier sport.
MMA is all about brute force, while boxing requires skill and patience.
If you are up for a no-holds-barred slugfest, go watch MMA. However, if you want to witness technical fighting skills that are unrivaled, enter the world of boxing.
In MMA, you sort of get an unfair advantage by relying on your other limbs to fight. This isn’t the case in boxing, where your hands are your only weapons. Every jab, hook, and cross is delivered with technique and accuracy to damage the opponent. That’s why they call boxing a “sweet science.”
We can’t even begin to address the disjointed mess that is MMA. It looks like two undisciplined fighters literally clawing at each other in such an artless way. Real fighting should be done face to face, standing up. This is why boxing is superior.
Boxing no longer holds the power it used to.
Let’s be honest. Boxing is dying. People no longer want to watch two people throwing jabs and hooks at each other for all of the rounds it takes for one fighter to get knocked out.
Enter cage fighting. This is where real fights between warriors take place. To an untrained eye, MMA may look like nothing more than a desperate street fight. However, under the guise of brutality lies superior technical skill and discipline. In MMA, not only do hand strikes have to be accurate, elbows, knees, and feet have to be ready to defend at a moment’s notice.
While slugging it out on the mat, you must constantly be aware of your position and find ways to gain leverage. What some people call “boring” hugging is actually a gorgeous dance of feet and hand placement to obtain the upper hand. Once there, a fighter will be capable of delivering the barrage of strikes required to subdue his opponent.
MMA may have looked a lot like raw street fighting before, but that’s no longer the case. Rules have been set in place to make MMA a legitimate combat sport.
Hugging is pretty much all that happens in an MMA match.
What submissions? What knockouts? All people see in an MMA match is two “warriors” hugging. Talk about a snoozefest.
In boxing, fighters don’t have the luxury to rely on boring tactics like hugging to come out victorious. They rely on superior striking and movement, which is what audiences actually paid to watch.
Boxing calls MMA boring? Talk about the pot calling the kettle black.
We can’t even begin to enumerate all the action that goes on in MMA fights. There’s so much of it happening as fighters take to the ground to obtain better striking positions.
In boxing, everyone’s just floating around each other, occasionally throwing jabs that hardly meet their target. Even when things get intense in boxing, it doesn’t even come close to the absolute drama that occurs in cage fights.
Boxing has history.
MMA can scream victory all it wants, but it doesn’t even come close to being the storied sport that boxing is. Beyond the world of combat sports, MMA barely exists. It’s boxing that lives in the hearts of fans and non-fans alike.
If you’ve seen the “Creed” and “Rocky” film franchises, you know what we mean. Boxing draws people in with its rawness and vulnerability, traits that speak to people on a deeper level. MMA hasn’t yet tapped into this emotional connection with people outside of its realm.
Do We Have a Reigning Champion or a New Champion?
Boxing may have ruled the world of combat sports for decades before MMA came along, but mixed martial arts has given it a run for its money. Still, each of these sports has so much going for them that you can’t blame their fans for thinking they are better. Boxing has a lot of history behind it, while MMA has that fresh and exciting quality newer combat sports audiences look for.
