[Megarodon]

ESPN - UFC success forced boxing to step up its game - Boxing
I think boxing had a terrific 2007, and now I believe boxing found its base to sustain itself and grow even more...2008 is starting well

Anybody here believes MMA is going to take boxing's place?
if you do, why?

 

[TommyGunn]

The cavemen are a novalty that will wear off soon enough, boxing has and always will be around forever.

 

[BigDigga]

exactamundo! i do agree that the explosion of mma has made boxing better, so for that i'm grateful for the existence of mma:thumbsup:

 

[Brutus]

I love MMA but i love boxing more. I think MMA is here to stay but boxing is not going anywhere. With the rise of MMA boxing had to make improvements and that is exactly what happened.

 

[Raging_Bull86]

I am a grappler myself and mma is my first love however I love boxing also and their is no way boxing is dying or going anywhere. there is room for both combat sports and they only make eachother better. good time to be a fan of both

 

[goju-joe]

Interesting article

King and Arum still don't get it.

MMA isn't a threat because it's better, UFC is a threat because they promote better.

3 key things Boxing needs to do (and is doing it somewhat)

1 - Have top guys fight top guys (they're doing it finally but still takes too long)

2 - Improve the Under card. A UFC PPV has 3-4 intriguing fights not just the main card. And the UFC uses the under card to promote new fighters and hype them up (see Roger Huerta)

3 - Make the boxers more accessible. I have met and even trained with some of the Top MMA starts Like BJ Penn.
I know PBF doesn't need the money but doing some seminars with real boxing fans is a great way to promote. It's a personal touch that makes a HUGE difference.

 

[TommyGunn]

Interesting article

King and Arum still don't get it.

MMA isn't a threat because it's better, UFC is a threat because they promote better.

3 key things Boxing needs to do (and is doing it somewhat)

1 - Have top guys fight top guys (they're doing it finally but still takes too long)

2 - Improve the Under card. A UFC PPV has 3-4 intriguing fights not just the main card. And the UFC uses the under card to promote new fighters and hype them up (see Roger Huerta)

3 - Make the boxers more accessible. I have met and even trained with some of the Top MMA starts Like BJ Penn.
I know PBF doesn't need the money but doing some seminars with real boxing fans is a great way to promote. It's a personal touch that makes a HUGE difference.

Has any MMA event done over 2m buys?

Theres realy no argument which is more popular, your paying more for a boxing event and its still out selling MMA.

 

[TommyGunn]

Its like comparing pitch and putt to golf!

 

[BigDigga]

people are always intrigued by something new. that's the case with mma as far as i'm concerned. they have a good product which a certain audience appreciates. plain and simple.

 

[dsr]

The " neanderthal" comments are a bit ironic considering that's exactly the type of criticism that is leveled at boxing by twats who don't understand it. Top level MMA is extremely technical, the fact that it employs a different skill set than boxing doesn't take away from that.

I watch both, couldn't give a **** which is more popular, and appreciate the fact that there are some seriously talented blokes operating at the top level of both sports.

 

[SugarShane]

Boxing is good for MMA and MMA is good for boxing. MMA peaked about 2 years ago and boxing responded in ways. I don't have a problem with MMA, but where I do start to have problems is when numerous MMA vs. Boxing threads come around and get the mma vs boxing argument going. If this turns into anything (already looking like it) that is anywhere near that tired old argument I will close this thread. Just keep it to civil discussion please guys!
-Shane

 

[goju-joe]

Has any MMA event done over 2m buys?

Theres realy no argument which is more popular, your paying more for a boxing event and its still out selling MMA.

I know UFC did over 1 million for one PPV last year (Royce VS Hughes I think) and if you compared total numbers for 2007 between Boxing and the UFC for PPV buy rates I think the UFC has the edge. The UFC doesn't make it's PPV buy rates available to the public

If you take PBF VS ODH out UFC wins by a big margin

Having the majority of your PPV buys tied to one card is not good business and goes back to what I was saying about building undercards and promoting new talent.

And yes world wide boxing is more popular but MMA is growing in leaps and bounds to.

 

[SugarShane]

You guys just don't listen.

 

[BALISTIK]

I respect MMA but boxing is here to stay. Why can't we just stop comparing both sports and start enjoying them as fightfans? MMA is as much a threat to boxing as baseball is a threat to basketball. We're talking about two different things. MMA is bringing something fresh to fighting sports but boxing has 100 years of history and it's still doing well. I think both arts can compliment each other.

 

[SugarShane]

See that is the kind of post I'm looking for. Balistik said nothing negative about either sport and gave great insight as well. Keep that up!

 

[goju-joe]

You guys just don't listen.

What? I was nice my comments aren't about one VS the other just that the way UFC promotes itself is working and boxing should look at it.

Not a controversial statement at all.

 

[SugarShane]

Right, but you had to throw in the whole bit about UFC doing better PPV numbers (FAR FROM TRUE) and what not. It's ok man, you know what I am trying to avoid here. I'm sure you've been down that same MMA vs Boxing road as well.

 

[Southpaw447]

The cavemen are a novalty that will wear off soon enough, boxing has and always will be around forever.

Novelty. Please. Boxing is built around 2 or 3 big fights every few years.

UFC and MMA have a mega event every month. And it's more exciting.

The Mega Events Boxing puts on is built around the main event and the undercard bouts are mediocre. For example, Mollo vs. Golota was one of the most boring fights I've ever seen in my life and I was forced to pay $50 for a 3 fights I didn't even care about. Where as UFC 80 had 3 kick ass undercard bouts and 1 awesome main event that was way more exciting than Jones vs. Trinidad and it was $10 cheaper.


And UFC puts great PPV events almost every month. Sometimes 2 times per month.

UFC sells out almost every event they put on. Can boxing say the same?

You tell me who will be around longer.

 

[Southpaw447]

Right, but you had to throw in the whole bit about UFC doing better PPV numbers (FAR FROM TRUE)

Your statement is not as accurate as you wish it was. Besides De LA Hoya Mayweather and Mayweather Hatton what else is there? Nothing

 

[BigDigga]

I respect MMA but boxing is here to stay. Why can't we just stop comparing both sports and start enjoying them as fightfans? MMA is as much a threat to boxing as baseball is a threat to basketball. We're talking about two different things. MMA is bringing something fresh to fighting sports but boxing has 100 years of history and it's still doing well. I think both arts can compliment each other.

nice post, balistik. i was thinking of more of a rugby/football comparison when comparing boxing/mma. there are some similarities, but there vastly different at the same time.