Comments on: Would a first class boxing champ be a MMA champion?

By: John

John — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 07:46:59 +0000

I think it depends on the ref and the rules and how aggressive the boxer is when on the ground in trying to win the fight. If he is only trying to survive on the ground and get it to the point where the ref steps in and stands them back up then it works to the boxers favor for a short time but he can lose a point for stalling eventually. A good mat man will know and realize this and keep the action moving and going on the ground even though his opponent is not doing much and try and wear him down and tire him out and catch him in a situation where he can be submitted or choked out. A good ref will also recognize this and only tolerate it so long before points are taken for stalling-its fighting, not Twister. Not only that but once stood up the mat-man can try to take it to the mat again. The rules and the type of ring still tend to favor the mat-man which is one of the reasons why PRIDE used a conventional ring as opposed to a fenced in ring.
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By: Captain

Captain — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 07:02:59 +0000

I’m not surprised that we are seeing more stand-up right now. The MMA is still evolving and tends to go in cycles. The fact is that as you get older, going to the ground just isn’t as attractive. If you look at professional kick-boxing of the 1970-80′s, there was a heck of a lot more punching going on than kicking. That being said, I will stick to my guns in saying that it is harder for a striker to learn the ground game than for a grappler to learn how to strike effectively. Could a young boxer concentrate on grappling for a few years and be a force in the MMA? Of course. Maurice Smith is a prime example of a kick-boxer who did just that and he didn’t start that young..

I don’t see pro level boxers entering the MMA while they still have a shot at a title. But, there are a lot of MMA fighters who have boxing experience. Boxing is primarily a point sport though. Sugar Ray Leonard probably had one of the weakest jabs in the history of the sport, but he could score it 50 times in one minute.

In my experience boxing will give the biggest advantages in footwork, head movement, and striking angles. These are not the skills that are as obvious. The knock out is what most people think of in boxing, but in reality most fights do not end with a KO. A take down is impossible to miss, but I think a lot of fans are missing the subtleties of boxing that have become a part of the MMA.

Summary- Nearly all pro MMA fighters are boxing as part of their training. Just watch the head and footwork.
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By: the haYn assassin

the haYn assassin — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 06:31:59 +0000

if they were a champ in boxing, i'd stick to that cuz thats a lot of money especially with a big organization!
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By: Cobra Status

Cobra Status — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 06:26:59 +0000

A boxer trained in the other aspects of MMA could become a champion, but if trained in other martial art forms is he still considered a boxer? No, he would now be a MMA guy.
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By: Kin M

Kin M — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 05:51:59 +0000

8 out of 10 times? Dude show me 1 time a striker wins. (No seriously, please do; it would make me feel better, since I’m a much better striker than grappler.)

But yeah, if said boxer got REALLY good at wrestling, he’d probably beat everybody who couldn’t outwrestle or outstrike him.

You’ll notice that the best strikers are the ones that don’t have to worry about getting taken down — either because they’re good on the ground (Anderson Silva), because they have superior Wrestling (Chuck Liddell), or a combination of the two (George St Pierre). As I go on, I’m beginning to think that wrestling is the best base style to have in MMA, and everything else is just a good add-on for the sake of finishing fights. =P
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By: K.O. Fa sho

K.O. Fa sho — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 05:28:59 +0000

if they trained in other things bedsides boxing wouldnt that make them mixed martial artists and not just boxers anymore.
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By: Frank the tank

Frank the tank — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 05:15:59 +0000

Odds would be heavily against them.

Grapplers defeat strikers 8 out of 10 times, unless a first class boxing champ trains for YEARS grappling, he wouldn’t stand a chance.

Lots of MMA fights have been decided on standup because nowadays everybody knows grappling, and you don’t play your opponent’s advantages, you do the opposite thing, a world class boxer would be taken down constantly as his hands are the best tool.
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my brain