MMA's recent popularity raises the question, "Is boxing no longer relevant?" Take a look at a head to head matchup between the two combative sports.MMA vs. Boxing:
The debate has been ongoing ever since UFC’s pay-per view numbers from 2006 were released. The UFC broke the pay-per-view industry’s all-time records for a single year of business, generating over $222,766,000 in revenue during 2006, surpassing WWE and boxing. Has boxing’s reign as the premiere combat sport come to an end? As quickly as you might answer one way or the other, let’s look at the most important factors in determining the leading sport:
Most Recognizable Fighters:
MMA has spearheaded into popularity, largely due to the commercial success of UFC and The Ultimate Fighter. The Ultimate Fighter has helped create household names such as Forrest Griffin, Diego Sanchez and most recently Nate Diaz. Roger Huerta became the first Mixed Martial Artists to grace the cover of Sports Illustrated, and Chuck Liddell not only graced the cover of ESPN the Magazine, but also starred in an episode of “Entourage.”
Lately, everywhere you turn, an MMA fighter’s face is garnering mainstream attention. However, there is hardly an athlete in any sport that has created a stronger brand or that carries more name recognition than Oscar De La Hoya, who has generated over $500 million in pay-per-view buys over the course of his career. Floyd Mayweather Jr. has become a house hold name since his relatively timid win over De La Hoya this year. Despite a heavyweight division filled with more characters from a “Stallone” movie than actual contenders, names of less relevant aging fighters can still be found on the tips of casual fighting fan’s lips. (e.g., Evander Holyfield, and Roy Jones Jr.)
Advantage: Boxing
Bigger Commercial Success
The UFC’s 2006 pay-per-view sales have led many people to speculate on the death of boxing. How else could you explain, one promotion outselling an entire sport? The numbers tell the story, and as the saying goes, “Men lie, women lie, numbers don’t.” But I think we’re looking at the wrong numbers. Boxing is coming off of the biggest boxing pay-per-view ever with 2.15 million household buys. Not only that, but De La Hoya ended up bringing in close to $45 million for the fight, while Mayweather Jr. earned close to $20 million.
In the biggest UFC fight, UFC 71, complete with ESPN coverage throughout the promotion, Chuck Liddell earned $500,000 and Quinton “Rampage”
MMA is the fastest growing sport in
Advantage: Boxing
More Excited Pay-Per Views
Boxing is ailing in this area. The biggest flaw in boxing pay-per-views is a lack of an undercard. The boxing business model for pay-per-views is to hype up the main event in as many media outlets as possible, leading up to the day of the event. Fans pay $39.95- $49.95 for one fight which usually begins at around 11pm. While they wait for the main event, they’re thrown 2-3 fights featuring fighters they have never heard of. Off the top of your head, can you name the Miguel Cotto v. Zab
MMA’s strongest trait is it’s ability to stack a card. UFC/Pride’s dominance over smaller promotions has provided us with some of the best fights $39.95 can buy. For instance, at UFC 73, there are two titles on the line, as well as one of the biggest names in the sport in Tito Ortiz. The card also includes the UFC debut of one of the greatest submission heavyweights in the world in Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Thanks to the world of corrupt promoters, what seems like hundreds of governing bodies, and too many decision makers, this is something we’ll never see in boxing.
Advantage: MMA
Championship Match Excitement
Dan Henderson is the PRIDE Fighting Champion at welterweight (183 pounds) and middleweight (205 pounds). Sean Sherk is the UFC’s lightweight champion (155 pounds) and Matt Serra is UFC’s welterweight champion (170 pounds).
As easy as it is to name these champions and their respective promotions, its as difficult name a true champion in a boxing weight class. Boxing has so many weight divisions, along with so many sanctioning bodies (IBF, WBC, WBA and soon ABCDEFG), there aren’t any recognizable champions in the sport. The biggest and most popular division in the sport, the heavyweight division, is in its worst condition ever. The four heavyweight champions, Wladimir Klitschko, Oleg Maskaev, Ruslan Chagaev and Sultan Ibragimov, don’t exactly invoke the memories of Muhammed Ali, Joe Frazier or even Evander Holyfield.
Advantage: MMA
Who has the best fighters?
In the midst of hyping his fight with Oscar de la Hoya, Floyd Mayweather posed this question: Could an MMA fighter step into the ring with a professional boxer with 12 ounce gloves and actually put on a competitive fight? It’s highly doubtful. There are not many MMA fighters with an average boxer’s striking ability. With plenty of room to maneuver, no takedowns or elbows to worry about, a professional boxer would pick an MMA fighter apart.
However, the same can be true in an Octagon. If Floyd Mayweather fought Sean Sherk at 145-150 pounds, it’s unlikely he would last 45 seconds. What training has he had in takedown defense or submission defense? The fighter whose made millions of dollars and gained nationwide attention by dodging and moving, would have no where to go and no other recourse but to tap out.
Advantage: Even
So which sport wins? It’s clear one sport is on the way, while the other is on a decline. Whether or not MMA has passed boxing yet in its upward climb has yet to be determined. But its sure fun to watch.