Boxers vs. MMA Fighters: The Future of Combat Sports

Boxing – the sweet science has taken a drop in viewership over the past decade outside of its marquee pay-per-view events. But the worlds most popular combat sport has received a new competitor in the market, as MMA promoter Dana White and his company The Ultimate Fighting Championship has heavily assisted martial arts into becoming the fastest growing sport on the planet. However, a recent purge in crossover fights between professional boxers and mixed martial arts practitioners has reinvigorated the boxing world. 

As reported by MMAWhisperer.com, the hard work involved with both MMA and boxing has a huge, brilliant pay-off for the fighters in terms of teaching them self-defense skills for gaining confidence, improving fitness, weight loss, muscle tone, stress relief and becoming a walking weapon.
While a boxer has a limitations to only punches, strictly focusing on just his hands and having no experience on the ground, an MMA fighter may have an upper hand in the octagon as he is allowed to use various techniques like footwork, parrying, slipping, weaving, and defense skills both on the ground and standing position.  
But, with proper training, a boxer will have a real chance to face an MMA fighter.

Is Conor McGregor the One to Thank? 

The face of mixed martial arts, Ireland born Conor McGregor became a global superstar with his emphatic fighting style and boisterous persona. Whilst becoming one of the most successful martial artists ever to compete, he simultaneously grew the popularity of the promotion he fought for in both fanbase and sports betting aspects at the likes of Youwager Review. 

However, obtaining UFC championships in multiple divisions and breaking countless records in mixed martial arts wasn’t enough for the Irishman; he found an urge to compete against the greatest boxer of his generation, Floyd “Money” Mayweather.  

Connecting the newfound popularity of mixed martial arts with his love for Boxing transformed the landscape of combat sports, as the world got to witness the two most popular fighters in their respective sports compete for bragging rights in the boxing ring. 

Of course, McGregor lost the bout, but with a top-five pay-per-view record achieved, the outcome became much more than a boxing match. It ushered in a new wave of boxing contests that nobody could’ve seen coming. 

Did Conor McGregor influence a new avenue for MMA fighters to earn a paycheque? He sure did! 

Mixed martial arts legend Anderson Silva was the next to follow suit, the former UFC middleweight champion was already known for his striking prowess, but could those skills translate into the boxing ring? 

Silva had boxed in the past, but much of his professional fighting career was spent in the MMA cage. This didn’t stop the Brazilian from taking on the former boxing world champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in Mexico. 

You wouldn’t have noticed it had been 16 years since Silva stepped into the ring, as he went on to win a split decision and won one back for MMA since McGregor’s knockout loss. 

“I feel so happy,” Silva commented after the fight. “Wow. I need to say thank you because my coach worked with me a lot. When I started training, I told my coach I needed to do this because I love fighting and Boxing was my dream for many years, and I needed to prove my respect for Boxing. I needed to come in here and do my best.” 

Social Influencers Continue the Trend 

While YouTubers and social influencers aren’t exactly professional boxers as such, the likes of Jake Paul are continuing to boost the popularity of Boxing by welcoming MMA fighters to step in the ring with him. 

Former Olympic champion, Bellator MMA titleholder, and UFC competitor Ben Askren became the first victim of Jake Paul. And despite Paul coming across as an arrogant, egotistical social influencer – he’s now been training in the sport for four years. He wasn’t respected until a first-round knockout of Ben Askren proved a lot of doubters wrong.

Because Paul isn’t known for Boxing, the apparent criticisms have been in abundance. But defeating professional martial artists is something the combat sports world can respect. 

Paul is set to take on former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley, a matchup that will test the YouTuber’s willingness to fight. Askren wasn’t known as a striker, and his technical striking ability had much to be desired. However, Woodley offers a different task for Jake Paul to overcome. The power and striking output of Woodley are significantly better than anybody Paul has faced. 

Either way, these popular events are drawing more eyes on Boxing, and whether you like it or not, the sport of Boxing has suffered in recent years, and these sideshow events can only assist its importance back to where it belongs. 

Boxers Stepping into the Cage? 

So, the question remains, why aren’t boxers so eager to step into the world of mixed martial arts? I believe that James Toney proved why boxers should probably stay away from the cage. 

In 2010, James Toney fought in a mixed martial arts contest versus Randy Couture, and let’s just say, Boxing doesn’t translate into martial arts very well, and James Toney was dominated with grappling. 

Martial arts are compiled with multiple disciplines; MMA fighters use striking/Boxing as a part of their weekly routines and training camps alongside grappling, kicking techniques, jiu-jitsu, and a multitude of other martial arts attacks and defences. 

But when those roles are reversed, boxers have no experience in the areas that separate martial arts from Boxing. And for this reason, I don’t expect to see many boxers’ attempt a move into the octagon. It would take years of training to prepare grappling skills to a basic level alone, and without certain restrictions, I think the MMA to boxing crossover will be the lingering trend.