OK, we just saw the top female boxer dismantle and humiliate the previously thought unbeatable top MMA fighter. Taller, quicker and could "float like a butterfly." Anyone have the GIF of Holly ducking the wild left resulting in a whiff by Rousey causing her to stubble to the ground. Humiliating. Rousey had no clue how to block her punches or chase her down. And when Rousey did get the boxer in a clinch, the boxer was strong enough to clinch in her arms from grasp and escape. And she even body-slammed Rousey once in humiliating fashion. OK, now back to the debate We haven't really seen any of the big draw top male boxers truly make the switch to MMA. Probably because of money. Top male boxers probably don't see the money in training to defend themselves against superior wrestling/MA skills and tactics. I'm sure it wouldn't be a cake-walk for Floyd Mayweather without the training Holly clearly did. I contend the Boxer can make the transition to defend themselves like Holly did easier than the MMA fighter can defend against the superior punching skills of a boxer when has learned just some basic MMA defense skills. And remember, MMA fights don't have full gloves. Those punches will hurt a lot more. Holly also had the advantage of being taller. And clearly better footwork Oh, and I thought I'd never say this about Rousey, but I also believe the contender had the better butt.
Ronda has fought no one really in a new division with no talent. She has high level judo skills and is attractive. With the quick fights she became famous. Doesn't change the fact that she has along long way to go to be a balanced mma fighter - so much so speculation she might not take a rematch and just quit. A true experienced mma fighter would destroy a boxer in an mma fight. A boxer would destroy a mma fighter in a boxing match. I think it's as simple as that. IMO a fighter with boxing as his base is a great start - probably better then having the other styles as their base. But that's my way layman opinion lol.
Please address my a scenario where the a Top male Boxer actually switches professions and trains a year to become a MMA. It's a more interesting conversation. You are applying the old argument that one beats the other on their own turf. I'm trying to update that debate to a scenario whereby a boxer trains to make the switch and devotes their life to it like Holly did. I believe the top boxer would be a formidable specialist in MMA. There is precedence out there the specialized MMA fighters can indeed beat the well-rounded ones, to become champion. Holly is a specialized fighter like Rousey is, but at different skills. Because of huge difference in prize money, we willl likely never see a Top Boxer make the switch and train long months to defend himself against an top MMA fighter. I do believe the boxer has to have a longer reach than the MMA fighter, though
Especially when you run right at them with your chin up like you have never ever boxed anyone. Ronda will need a new camp and she'll need concentrate on mma exclusively to go further. She has the athleticism to be great but it will take a lot of work.
that's an old argument that Holly just shattered, because she trained to make the switch I agree. But maybe not for the middle weights. Holly is not a dinosaur, obviously. She just woke up the world to see a MMA specialist who comes from Top Boxing skills and trained hard to destroy and humiliate the champion. My discussion is about the scenario where someone makes the switch from top class boxing to MMA. Is that a possible scenario to discuss? Or do we just have to bow down to MMA and assume those guys can take a punch and bring down a MMA fighter with longer reach and vastly better punching precision, arm speed and footwork, who has trained a year to learn as much defensive tactics as Holly.
It would take more then a year of training for the top boxer and a couple of fights to get their feet wet. If the boxer gets matched up with wrestlers with high end ground and pound for his first fight then it might get ugly. Wrestling ground and pound is just to much for a boxer without lots and lots of takedown defense experience.
I disagree with this scenario because Ronda isn't a quality mma fighter yet, and was overmatched and exposed the first time she ran into someone with a skill set.
A top boxer would have a VERY hard time making it in the UFC against top MMA guys because there is so much more to be concerned about in an MMA fight than a boxing match. I just don't see a top boxer being well rounded enough to pull it off. Sure if the MMA guys decided to stand up with them and exchange punches they'd lose, but only an idiot would do that. The way I see it going down is "top boxer" gets taken down within seconds and never gets back to his feet.
To begin with you are wrong because you used WMMA instead of MMA as an example WMMA is pretty much a totally different sport because there is no talent in it. I personally think a boxer would do well in MMA if he takes the time to learn take down defense and grappling and join a good MMA gym with a lot of other grapplers. The traditional boxing stance is prone to be leg kicked and taken down because of the narrow stance, if they are willing to dedicate their time to be more well rounded I don't see why a boxer can't be a champion in the UFC after a couple of years.
Bobbythegreat, You don't think a MMA trained, yet boxing specialist can develop enough defense to become champion? Do wrestlers always win this? What makes a MMA fighter well-rounded. I think we'd see more knock-outs from single punches or flurries (due to one stunning the opp) that the wrestlers and others might have to become a lot more cautious against a boxing-specialist with longer reach and superior footwork. Right now, maybe there is enough top class punchers in the sport who are striking fear into the wrestlers to make them more cautious. And likewise, I think this argument about the men will always be speculative, because there is more prize money in top boxing that top UFC, no? So, the tops boxers might never choose to make the switch.
If striking is going to be your base, muay thai, kick boxing and even karate has seen more success than boxers.
They made the switch because they actually sucked at boxing. We're talking about World Class wrestlers and such they are taking on. The dregs of boxing isn't a fair comparison.
Not true at all. They made the switch because unless you're Mayweather/Pacqiuao you're not going anywhere in boxing. 'Dregs of boxing,' is not at all accurate. I still maintain that striking that involves all body parts (elbows, legs, knees) is a stronger base to have than boxing.
I mean, sure, a boxer might go on a crazy run like Conor McGregor has, but I just don't see any way that a top level boxer would be able to develop sufficient ground skills and takedown defense to stop a ground fighter from having their way with them. Boxing may be the "sweet science" but it's one of the most worthless skills in an actual fight. The reason wrestlers translate better to MMA than boxers is due to the ability to control your opponent and it's not very far outside the comfort zone of a wrestler to mix in some Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu or maybe some striking and you have a MUCH more dangerous fighter than any Boxer could hope to become. The reason for this is that wrestlers are able to dictate what happens in a fight. If a wrestler wants the fight to go to the ground, it's going to the ground, if they want the fight to remain standing up, it's going to be a stand up fight. Boxers have to have a stand up fight, and they need it to be a stand up fight with space to throw punches. It's also super hard for them to dictate that it is going to be that style of fight because there isn't any natural take down defense associated with boxing.