What’s up friends, family, and people I have yet to meet?
As I sit in the My House Promo Recording Studio listening to some
of my music being mixed down…I get a text message from a good buddy of mine
asking me “what are your plans for the fight?”. I could have sworn
the Mayweather vs. Ortiz fight had taken place last weekend. In fact I was so
sure it was I responded to the text with “you’re a week late and a dollar
short”. Little had I known he was referring to the UFC match: Rampage vs.
“Bones” Jones. With last weeks “controversial” boxing
match, I feel a few more rounds of fighting can’t hurt. I’ll reframe from
expressing my feeling regarding the Mayweather fight, as that seems to be old
news by now, but please remember “keep your hands up at all times”.
Growing up in NYC (like many other places) in the 80’s & 90’s
there were worst things going on in the streets & neighborhoods then what
was being played on your regular basic cable. In fact, you’d rarely hear a
curse word, rarely see any physical fighting, and if you were lucky fellas, you
may see a boob. Boxing was a big thing however. From Muhammad Ali, to Joe
Frazier, to George Forman to Mike Tyson, it always seemed like boxing has been relevant…But
is that still the case. Aside from waiting to see Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd
Mayweather, is there any other fight you’ve really wanted to see? Honestly? I
don’t know if boxing is what it used to be or if it will ever be again.
The gloves are gone, the ring is round, and the blood is
everywhere………..Are we being conditioned to except more physical violence?
And that’s where the UFC comes in to play. What used to be banned from
television is now regularly aired on basic network TV. WOW, I love it. No
seriously, I do enjoy the UFC and have watched and will continue to watch many
fights. I see more and more training facilities opening up nationwide and more
and more kids taking interest. But is that hurting our youth? Are we returning
back to the times of the Gladiator? I would love to hear your opinions.
Has the UFC replaced boxing?
Well its back to recording music for me, in the meantime I would love to hear what you think
Mic Nice
micnice 
I like boxing better . I think real man and a good fighter will fight with his fists and keep his stance and head up like boxing ..not rolling on the ground with another man with there butts an privates on eachothers faces with with sweat and blood all in the mix…. I do think a good fighter never falls to the ground . Boxing is better !!!!
Lianna that’s that’s pretty funny. In fact that my least favorite part of the UFC at all. So I definitely understand where you are coming from….even more interesting you are a women still feel the same. The only thing in defense I can see is….more likely when that “real man” you speak of get into a fight ont he streets most people are likely to get into some sort of wrestle. I dont know if that is from the lack of experience fighting or just being in the moment. Very interesting point you brought up. I thank you for that!
It is without a doubt that we are going back to the time of the Gladiator, it is only a matter of time until we are paying obscene amounts to see real life Gladiator fights, to the death…… We are halfway there, paying upwards of $75 to watch some big UFC fights where you are almost guaranteed to see someone get knocked out, and maybe a broken arm. How much further is a broken neck? or a powerful kick to the sternum? someway, somehow “They” (and by they i refer to the people who we are afraid to talk about) will figure out how to do it legally, of just do it on some island in the middle of nowhere where there is no extradition to the US or any other county for that matter. This might be a little far fetched but anything is possible, and the fact that “They” can make hundreds of millions of dollars, and even billions if it is marketed right. What are your thoughts on this controversial topic?
Even more interesting sk100. You bring up a very interesting point. How far are we from seeing a battle to the death? Like I mentioned, are we being conditioned to deal with more violence? I’d have to say if probably tune into these soon to com gladiator events. It’s going to happen sooner then we think. Live tv, live murder.
UFC has taken over for awhile. Boxing is more into the money rather than the actual fight. Boxing has proved itself to be a fixed sport like our “government” so we really can’t believe the hype anymore.
very valid point!!
An interesting question, and although many sports have changed and disappeared over time, Boxing and Greco-Roman wrestling are two of the longest living sports in human history. MMA fighting is not really new either, because it’s similar to Roman Empire gladiator fights, only differences being that participants were allowed a weapon of choice (most of the time), and fights ended when one or more participants died, leaving a lone winner standing in the circle.
The reason I might have to say yes to the question to some extent, is that MMA fighting is a more marketable sport, which draws crowds from multiple arenas (boxing, wrestling, kickboxing, etc). Couple that with the fact that humankind is being conditioned to have a shorter attention span (through commercial breaks, and shorter shows), and matches normally only going three rounds, MMA fighting is more marketable. There is, to those who don’t appreciate the intricacies of boxing tactics, more excitement in watching an MMA fight. Also, to those who do appreciate tactical skills, MMA offers a variety of styles and techniques, including boxing, of course.
However, therein lies a good reason to also say no. MMA is deeply rooted in boxing, many of the premier fighters have boxing backgrounds, and solid boxing skills, and I suspect there will be transitions both ways, as there have been for quite some time.
Now, the real reason, I believe boxing has taken a backseat, is that other sports, not just MMA have gained an advantage, in that they cater to more people at a time. Soccer, Basketball, Baseball, Football, and even Golf have become ever more popular, and the salary levels and glorfication of the athletes involved are far greater than that of boxing. It used to be the other way around. In the “old days” a boxing match would be televised all over the world, and it required one camera, and that was it. Now, field and court related sports have gained an advantage, because television production has taken a leap to where it can show all the intricacies of what ever game it is. That used to be almost impossible, while now you get a replay of every great move. This also applies to boxing and MMA, but there is still that limitation, it’s just two guys, one ring, and a limited number of angles.
Lastly, one would think that MMA would be a negative influence, because it is far more violent, but the truth is, it is still better than knives, guns, bats, or whatever else people use, because they don’t know how to use their fists. The ironic thing is, that there are far less fatal injuries and head injuries with subsequent brain damage in MMA, when compared to boxing.
Boxing is here to stay. It is an olympic sport, which means it is part of a long tradition that won’t be broken until the olympic games are no longer held.
Love the feed back. I agree with everything up until the statement regarding less fatal injuries and head injuries in the MMA when compared to boxing…I do not disagree, I just wonder if thats a fair statement….I’d love to see some of these big name fighters like Rampage in about 20 to 30 years. May it be that the sport is too young to have seen the full effects on these guys brains, bodies, etc? Also Do you think boxing may at some point be replaced with MMA in the olypics?
Loved the points in made about marketability…you hit it right on the head. We are definitely losing our attentions spans, and being feed a bunch of fast food for the price of a lobster….!!!!
There’s an art to MMA.. Sure, they may be rolling around the floor, but its all technique. Guys like Anderson Silva, GSP, BJ Penn and most importantly the Nog brothers work at their craft and you see it pay off.. What they all have in common is a Black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jiutzu.. Which takes at least 3 years to receive.. Boxing is also an art, no doubt about it, but in MMA you have to concentrate on more than just somebodies hands.. There’s Takedowns, Clinches, kicks. Wrestling backgrounds, Karate, Tae Kwon Do, Sumo, Sambo are all differnt arts fighters use to get into the sport.. You dont have to have won a golden gloves award to be great in the sport, just dedicate yourself and you can become champion.. Another thing is there’s parity in MMA, wher as Boxing imo theres not.. There’s only one fighter that fans can say can challenge Floyd or even other champions like the Klitscko brothers and if they fight a boxer with lesser skills, more times than not it wont be a contest, where in MMA anything can happen and any fight can change with one punch, kick or submission. Example, Matt Serra vs GSP for the Welterweight title, when GSP is the heavy favorite, should walkthrough Serra easily, seeing that Serra is at the tailend of his career and only got the shot because he won a show, but he KO’d GSP that night and became champion.. And it happens all the time in the sport.. One of my big pet peeves is the cards that are put up for the boxing matches.. If there is a Floyd fight, Pac man, Paul Williams Etc, you better believe the other fights on the card will be terrible and the different weight classes and titles both fighters have coming in that you cant keep up, where in the UFC or MMA, theres a challenger and a champion and there can be two title fights on one card or just a stacked card regardless… They put the best fights on for the fans.. Also bggest reason is fighters that duck the big fight in Boxing. They can go and fight nobodies all day and build up their resume because they feel so or dont want any real competition and nobody can force them, but in MMA or in more particular the UFC, you either fight, get cut or dont get a title shot by just beating a bunch of nobodies. You earn your way to the top.. MMA is taking over or already has taken over.. If the UFC and Boxing put its two best fighters like Floyd vs Pac Man or GSP v Anderson Silva on the same night who’d get more buys? The fact that you can argue that shows you how far MMA has come
Damn….Very good insight Rob! Impressive. You’ve made some more then solid points here. I think i’ve personally become addicted to the “knock out” something that we have been seeing less and less in boxing. MMA has definitely come a long way, by the opinions of most people here…it seems have definitely become equally as popular as boxing if not more then…Also it seems to be more MMA fights then boxing matches these days….
Thanks Mic.. I agree though, its intriguing to see somebody get KO’d.. I know when I first started watching MMA that was what drawn me.. Now, I can appreciate the subtly of some of the action.. The clinch work, stoppage of takedowns, level changes and transitions on the floor lol
That sounds a lot more interesting then…right hook, upper cut, or head butt lol
Its a good question but to me boxing will always will #1 there’s a lot of things I could say about what ufc is doing but I rather keep it to myself but u got to see what MAYWEATHER said about ufc on you tube that’s the way I feel about ufc
I’ll have to check out that Mayweather video ASAP. He usually has pretty knowledgeable things to say regarding the sport.