MMA Can't Beat Boxing...Only Boxing Can Beat Boxing

There is a widespread belief that mixed martial arts (MMA) have put the sport of boxing on the ropes and near extinction.

The preeminent U.S.-based MMA promotion is the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). When the UFC was initially established in 1993, it was essentially an utter freak show that was littered with gratuitous violence inside of a cage that appeared almost medieval.

The UFC and its savage brutality eventually caught the attention of authorities and lawmakers who were absolutely horrified when they witnessed one of the promotions bloody spectacles.

In particular, Arizona Senator John McCain viewed footage of one of UFC’s events and he notoriously labeled the competition “human cockfighting.”

Subsequently, McCain led an exhaustive campaign to outlaw UFC.

McCain’s crusade to ban UFC ultimately led to a litany of rules changes that helped to legitimize and improve the sport.

The noticeable modifications in combat allowed UFC to become more nationally accepted and their events gradually evolved into mainstream attractions.

While the UFC ascended in popularity, the sport of boxing saw their number of followers steadily diminish.

One of boxing’s biggest issues is clearly the dearth of genuine talent that has lately graced the glamorous heavyweight division.

Still, boxing and its many key figures are primarily responsible for hindering the sport with their insatiable greed and rampant corruption.

Despite boxing’s noted woes, pugilism has witnessed something of a rebirth recently.

When Manny “Pac-Man” Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KOs) trumped Miguel Cotto (34-2, 27 KOs) last month to capture the WBO welterweight title, the fight reportedly generated an astounding 1.25 million purchases and $70 million in domestic pay-per-view revenue.

Pacquiao, 30, is now tentatively slated to fight “Pretty Boy” Floyd Mayweather Jr. (40-0, 25 KOs) this coming March in a colossal matchup that is expected to shatter all previous viewership records.

There is a great misconception that mixed martial arts’ fighting is more dangerous than boxing is.

In reality, a UFC fighter has never died from wounds suffered in the octagon.

“Mixed martial artists are the greatest athletes in the world,” said James Quelle, a professional mixed martial arts heavyweight fighter from Boston who specializes in Muay Thai.

“The sport is simply misunderstood.”

Sadly, on the contrary, it has historically not been an uncommon occurrence for fatalities to occur in the ring.

Most mixed martial artists possess an arsenal of fighting skills.

Generally, once an MMA fighter gains a decided advantage, the contest is wisely halted before a competitor is seriously or mortally wounded.

In boxing, a pugilist can be repeatedly struck in the head by an endless array of blows for 36 torturous minutes.

From a distance, jabs may seem quite harmless because they inflict little apparent damage.

“Boxing is basically a fistfight that lasts 36 minutes,” said South Boston resident Brad Sherwood, a personal trainer.

“It’s aggravating to see one fighter crowned a winner when both fighters’ look identical at the end of the fight as they did when they walked into the ring.”

In actuality, a constant barrage of jabs can prove to be very harmful and boxers often experience severe complications from absorbing the shots for an entire prizefight.

Nevertheless, boxing is typically recognized as a more civil and humane sport than mixed martial arts are.

Therefore, boxing will always have the ability to garner greater overall ratings than a UFC event.

The countdown to the Mayweather versus Pacquiao bout will create unrivaled hoopla and anticipation.

The longed for matchup could reignite interest in boxing and spawn a promising new decade for the once-beleaguered sport.

Cynically, the Mayweather-Pacquiao matchup could also prove disastrous for boxing if the fight is not impartially governed.

UFC outcomes are very rarely disputed. Boxing results are frequently scrutinized and loaded with questions and controversies.

Boxing promoter Gary Shaw was quoted last week as saying, “The sport of boxing is on the upswing…and it’s all threatened by suspect scoring.”

If Pacquiao outshines Mayweather and the fight goes the distance, “Pac-Man” needs to be declared the victor.

Conversely, if Mayweather outboxes Pacquiao and the fight goes to the cards, the judges have an obligation to name “Pretty Boy” the winner.

Largely because of fallacies, mixed martial arts will never dethrone boxing in a contest of public acceptance.

However, boxing can again disappoint its audience and beat itself with bogus and “suspect scoring.”

Hopefully, “The Sweet Science” loudly announces its revival this coming spring.

If boxing falters in the face of success, it will not be the result of UFC’s dominance.

At this surprisingly triumphant stage, the only thing that can defeat boxing is the sport itself.

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