by James Riddick

Created on: January 16, 2009

With the explosion in popularity of MMA, well more accurately UFC, the comparisons with boxing are inevitable.

Firstly, I would like to say I do watch UFC, do enjoy it and respect what the guys do, but am and always will be a boxing fan, first and foremost. Saying that, there is not reason why the two cant both be successful, and the reason for this is because they are so different.

Generally, UFC attracts and is comprised of, wrestlers and martial artists, such as Ju Jitsu.

Boxing is a specialist element of what fighters can train in. Therein lies one of the reasons the two can co-exist, boxing is a specialism, UFC has fighters trained, and excelling in, all walks of martial arts, hence Mixed Martial Arts (MMA).

People will always want to see someone who is the best in one discipline, be it boxing, a specific type of martial arts, or whatever. For the same reason as boxing wont die, neither will Ju Jitsu or wrestling championships.

Indeed, the cross over of athletes may occur, but you cannot imagine a boxer being a success in UFC, as he only knows one element, and would be exposed in hold and on the ground; whereas a Mixed Martial Artist, wouldn't have the boxing skills to defeat a boxer, as they would be without many of the elements of their armoury which makes them a good MMA fighter. Also, you can imagine a MMA fighter becoming frustrated at not being able to kick or wrestle an opponent, while you can see a boxer being flattened when the MMA guy picked him up and smashed him to the canvas.

The two sports can co-exist, because they are so different, as Lou DiBella stated in his animated discussion with Jo Rogan from UFC, it's like comparing "apples and oranges".

Also, I feel the two sports attract different people, I have spoken to many boxing fans who find UFC too brutal, and feel it is too unregulated compared to the "sweet science". Whereas, UFC fans tend to like the more all encompassing fighting UFC employs.

I do like both, but there is no comparison for me, I will always prefer boxing. For me, it is harder to win a fight using your hands alone, than if you can punch, kick, wrestle, submit etc. However, I do appreciate that defending yourself against all of the potential attacks in UFC is much more demanding than boxing alone.

It will be interesting to see if MMA can have the longevity boxing has enjoyed, as the Queensberry Rules for the Sport of Boxing were written in 1865, whereas MMA only became mainstream when UFC began in 1993. Although, I do acknowledge MMA does have its roots much further back in history with the constituent elements and martial arts which comprise it.

MMA, in the UFC, is enjoying great success, partly because it is something different, and partly because UFC holds the monopoly over the sport. The largest rival in MMA promotion to UFC was the Japanese brand PRIDE, was bought by UFC's owners in 2007. I feel much of MMA's success is down to the way it is promoted and run, having one coherent body is a much better way to govern a sport than the multitude of alphabetical bodies which currently run boxing.

Boxing can learn from UFC in this regard, but as sports, the two are so different so as to make comparison unfair, and ultimately any discussion is defined by the preferences of the fans, not by any one being better or worse than the other.

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