Is it harder to be successful in boxing than in mma?

[TankAbbott4Eva]

The depth of talent in boxing is astronomical compared to MMA.

This is correct. If you’re a really good wrestler (say NCAA div 1 national champ) and a tough guy you’ll be able to immediately do well in most orgs on the back of that. Boxing you couldn’t stroll in from another combat sport and do well straight away (for the most part, there would be Muay Thai or kickboxer guys who might).

Though guys tend to protect the 0 more in boxing, a guy with a 10-0 record in MMA has most probably taken a lot more tougher fights than a 10-0 in boxing. Also a 20-10 fighter in MMA may be an ATG but this wouldn’t be the case in boxing.

 

[stingren]

not really

sor rungvisai moved to boxing from Muy thai, and he is doing great.
Holm had a good boxing record and moved to MMA where she had a less successful career.
Even the late Kimbo Slice started winning when he moved to boxing.

Holly was ufc champ

 

[The Adder]

Standards are higher in boxing. Boxing has been around for so long and many great fighters have established certain standards for "greatness." Being undefeated being one of those standards.

 

[HelpYouFall]

Yes. Michael Bisping was a champion last year ffs. I think Bisping is a funny guy but come on haha

 

[Hagler]

I'm not exactly a MMA follower anymore, that being said if you cannot sprawl to save your life, even with above average boxing skills you'll have a hard time as a MMA fighter. 22 isn't young to start grappling. Just my 2 cents. Good luck with your training anyway.

Didn't know where i should post this so I just picked the mma one. So what do you guys think? I love boxing but I like mma as well. I'm only currently a boxer though but I just started last year , I'm 22. Without a doubt in my mind I know if I work hard enough I could make it to the pros and be an average level boxer. But I don't want to be just average I want to be an elite fighter however I am unsure if I can be a top level fighter in boxing due to me starting to late. But I do feel like i could achieve great success in mma though. Just looking for some educated opinions

 

[mozfonky]

you never know, you really never know. I have an excellent marciano docu where trainers were doing there damndest to discourage rocky from being a boxer. Personally, i never had much confidence until I got to my late twenties and it wasted me a lot of time because I actually could have been a good fighter in other people's estimation. Springsteen said it best "never sell yourself short".

 

[burningspear]

Yes, considering depth of talent but make no mistake, MMA is catching up fast.

 

[wilddeuces]

Is one harder than the other, if being successful is the criterion?

Depends.

 

[JayE]

Yes, considering depth of talent but make no mistake, MMA is catching up fast.

Is it, though? Do the numbers in any way suggest that? Boxing is still in the ballpark of 5x ahead worldwide in pro competitors. If we get into amateurs systems, well, boxing has one which is truly international and well funded, MMA more or less doesn't have one, at all (they do, but it's regional and more or less meaningless).

The sport isn't going to grow in the US, I think that's clear. It's too expensive to be a sport of the working class at large and middle-class parents, generally speaking, won't put their children into a sport where brain trauma is more or less a given. Good wrestler with nothing else to do will continue to be the lifeblood of the sport, I think. It's not really big in many other places. In Canada it's a waning sport. Brazil is still there, but it doesn't seem to be an ascending sport. The Caucasus in Russia is interesting because there is massive combat sports talent coming from there, but that's only talent, not a paying audience. We'll see.

 

[TeenageMutantLesnarTurtle]

The path from day 1 to the UFC or another large MMA org is much shorter than to high level boxing. Smaller talent pool, lower skill level, more tools to use in fights so more ways to compensate for your shortcomings in other areas.

 

[bubbleboyjones]

Simple litmus test. Brock Lesnar won a major world title with no amateur fights and 3 pro fights. He also went on to defend that title twice.

 

[mozfonky]

ya, no comparison, bob sapp also was a guy who did a lot better than he would have in any other sport in the world.

 

[JayE]

ya, no comparison, bob sapp also was a guy who did a lot better than he would have in any other sport in the world.

In kickboxing, as well as MMA. He would have been slaughtered in boxing by anyone close to the world level.

 

[mozfonky]

he would have been slaughtered in ice hockey, ping pong, pool, anything but mma and kickboxing.

 

[robjenkins2]

he would have been slaughtered in ice hockey, ping pong, pool, anything but mma and kickboxing.

He played in the NFL, which has infinitely better athletes than mma and boxing combined.

 

[mozfonky]

He played in the NFL, which has infinitely better athletes than mma and boxing combined.

I know he was cut

 

[robjenkins2]

I know he was cut

Drafted in the third round, you know what type of athlete you have to be to be drafted to and play in that league?

 

[mozfonky]

No but he got cut

 

[robjenkins2]

No but he got cut

He made it there, that's the point though. Played in the NFL and high level D1 football. Got cut for steroids but they all use steroids like everyone knows. NFl athletes are on a different playing field than boxers and mixed martial artists. What you said wasn't even close to being accurate, it was just a way to demean.

 

[mozfonky]

He made it there, that's the point though. Played in the NFL and high level D1 football. Got cut for steroids but they all use steroids like everyone knows. NFl athletes are on a different playing field than boxers and mixed martial artists. What you said wasn't even close to being accurate, it was just a way to demean.

im not a football fan i couldn't say why he got cut i just know he did.