Does Mixed Martial Arts (UFC) have a chance to surpass Boxing?

[YOUR Hero]

I think it does.

What it's lacking at the moment is depth. There needs to be more fighters and more weight classes. If it can do this, and soon, I believe it will overtake Boxing in term of popularity. Doesn't hurt that Bxing is such a joke and corrupt these days.

[Loose Cannon]

yea definately. Boxing has lost so much appeal over the years. You might even say UFC already has passed it

[YOUR Hero]

in terms of pay days, no. That will be the real benchmark.

[Kris P Lettus]

Since MMA agreed to global rules in like 02 and is actually shown often, it has a made all other "fighting" sports obsolete.. Even shit I use to love, like K1, Muey Thai, and Kick Boxing..

UFC/Pride>*

[Joey Slugs]

not a chance. even as fucked up as the heavyweight division is in boxing, there will always be more fans and up and coming boxers (in all classes).

just think of the TV/PPV deals that boxing has: ESPN, HBO, Fox Sports, Showtime, HBOPPV, ShowtimePPV, and more...

not to mention that boxing is an olypmic sport.

[Kris P Lettus]

Shuffle Board is also an olympic sport, doesn't make it A) not shit and B) better than MMA..

[The Mask]

pride is great. i think MMA's big problem is BJJ. it's probably the most effective fighting style you can go into the ring with but it's fucking boring to watch. and BJJ diehards would no doubt tell you about all the things you're missing out on but to me it doesn't seem anything more than a more physical chess.

[Rob]

not a chance. even as fucked up as the heavyweight division is in boxing, there will always be more fans and up and coming boxers (in all classes).

just think of the TV/PPV deals that boxing has: ESPN, HBO, Fox Sports, Showtime, HBOPPV, ShowtimePPV, and more...

not to mention that boxing is an olypmic sport.

Boxing coverage is at a downfall right now. You talk about up and coming boxers. Aside from Joe Calzaghe, Ricky Hatton and Manny Pacquiao, there have been no new stars to make any name for themselves in the last few years in the States. People couldn't get behind Vitali Klitchsko or Lamon Brewster. Roy Jones Jnr's day is over. As too is De La Hoya's (who will still draw the same audience but nobody new). Mayweather is perhaps the only U.S fighter people will pay to see and as of this moment, they won't. Okay they have the odd fight that will still sell on PPV like Vargas vs. Mosely but there are ZERO new fans because there are no new stars to get behind.

In Britain, people are behind Hatton, Calzaghe and Amir Khan because Frank Warren just took all his fighters to free TV (Hatton was already a star when he left Warren). Our other big prospects like Scott Harrison, Alex Arthur and David Haye won't draw new fans though. Guys under them have even less hope. Danny Williams KO'd Mike Tyson (okay after his prime but still) and people still don't care about him.

Boxing being an Olympic sport means jack shit too. Who really watches boxing in the Olympics? The only time I ever did was for Amir Khan but that's with a national push behind him. I didn't even give Audley Harrison the time of day and I am a massive boxing fan. The only sport anyone really watches in the Olympics is Track and Field and even that's dead.

MMA is growning by the day. Marc Ratner joining the UFC is a absolutely MASSIVE move. Words can't describe really how big of an impact this is gonna make on MMA. The cloest thing is saying him signing with his credentials is bringing instant legit sports crediblilty to UFC.

Frank Shamrock just sold out a show in San Jose with over 13,000 breaking the highest MMA attendance in the States and probably the biggest paid gate and that was with ZERO TV coverage. Pure word of mouth. That was with 3 names half well known in the MMA world - Shamrock, Cesar Gracie and Daniel Puder of WWE Tough Enough fame (and I can't describe what a big national star I think he is going to become). UFC is gonna break these records in the next 2 months on their next show at the Arrowhead Pond with Tito Ortiz main eventing and the show after that at the Staples Center (Hughes vs. Gracie) will break that record!

MMA will get licensed in New York. More companies will get licensing and TV deals and it's just gonna explode when newspapers finally cover MMA (and Ratner's signing is a push in that direction).

Boxing is dying from dodgy decisions, boring fights and lack of characters. They are attracting no new fans. It might take a while, maybe 1 year, maybe 20 years but MMA is taking over. The minute the Bert Sugar's of the worlds stop writing their boxing columns, MMA is replacing them.

[YOUR Hero]

Marc Ratner's signing with the UFC is what got me thinking about making this topic. It's a very big deal, or it should be.

One thing I also think MMA needs is more strikers. Which they've been getting. Strikers add an excitement level that grappling lacks by itself.

[YOUR Hero]

BTW, anyone watch the UFC2 series on SpikeTV today? They had a marathon on it. It was good to watch. Looking forward to #3 as well as so other PPVs

The smart thing I believe for MMA is to continue to have a lot of free TV matches. Before these Elimination programs, they kept to themselves on PPVs and DVD sales. The move to free TV has given them immense coverage to whole new audiences. Hell my wife doesn't mind watching MMA. Boxing she always asks me to turn the channel.

Another thing the elimination series has done is give us insights into different fighters. They need to keep that up, even outside of the Spike TV seres somehow. I think it's what kept my wife interested in the show and subsequent TV matches. She can identify with certain fighters. That's not something to be taken lightly as the sport grows.

[Ogen]

I still much prefer to watch boxing have to say

[McDoogle]

In all honestly I prefer to watch grapplers then strikers because I like watching techniques of various fighters clashing with each other. The roll over submissions and shit are incredible.

[Kris P Lettus]

I perfer seeing both, which is why "mixed" martial arts is so great.. Seeing a Shoot Fighter agaiast an uber-technical Grappler is mad entertaining.. Clash of styles and whatnot..

:y:

[Crimson]

I was wondering why it hasn't gotten the coverage nationally yet, like espn, newspapers, etc. But reading to what Rob said it makes sense that the sport is going to get bigger, better, and they will have to cover it. I remember I watched ufc 1-5 and loved it..but then because of the lack of coverage, I didn't start watching again until TUF1..and it has brought in that many more fans.

[Kris P Lettus]

ESPN covers bowling, pool, and poker, but not MMA or even Arena Football..

:(

[Kris P Lettus]

Oh and there's some special Pride event on FSN Sunday night..

[El Capitano Gatisto]

I already prefer it to boxing but the coverage here isn't fantastic. I only know of it being on Bravo and I don't have that in my house.

UFC is a lot more interesting to me than boxing. Big fights barely ever seem to happen any more in boxing, the best fighters avoid each other and good fights are often ruined by fucking awful decisions at the end. I've almost completely lost interest.

[Kris P Lettus]

Boxing is more staged than wrestling..

[ct2k]

I love Boxing, MMA and other mixed disciplines like K1, i find the grappling in MMA tiresome sometimes though, generally a lot more action in K1 (bar Bob Sapp/7ft 2 Korean monstrosity bouts) and non-heavyweight boxing.

Frank Warren's deal with ITV has been great generally though, except maybe for Amir Khan, the hype machine grows with every bout and its gonna be hard for him to live up to the ott rantings of the ITV team and Warren, but only time will tell i guess!

[Y3J]

MMA is awesome but there's more of a glamour portrayed by the media around boxing. Boxing is more mainstream because of the personalities, huge paydays and hype for title matches.

Also, here in the UK MMA isn't even pushed. UFC only comes on cable tv and other Martial Arts (Thai/Kickboxing) comes on at crappy times like 1 in the morning on the free channels but they're just schedule fillers more than anything.

TUF 3 just started here, which is looking awesome.

[ct2k]

There are regular cage-fighting bouts in Liverpool but they're not in any way mainstream.

The main reason for Boxing's dominance in the fight game is it's history anyway, few sports have as well documented and prestigious a history as Boxing. And at various crucial times it has tapped into issues in the wider world which have given it a status beyond a mere 'game'.

[Rob]

I love Boxing, MMA and other mixed disciplines like K1, i find the grappling in MMA tiresome sometimes though, generally a lot more action in K1 (bar Bob Sapp/7ft 2 Korean monstrosity bouts) and non-heavyweight boxing.

Frank Warren's deal with ITV has been great generally though, except maybe for Amir Khan, the hype machine grows with every bout and its gonna be hard for him to live up to the ott rantings of the ITV team and Warren, but only time will tell i guess!

What's wrong with Amir Khan?

[ct2k]

I just think the more impressive he gets the bigger the hype-machine will become and i hate hype-machines. The general public and press here have notoriously high expectations of our sports men and women. Khan is still at the beginning of his career and people (including himself admitedly) are already talking about world title shots; thats a fair way off yet surely, whether he mows down everyone in his path or not. The guy has got plenty of time for world title shots, right now he's not even had a serious test inside the professional ring, let him hone his skills, learn to keep his hands up more and work his way up and start thinking about challenging the big guns when he's got more experience.

[Rob]

I bet he is fighting for a world title before his 18th fight. He is quality and he has been tested better than most Olympic medalists after 6 fights.