MMA vs. Boxing Popularity?

By Editorial Team

There was a time when mixed martial art was viewed as nothing more than backstreet human cockfighting. Well, it is still viewed as that by some, most often by the older population who view boxing as the gentleman's own game but somehow MMA just seems too barbaric to them. Most of these people aren't aware that MMA is actually safer than boxing.

Boxing is a sport where the chance of getting head trauma is the largest and inevitable. MMA has those things too but less than boxing.

Time has changed quite a bit since MMA first appeared on the scene. People are becoming aware of it as a sport and many are taking an interest in it. But boxing remains an elephant in the room since, at least one boxer, Floyd Mayweather can generate millions of pay per views.

Yet the popularity of a sport cannot be measured solely by its biggest, once-in-a-decade event. There are many other criteria, like how many people are aware of the sport, and how many people enjoy watching it?

Therefore, even if a sport generates less money it can still be more popular. Let’s check out which sport is ultimately more popular in the world as of 2019.

Boxing

There are still legions of boxing fans. Their median age is a bit more than MMA fans because a lot of boxing fans are of the older generation.

Here big stars Like Floyd Mayweather, Anthony Joshua, Deontay Wilder, and Tyson Fury are wildly popular and hold the ability to sell their fights big time. Consequently, they earn good money too, but it would be a mistake to assume that all boxers earn like that. In fact, lower-rung boxers, just like amateur mixed martial artists earn little to nothing and have to take another job to support themselves.

Some people claim that boxing is better or more popular and that fans of MMA do not get the science behind boxing. Such people are convinced that their opinions are correct even if they cannot offer any evidence.

One such person, Lou DiBella debated Joe Rogan on TV. When Joe said that he was a boxing fan too but MMA will soon put it behind him, Lou claimed that Joe was not a boxing fan and that he did not get the science behind it. Joe ultimately got the upper hand in the debate but that may be because he is a stand-up comedian and everyone knows you cannot win a debate with a stand-up comedian, no matter who you are.

MMA

Mixed martial art is still growing. Thanks to superstars like Brock Lesnar, Ronda Rousey, and Conor McGregor, the sport has made legions of fans – whose numbers are still swelling. As WWE fans are becoming older, many of them turn to MMA for something more realistic.

Many boxing fans appreciate MMA too. One such example is the former baddest man on the planet, the infamous Mike Tyson. Mike said that one day he was watching TV with his friends and an MMA program came on it. He was hooked from the second he laid his eyes on it. He said that they were really going at it, trying to win the fight any way they can. He was fascinated by the concept. When asked if he would have wanted to it, if he was younger. He said, hell yeah, he would have wanted to really fight, that boxing was only a part of the fighting. He would want to use his foot to stomp the… well, you get the point.

By this point, MMA is a legit sport with legit attractions. MMA fights can be short which can leave many fans wanting more, but that is the point isn’t it, people can’t get enough of it. Its fans are real fans who do everything in their power to watch, at least the highlights of the fight on YouTube.

A typical UFC fight highlight generates thousands of comments on YouTube, and the comments are of a colorful variety too.

There are many MMA news outlets that have hundreds of comments on major stories. There are forums like Sherdog, where people discuss fights and fighters. Even many people on Forum.bodybuilding.com profess to be fans of MMA too.

But another big thing is that MMA fighters are more active. The fights are shorter than boxing, which makes it more interesting and less harmful to fighters (unlike boxing, where fighters have to go up to 12 rounds, hitting their opponents on the head). Consequently, fighters can afford to fight more, whereas in boxing you have to wait years for big matches.

Like it or not, people’s attention span is getting shorter, and MMA has a clear advantage over boxing here.

Besides MMA is getting more and more popular in regions where boxing was never much popular, to begin with, like China, India, much of Asia, and many countries of Africa -  they simply don't care about boxing, but MMA was there in one form or another for a long time. Like wrestling in India and Africa, and martial arts in China.

Boxing and MMA are both combat sports, but one only allows one to use hands while the other allows a real hands-on experience.

Even common sense begs us to understand how a hands-only sport can be more popular than the more comprehensive one.

Besides the biggest MMA organizations UFC and One Championship, are scouring every part of the earth to bring the legit baddest people to the sport. Francis Ngannou is a big example of this. He hails from Cameroon, where he was working as laborer since he was a kid. A few years ago he was homeless, but now he is the number one contender in the heavyweight division. What is this if not a real rags-to-riches story?

Conclusion:

As MMA is getting bigger and more popular still – we do not doubt that it will remain more popular than boxing for the time unseen.

Posted under

Comments

Post a Comment

TRENDING NOW

Angelina Jolie's Height: A Tale of Grace and Grandeur

By Editorial Team
Image
Every day we choose who we are by how we define ourselves. ~ Angelina Jolie Angelina Jolie is a woman of many talents - actress, director, humanitarian, and loving mother of six. She is also a woman of striking beauty, with her piercing blue eyes, full lips, and captivating aura. But what is perhaps most striking about Angelina Jolie is her height. She is not that tall at nearly 5 feet 7 inches (a few authoritative sources report her height to be an exact 5'6½") but she still she gives the impression of having an excellent height. Angelina Jolie: an angel on earth Height has been both a blessing and a curse for tall actresses. On the one hand, it has given them an undeniable presence on screen. Their tall, slender frame is often used to great effect in her films, whether they are playing a powerful action heroine or a delicate damsel in distress. On the other hand, height has also made tall actresses the target of some negative attention. Some critics have accused tall actress...
Read more

How Tall is Hugh Jackman Really?

By Editorial Team
Image
T here are many good-looking actors in Hollywood, but Hugh Jackman stands heads and shoulders above most of them, not only because he is a gentleman and acts well -- but because he is tall. Now most of the online sources list Hugh Jackman's height as 6 feet 2 inches (188 cm), but some sources (even Wikipedia) even go as high as 6 feet 3 inches (190.5 cm). Is that correct? Here is what Hugh himself has to say about his height: The problem is my height. I am 6 feet 2 inches tall and lean but in the books [Wolverine is] 5 feet 3 inches and stocky...James Marsden, who played Cyclops, who is only 10 cm shorter than me, was put on boxes and platforms in our scenes together. You'll notice that every character in X-Men looked taller than me. From what we have seen of Hugh, we think he was really 6 feet 2 inches tall in his prime. He certainly looked around 2 inches taller than someone like Christian Bale who is around 6 feet tall (183 cm). But why do we say "in his prime". Be...
Read more

James Cameron Height

By Editorial Team
Image
Full Name: James Francis Cameron Date of Birth: 16 August 1954 Height: 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) Intelligence Level: Very high Zodiac Sign: Leo Spirit Animal: Dolphin Mini Biography James Cameron is a Canadian filmmaker, director, producer, and screenwriter, born on August 16, 1954, in Kapuskasing, Ontario, Canada. He is best known for his work in the science fiction and action genres and has achieved significant success in the film industry. Some of James Cameron's most notable films include: 1. "The Terminator" (1984) 2. "Aliens" (1986) 3. "The Abyss" (1989) 4. "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" (1991) 5. "True Lies" (1994) 6. "Titanic" (1997) 7. "Avatar" (2009) 8. "Avatar 2" (2022) "Titanic" and "Avatar" are particularly noteworthy for their immense success at the box office. "Titanic" became the highest-grossing film of its time, winning numerous awards, including 11 Academy Awards....
Read more

Floyd Mayweather Jr. Height

By Editorial Team
Image
Full Name: Floyd Joy Mayweather Jr. Date of Birth: 24 February 1977 Body Type: Lean Strength Level: Average Intelligence Level: High Height: 5 ft 7 in (170 cm) Weight: 148 lb (67 kg) Chest/Bust: 38 in (estimated) Biceps: 13.5 in (estimated) Zodiac Sign: Pisces Spirit Animal: Mountain Lion Floyd Mayweather Jr. Mini Biography: Floyd Joy Mayweather Jr. is an American former professional boxer and boxing promoter. He is widely considered one of the greatest boxers of all time, and is best known for his undefeated professional record of 50-0, as well as his defensive fighting style and his pay-per-view appeal. Mayweather was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1977, into a family of boxers. His father, Floyd Mayweather Sr., was a former welterweight contender, and his uncles Roger and Jeff Mayweather were also professional boxers. Mayweather began boxing at a young age, and went on to win a bronze medal at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. Mayweather turned professional in 1996, and quickly...
Read more

Bodybuilding vs. Martial Arts? Which is Better For You?

By Editorial Team
If you want to pick one of them and train, you will have to first decide what you want to achieve with them. Do you want your body to look good and tough or do you want to be actually tough and be able to defend yourself in a sticky situation? mixed martial artist vs bodybuilder First thing you should know is that a bodybuilder will never win against a martial artist; (unless the physical difference between them is too big) no matter how lethal or big they look. Some people see a bodybuilder and automatically assume that they must be very tough but the truth is that being a bodybuilder will not teach you how to use your body in a fight – that’s a different art altogether – it is called martial arts. Bodybuilders may look tough and yes, they are strong, but that does not make them good in a real physical confrontation. The reason for this is that most bodybuilders, who have developed their muscles in a gym, lack functional strength because of the nature of the weight machines. Free weig...
Read more

Teddy Atlas Thinks He Knows Why Mike Tyson Bit Evander Holyfield's Ear.

By Editorial Team
Nearly three decades later, the boxing world still remembers about when Mike Tyson bit Evander Holyfield's ear in their match. This shocking moment unfolded in June 1997 during a much-anticipated rematch, following Holyfield's victory over Tyson seven months earlier, where he claimed the WBA heavyweight title by stopping Tyson in the 11th round. In a surprising turn of events, the rematch was cut short in the third round when 'Iron Mike' lost his composure and took a bite out of Holyfield’s ear, leading to his disqualification. The Nevada State Athletic Commission responded by revoking Tyson’s boxing license and imposing a hefty fine of three million dollars because of his outburst. However, he was able to have his license reinstated after appealing the decision. Teddy Atlas, a renowned boxing trainer and analyst who worked with Tyson during the formative years of his career, has a unique perspective on what might have motivated Tyson during that infamous fight. Atlas i...
Read more

Strength Difference Between Men and Women

By Editorial Team
Men are stronger than women - that's universal knowledge. There are exceptions to this rule but generally, this holds pretty well. Why is it so that men are stronger than women though? Or how much stronger are they exactly? Have you ever wondered about that? Of course, you have, that's why you are here. Becca Swanson and Eddie Hall - two people who hold the deadlift record in female and male divisions respectively Men are not only stronger, but they are also, in general, bigger than women are, they are around five inches taller and weigh about 21.3% more (though this varies from region to region, the difference in the United States is 14%). Size gives the advantage in strength. If this was not enough men also have lower body fat (on average, 18% to 24% for males, 25% to 31% for females) and higher muscle ratio (more muscle mass, especially in the upper body). They also have higher lung capacity because they need more oxygen delivered to the muscles (body fat do not need oxygen)...
Read more

Is Wrestling the Greatest Sport Ever

By Editorial Team
People often talk about which is the greatest sport in the world? Well, there are quite a few ones to choose from, let us look at them. Football? People running around, hitting a ball with their feet. In American football, People run around throwing a ball and getting tackled in the process. Cricket! Don’t even get us started. Guys throwing a ball at sticks, meanwhile another guy has to use a bat to hit it as hard as possible. All of them are team sports and all of them suck. You may be wondering why? Well, let us just say that playing these games will only serve one purpose – which is entertaining yourself (if you are not talented enough to earn money from them). These games will not be of any real use in real life to you. You will gain no real skill by participating in these sports. However, you will need equipment to play them - for your own safety. You will need lots of people and a piece of real estate. The art of living is more like wrestling than dancing. -Marcus Aurelius Now co...
Read more

Is It Possible to Increase Height After 21?

By Editorial Team
Is it possible to increase height after 21? This is a much-asked question or its other variation: Is it possible to grow taller after 25? Some people even search for: Can I increase my height after 30? Height growth after 30? really? That's like taking the whole wishful thinking to another level. The long and short answer to all these questions is a big no. No sir, you cannot increase your height once you have finished your natural growth around the age of 19 - the average age when males usually stop growing. Though they can stop growing as young as 17 or continue growing up to 21. Females usually reach their full adult height by the time they are 15 - and they don't complain about their height this much! There are many ads on the internet, many videos on YouTube, and many articles on shady websites, which claim that you can increase your height by taking this, eating that, stretching your spine, or doing some other such nonsense. People are wishful thinkers - scammers have kno...
Read more

Why Deadlift isn't Worth it

By Editorial Team
People often rave about deadlifting. About how it is one of the "core" exercises and how it is great for building "core" strength and other things like that. We simply don’t agree with this. The deadlift is another exercise like many others with its pros and cons, however, in this exercise, the cons are far greater than the pros, which makes this exercise not worth it - the risk is simply too great. The deadlift isn't worth it Deadlift simply isn't worth it The risk of back injury. Your back is your best friend when it comes to physical agility. It is a marvel of nature, it is more precious than your teeth - so you should treat it better than doing a deadlift with it. The risk of back injury is far too great in deadlifts. Often you would see gym trainers pushing people for doing deadlifts, with wearing a belt. Our question is why wear the belt? The answer is for the prevention of hernia-related injuries. This brings another question to mind - is there any re...
Read more