Boxing vs UFC: Which Contact Fighting Sport is Better? [Vote]
One of the biggest debates in sports right now is over which contact sport is better -- boxing or the UFC? Here we break down the best and worst of what each sport has to offer and let you the fans vote in our fan poll.
Why Boxing Is Better
Boxing is an art. The strategy and technician that takes place in the ring is a work of wonder. Boxing was the second-most popular in America for about 50 years behind only Major League Baseball. Great boxers today such as Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao and Keith Thurman set up for huge money-making bouts.
The May 2 fight between Mayweather and Pacquiao generated over $500 million in pay-per-view revenue, 4.4 million pay-per-view buyers and $71 million at the MGM Grand Arena. It's hard to make the case that "boxing is dead" with numbers like that.
Another big argument that could be made for boxing over the UFC is longevity. Great fights stay great for much longer in boxing when compared to UFC fighters. Elite boxers stay at the top for a decade, sometimes longer. With the UFC, we very rarely see undefeated fighters, and when they lose, it could spell the end for them.
Watching all-time greats like Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Robinson and Rocky Marciano perform at a high level has been very entertaining. Boxing also doesn't have the big performance enhancer drug issue that the UFC has.
Why UFC Is Better
High flying kicks. Elbows to the face. Take-downs. Wins by submission. The UFC has it all. The UFC just provides more entertaining fights when compared to boxing. A UFC match is between two fighters where just about anything goes, whereas a boxing match is just punching.
The Mayweather vs. Pacquiao fight certainly brought in high revenue, but it failed to live up the high expectations it set. If that is considered the "Fight of the Century," then boxing is in some big trouble. The UFC also has a more diverse and balanced set of competition for its fans. The heavyweight division used to rule boxing, but now it's just the welterweight division that gets attention.
UFC may have an issue with PEDs but the politics in boxing often get in the way. So many times we see potential great fights get cancelled or postponed because of promoters, contracts and lack of agreements between the two sides.
Brazilian Lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos recently said, "We are bigger than boxing now."
Arguably the biggest argument for the UFC is the finish to the fight. Much of the boxing matches we see today end in a decision where the judges have to make a judgment call. Sometimes they make the right decision, sometimes they don't. In the UFC, a significant more of the fights end by way of knockout, thus leaving any controversial ruling out of the picture.
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