I have heard, time and again, from boxing fans, that mixed martial arts is just a brutal bloodsport, or ''human cockfighting'' (as you have likely heard it described as well). They say boxing is more of an ''art form'', it takes skill and finesse, and all they see when they look at mixed martial arts is people beating the shit out of each other, whereas in boxing, they are trying to win by being technically superior.
This attitude demonstrates 2 things:
1) A misunderstanding of what is happening in the mixed martial arts arena.
2) A very fucked up line of differentiation.
See, as you probably know, an MMA fight may look, to the casual observer, like ''two guys in gay positions'' if it's on the ground, or ''too violent'' if it's standing up. I'll leave the too violent part for the second argument though, and focus for a minute on the first.
There is much going on in a mixed martial arts fight, even when there is seemingly nothing happening. Two guys on the ground in ''gay positions'' aren't just sitting around doing nothing. They are jockeying for advantageous positions. One is trying to improve his, and the other is employing methods of blocking the other from doing so. They are also both doing the reverse.
When they are standing up, whatever things people want to apply to boxing in terms of ''art'' or skill set, applies to MMA as well. The level of striking ability has skyrocketed in MMA, and now, many of these guys are very high level strikers, training with world class boxing experts, and this is in addition to the submission, grappling, kickboxing, etc training that they have to endure. If you ask me, it takes a lot more skill to utilize your whole body and all of your faculties than it does to excel at striking while standing up (and excel they do, boxers are of course the best stikers, no doubt).
Now, as for boxing fans drawing screwed up lines of differentiation, I think that's pretty self explanatory.
I mean, somehow, punching is alright (they have gloves on!!!) but punching and kicking, elbowing, submission hold, etc is ''barbaric.'' So it's not the smashing of another person's face that's barbaric, it's whoch part of your body that you utilize which takes you across the line into barbarism?
Ummmmmm, no.
The thing is though, I would actually agree that it is barbaric. As long as you admit that ALL OF IT is barbaric. See, I'm an odd one. I enjoy mma from time to time (I don't regularly follow it or anything) and I appreciate what they do, but I also stop and ask myself, ''why am I watching this?'' I recognize how ridiculous it really is.
However, how the hell is boxing any better?
What, it's sightly less barbaric? What a ridiculous argument. It's still two men in a ring beating upon one another. It is still violence, and it also resembles human cockfighting. Hello people? Ring? Two people fighting? Crowd? Bets? Money being made? Training before fights to maximize your lethality? Check check check check check check! You cannot say the one is like human cockfighting and the other is not. To do so is to be rather selective and hypocritical.
It's all violence, it's all completely ridiculous, and if the boxing fans want to point fingers at the MMA fans, they should look in the mirror first. This elucidates this perfectly:
Whose house is of glass, must not throw stones at another.
[1640 G. Herbert Outlandish Proverbs no. 196]
Dana White is going to love you for this, if he ever somehow ends up reading it.
ReplyDeleteSeriously though, you're right, and you made really good points, although you forgot to talk about the difference in the gloves.
I seriously doubt Dana White would ever read this lol. However, if he did, Dana, if you're reading this, email me and I'll tell you where you can send the $25,000 XD
ReplyDeleteThanks for the compliment though. As for the criticism, you're right, I did miss that. Didn't even think of it.
First off, you nailed the points about MMA taking a lot of skill and that not being an argument for boxing being better. Both sport's athletes have to train their asses off to get where they do. Of course the boxers will be better at your boxing. That is all they have to train and most of them would destroy MMA fighters in a boxing ring. It goes both ways though. Just ask James Toney.
ReplyDeleteThe other thing people always point at is that MMA is more violent and more dangerous to the fighters. Sorry to rain on their parades, but if anything the opposite is true.
Think about it. What do you think does more long term damage. Having your brain whipped around in your skull for 12 rounds non stop or much less for five rounds (max)? Even more so, which do you think causes more damage to the fighters getting rocked and then pounced on and finished or getting to get up and recuperate to get beat on for who knows how much longer.
I actually wonder if those larger gloves aren't actually worse for the fighters. It doesn't protect the fighter's brain from bouncing around and getting damaged. If anything it ensures it happens more because it makes them less likely to be knocked out. Sure short term that seems better, but when are we going to start thinking long term.
Do elbows open up bad cuts on fighters? Absolutely. The thing is if we are truly thinking of fighter safety isn't it better he get stopped on a superficial cut than absorbing a ton of punishment. People have to stop seeing the blood and thinking how bad it is and realize that blood may actually be better for the fighter long term.
Re: the gloves: Not only that, but the bigger gloves make it easier to hit more and with abandon, since the hands are better protected. This also adds to the amount of punishment the other guy takes.
ReplyDeletePeople have to stop seeing the blood and thinking how bad it is and realize that blood may actually be better for the fighter long term.
That's an incredibly provocative idea, Guy. Very much so, damn!
Great comment as always.
Boxing is a great sport and has always went through its ups and downs, however there wasnt mma.. Boxing is at its lowest right now, there are good fights out there but the fans get robbed too often with fights that dont seem to happen or happen 5 yrs later when someone needs money...Marketing of boxing is pathetic too, you pay 50 or 60 dollars and its mainly for the last fight..UFC especially has great fights even before PPV and known fighters.
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