5 Reasons Boxing is Better Than MMA

Both boxing and MMA have their own unique qualities and appeal to different people. In the end, which one is better for you is based on multiple factors such as personal preference and what each person finds more appealing. So this article is not about whether one sport is better than the other one, but rather a fair comparison of the key competencies.

Naturally, there is a group of combat sports fans who believe that boxing is better than MMA so we are going to take a closer look into areas where boxing excels and is considered to be superior to cage fighting.

Here are five reasons why someone might prefer boxing over MMA:

Specialization and Simplicity

The sport of boxing focuses entirely on punching with your hands, footwork, and upper body movement, and mixing these three elements together. That’s it. However, bear in mind that the technical aspect and strategies go to another level when you dig deep into it and look at the professional competition. In the end, people don’t describe boxing as “The Sweet Science” for nothing, right?

This one-dimensional concept makes it much easier for people to engage in the sport and understand all of its aspects and rules. Boxing has relatively simpler rules compared to MMA, especially when it comes to a number of techniques, which can be appealing to those people who prefer straight-forward and easy-to-understand sports. And on top of that, boxing is far easier to learn.

MMA is the most complex combat sport and is physically demanding as you need to train in at least three separate martial arts to develop the all-around game. Each week is a mix of striking, grappling, and ground fighting and not many people can physically sustain such a workload. On the other side, boxing is quite simple and you can master all the basics within a few months, and become a skilled boxer after 1 year of training.

More Money

Professional boxers earn far more money than MMA fighters, especially if you look at the medium and upper tier due to several key factors that differentiate these two combat sports. While a UFC champion often earns less than a million, a boxing champion with the same star power will easily cash out dozens of millions. This is the main reason why so many MMA fighters go into boxing or are trying to get a fight with a famous boxer. It has become a common practice to see UFC fighters winning the belt and immediately pushing for a boxing match.

The main reason for this is that the sport of MMA is structured in a different way. There is only one major promotion, the UFC, that has a monopoly over the market which enables it to keep the wages low. Fighters need to accept this as there is no competition. They can sign with other promotions like PFL or ONE and earn much more, however, winning the UFC belt is what matters and makes you a legitimate world champion.

Boxing is much different because there are far more organizations. Although this makes the sport harder to follow, it actually financially benefits the fighters. The competition between the promotion drives up fighter salaries because they bid for the best matchups. If a boxer is not satisfied with the treatment, they can always go and sign with the other promoter and get a better deal.

The other reason is the fact that PPV revenue distribution is much more centralized in UFC compared to boxing. As a result, a much smaller percentage of PPV sales actually goes into the fighters’ pockets.

More Accessible 

Boxing is spread worldwide and just about every town has at least one boxing gym. This makes the sport far more accessible than MMA which is nowhere near as popular or as spread worldwide. This doesn’t mean that it never will be, but for now, MMA is yet to expand in other areas of the world. So if you live in Eastern Europe, for example, you might have a hard time finding a place to train in.

Whether you live in North/South America, Europe, or Asia, the sport of boxing is present in just about every corner of the world and you can always find a place to train in. Classes are also much cheaper than in MMA because boxing gyms do not need coaches and instructors from multiple martial arts disciplines. MMA academies must have a wrestling coach, BJJ coach, and striking coach and the facility is usually much bigger as well so this impacts the prices.

Easier to Learn

Boxing is also better in the sense that it can be enjoyed by people of various ages and fitness due to its low physical demand. Every person, regardless of gender, skill, or fitness level, can sign up for the classes and learn how to box the right way. It all revolves around 5 different types of punches, putting them together into combinations and mixing them with footwork and upper body movements.

 
Each boxing school includes an amateur group where you can learn according to your age, fitness level, and preference. As a result, each boxing school is filled with people of all ages training together to achieve their individual goals. MMA is a bit different because it is far more complex and demanding. While 60-year-olds can easily learn how to throw punches, they might struggle with intense grappling and wrestling workouts. Even if they don’t, sustaining such a workload would be almost impossible.

Longer History and Tradition

Boxing is one of the oldest martial arts and its roots go all the way back to ancient times. It was introduced at the 23rd Olympiad that took place in Greece in 688 BC. In modern times, it was recognized as a modern combat sport with the birth of Queensberry Rules in 1867, and since then, the core concept of boxing matches and prizefighting has remained the same. And it’s this well-established tradition that a lot of people and enthusiasts find appealing.

Over the centuries, the sport has produced many legendary fighters, larger-than-life figures like Muhammad Ali, and iconic moments that certainly contribute to its cultural significance. In some way, boxing is synonymous with combat sports and is very much a part of pop culture and lifestyle. As a result, boxing is far more present in the lives of everyday people than the sport of MMA which is still relatively unknown in a lot of places around the world.

Is Boxing Better Than MMA For Self-Defense?

MMA is widely regarded as more effective for self-defense than boxing simply because it is a more versatile style that covers more fighting scenarios that a person may encounter in real life. It teaches a person how to strike using all limbs, fight inside the clinch, wrestle, and fight on the ground.

The teaching methods are very realistic because the emphasis is on full-contact sparring where students learn how to apply techniques in a real fight against fully resisting opponents. Each week of training includes grappling sparring where they wrestle and fight on the ground, striking, and hybrid sessions where the goal is to mix grappling and striking together. This makes MMA quite effective in different situations and scenarios because it covers all ranges. You can use it in a closed space such as the bar or hall, or an open space like a parking lot or a street.

Boxing might be one-dimensional on paper, but, it is also among the most effective self-defense combat systems. It will teach you all about how to defend against punches, block, dodge, angle out, and blast the attacker with precise and powerful combinations. In the end, let’s not forget that most street fights begin with one person throwing a punch or a barrage of punches. This remains the fastest and most efficient way to hurt a person in front and boxing is the best martial art when it comes to defending and countering these attacks.

It’s important to recognize that MMA also has its own set of unique qualities and appeals, such as the integration of multiple martial arts disciplines, a more varied set of techniques, and a growing fan base. Ultimately, whether boxing is “better” than MMA is subjective and depends on individual preferences, goals, and interests in combat sports.