The biggest difference is that a boxer moving to MMA would be adding skills to his tool box without actually sacrificing his main area of expertise. While a well-rounded MMA fighter is going to have to concede most if not all of his skills in order to compete in a boxing match. I hate to keep harping on this but it's an important distinction. The average MMA fighter is naturally going to be at a far greater disadvantage making such a transition.
Here's an equal and fair transition as I've said before. Couture fights Toney in a boxing only match. Toney fights Couture in a wrestling only match.
First off all not true, early in his career and against Wanderlei he used takedowns. But anyway, the point is he had that life of wrestling already there, he didn't have to spend time learning it once he decided to fight MMA, just make some tweaks. No MMA is not some impossible task, it's just that a boxer starts further behind than almost any other typical source of MMA fighters. Do you not agree that a boxer has more work to do and more stylistic changes than, well let's use your example, Chuck Liddell, who already had years of wrestling and kickboxing/karate.
If Randy winning over Tony is such a big deal....then why shouldn't Ray Mercers 9 Second KO of Timmy Boy be just as big?? I mean he did go 5 rounds with Randy and was a former champ also...my point is this boxing vs MMA is stupid and silly. Two Differnt sports with 2 differnt styles....Randy would get killed vs Tony in a boxing match, just like Tony got killed on Saturday Night.
Randy's win wasn't such a big deal. It's only being treated that way by some because of the monumental trash talk and delusional self-confidence that Toney boasted before the fight. I really wish that people would stop bringing up the Mercer fight. I already put that subject to rest in my 'Comparing Boxing & MMA' thread. This is what gets me. Some people have jumped all over the Mercer bandwagon in terms of his win against the already loss happy Tim Sylvia. But then when you bring up the mediocre Kimbo Slice's 72-second dominance of Mercer suddenly it's, "So what, he was supposed to lose and Mercer is old anyway". Yet look at how old George Foreman was when he carried a belt in boxing.
Kimbos win over Mercer shows that Kimbo wint into the fight with a smarts to take Mercer to the ground and choke him out. Timmy wasn't so smart and wanted to bang..and ya seen what happen. Lets not think that Randy has had some great fights the last few years. he has looked bad in a few wins and well his win over Vera and win over Tony isn't much to write home about. UFC and Dana are smart. They will market this in Randys next fight. This will pull in people too see Randys next fight vs whomever they put him in with. Tony vs Randy was what it was. Just don't forget Dana is the man that said he wouldn't put on freak shows, then yet Had Kimbo on PPV and then Tony vs Randy.
Yeah, but they stood and traded for most of the short fight with Kimbo being the aggressor and actually getting the best of Mercer. Kimbo had him backed up in to the cage and Mercer appeared confused. It's not as if Kimbo was forced to take him down out of desperation. He was just having his way with him. Tim Sylvia was getting knocked out by other MMA fighters too so it's hardly something to brag about. I think after Fedor knocked him out he became very susceptible to knockouts from that point on. You see that a lot in MMA. The residual effects of taking such a massive shot with 4-ounce gloves don't always go away. Again, Toney badgered White relentlessly for this fight and Dana eventually caved. If he hadn't given Toney this fight the complaints would have been even worse. Dana did not want this fight to happen at first believe me. He was annoyed by Toney's constant pestering.
I think Dana is now more annoyed that Tony got 750,000 for 3 mins of work and didn't come in shape for the fight. I have said it before...Tony prob at his home LHAO at the easy money he made..did he look like a fool?? To us yes...to him...no...he just got paid big! Again, if I am a UFC fighter who has been on some Main Cards...I would start asking for more money...If anything can be the UFC down fall is the lack of pay for most of their fighters.