10 reasons why the UFC is better than boxing?

10 reasons why the UFC is better than boxing

Eric Sloan

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July 8, 4:53 PM

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Number 10. The fans. The UFC has perhaps the most rabid fan base this side of

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. The loyal,

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-clad army religiously shells out precious dough to watch the UFC's pay-per-view (PPV) broadcasts numerous times per year. As to demographics, the UFC targets a younger audience than boxing (18-24), which means that even if boxing isn't a dying sport (which it isn't), its fans are closer to reaching life expectancy than the UFC's base.

Number 9. Oscar De La Hoya. With the

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retirement this year, so goes the biggest draw in boxing. Say what you will about him, but his PPV numbers alone eclipsed the UFC. To make matters worse, he has also teamed up with the aforementioned Affliction to help promote, you guessed it, mixed martial arts. Up next,

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hires

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as its MMA writer?

Number 8. Reality television. UFC's

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is a much bigger television ratings darling than

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series, which has been kicked around from network to network more often than

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has said "let's get ready to rumble."

Number 7. Senator John McCain.

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, an avid boxing fan, once described the UFC as a "

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." Back in the day, it may well have been an adequate description for a fighting sport without weight classes, judges, and sparse rules. The sport, however, has had to change its ways to comply with state athletic commissions, which is to say that the brutality is nowhere near what it used to be. The anticipation of violence is still a major factor in the UFC's appeal given that keys to victory include joint manipulation, "ground and pound," and choke holds.

Number 6. The events. It is rare today to find a boxing broadcast with more than a few televised undercard fights, which means that networks like

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and

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tell boxing fans which fighters are important.

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on Saturday will give home viewers bigger bang for the buck by televising at least 5 bouts. Additionally, to maintain its popularity under a PPV business plan, the UFC has to make the best fight possible. By comparison, boxing fans had to fork over a good chunk of change to watch Bob Arum's PPV joke last February that "co-featured"

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and

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.

Number 5. The "minor league." If your state has an athletic commission, go check the website and the upcoming fight schedule. My guess is that mixed martial arts has at least a 5 to 1 advantage over local boxing events.

Number 4. The weight divisions. The UFC has 5 of them, boxing has 17.

Number 3. The champions. See No. 4 above. The UFC has 5 champions. Boxing has the potential to have 68 universally recognized title holders--4 per division (see also

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,

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,

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, and

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).

Number 2. Royce Gracie. No matter how you try to slice it,

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is the all time pound-for-pound champion of the UFC. His

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style laid the foundation for what the sport has become today and, with the ongoing efforts of countless Gracie family members, will be tomorrow.

Number 1. Dana White. Love him or hate him,

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is passionate about and insanely protective of his brand. When it comes to the mixed martial arts, it is all about White and his UFC. He invites all comers to try to arm bar him out of his market share, but the competition has either submitted or is simply waiting to tap out. He hosts UFC 100 on Saturday night, which will likely break his pay-per-view buy record. Part businessman, part showman--White consistently gives his audience what they want. He's even

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on those rare occasions when his broadcasts come up short.