How many years until MMA surpasses Boxing in popularity?

I'm not so sure.

People like watching striking much more than grappling. Boxing is also an Olympic sport and therefore has strong roots.

Even though boxing is probably more dangerous than MMA, it is seen as a less brutal sport by the general public. Punching someone while they are on the floor with tiny gloves may not fully be accepted by the masses.

 

A very wise and sensible post.

 

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Boxing has been dying since it´s inception.
MMA isn´t exploding, it already has. It´s now growing in new markets.

And the biggest stars in boxing still outshine MMA´s. Boxing still is the most popular combat sport in the world. It just comes down to location.

Btw, one reason boxing has "lost" a lot of talent is the drastic rise in pay in other sports. Til the 90´s, boxers were basically the highest paid athletes.

A great little article on the rise of athlete salaries:

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Yeah? I remember hearing this a few years ago about how MMA will take over boxing in a few years yet, here we are.
I don't think it's dying but with HBO dropping out and a few superstars are retired or ready to retire, I think it's going through a change right now and it's trying to find its footing and next superstars.

Guys like Canelo, Anthony Joshua, Inoue, Murata, Ioka and others (in Japan at least), Andy Ruiz, Chavez Jr, GGG, etc.. these are the one keeping the sport alive and well I think. And again, at least in Japan, many boxers are very well known that even non-boxing fans know well thanks to variety shows and stuff.

And to be honest, I wouldn't even know who Khabib or McGregor would be if it weren't boxing but then again, I don't watch MMA at all.

 

I'm guessing that you are from the USA, the same place where UFC is based. Boxing is popular in countries that have successful local boxers. In Europe Joshua is a bigger star than McGregor and Khabib.

McGregor made his biggest pay packet and achieved his peak popularity by having a boxing match. That should tell you something.

 

To me it feels like MMA has stalled since 5-10 years ago.

 

I think it already has surpassed it, at least in the States

I am from Ireland and I still think Boxing is more popular in Uk/Ireland

Though I do hear many younger guys in the gym talking about MMA more, especially when it involves that idiot McGregor

 

MMA can't take over boxing. Both kinds of fighting sport are different from each other. It depends on people which one they prefer to watch. Sometimes I watch MMA but I don't like it as much as I like boxing. IMO, MMA is boring when they are wrestling trying to make a Sleeper Hold or Guillotine Choke since we won't see many actions if they try to make a submission only.

 

Boxers get paid more, but I would argue that Khabib and Conor are more popular worldwide than any active boxer

I can't stand mcGregor but he is miles bigger than any boxer and Khabib has a huge following from the Muslim community

the UFC don't pay these guys the same as boxing, but no active boxer can come close to outselling Conor for an example

 

It took over years ago in Australia, from a pure popularity viewpoint. I think eventually it will, I hold grave fears for boxing long term, I think the sport will die in a few decades. It's a great sport, wrecked by greed and politics but you can't escape what boxing is.

 

Boxing is not under threat from MMA, I remember a decade ago being told Boxing is dying and MMA is the future and 10 years later the elite boxers are still out earning the elite MMA stars, in the UK the PPV record for a boxing event has just been broken, in the WWE Tyson Fury headlined a match whilst two former UFC champions filled the under card and got much less attention. The highest earning sportsman for the last decade was a boxer and no one in MMA is coming close to the star power of Canelo or Joshua and that includes McGregor.

There is room in the world for both sports to thrive and neither are a threat to one another but Boxing has a history MMA will never have and will not be going anywhere any time in our lifetimes.

 

Muay Thai is the most popular fighting sport worldwide.

 

It is true that McGregor is in a league of his own(he does have boxing to thank for it).

But I am not talking about just the pay(as boxers are ridiculously overpaid at times). I am talking about the numbers.
Boxing still has it´s fair of stars and superstars.
Canelo and Joshua are box office monsters.