If we had a boxing league like UFC would boxing still be a niche sport?

If UFC is in a funk what would you say boxing is currently in?

 

More popular? Opinion does not make it a fact.

 

Ppv numbers, tweets, and Instagram agrees with me

 

Is that the same Instagram that has Ronaldo at 495m followers compared to the apparently “more well known statistically” Floyd mayweather JR with 28m followers?

Or is there another one?

 

Go look at social media numbers on average for UFC guys vs boxers. Conor has more IG followers than AJ, Fury, Canelo, Spence and Crawford COMBINED.

The UFC is the biggest single platform in either sport by far, they have the most broadcast deals around the world, they have their own video games, their Youtube gets millions of views etc etc. So the guys fighting there are getting a lot of exposure compared to most boxers.

 

Floyd is in no way, shape or form more well known than Ronaldo though....

 

Again, opinions. You haven't pulled any concreate data other than your opinion. Popular than boxing ? Maybe, but there is no arguing its a Niche sport like boxing. Having to pay for a chance to watch it and catering to the small fan base is what makes it niche.

 

Do you guys not have reading comprehension? The thread is about boxing having one sanctioning body. Not which of the two is more popular between them. My answer is boxing would still not be main stream. MMA is not main stream. Both sports are Niche and cater to small fan base that are willing to pay to watch it. Football, Soccer , Basketball, Indy, Nascar, Tennis, Golf, US collegiate football/basketball crush both boxing and MMA in terms of view and revenue. It doesn't matter hw mant tweets or like you get on youtube. What matters is if a fan can watch an event live and how much fan are willing to pay for it.

 

I was just addressing your specific point where you were arguing that UFC fighters are not more popular than boxers on average.

Other than soccer, NFL and basketball I would also strongly disagree that the sports you listed are bigger than the UFC or boxing, especially if we are talking globally You really think more people around the world are tuning in to American college basketball games or a Nascar race than major UFC cards or AJ, Fury, Canelo fights? no ****ing way. I'm not sure ive ever met a single person that watches golf either but ive known plenty of boxing and/or UFC fans. How many people would pay like $75 to watch an Indycar race or golf game?

 

I did, where have I said that in this thread that either sport is bigger than the other (MMA and boxing)?

Popularity base on revenue and viewing accessibility. If you think boxing or any of the MMA org is up there with the other sports because you personally don't know people who watches them, then its pointless argument, if we are basing this on your experience rather than looking at these other sport as a whole. I don't watch golf or tennis but I know they are huge and MMA and boxing pales in comparison. Golf is played by the average guy and it translate to people watching it. Golf is an 84 billion dollar business just in the US alone.

 

He missed Hockey being bigger than UFC too. UFC is a white trash niche sport. Along with Boxing it straddles the line between theater and actual sport, just above pro wrestling.

 

Hockey is regional, you call the UFC a white trash thing but hockeys audience is basically entirely white unlike MMAs, and if you were to add up the amount of people that follow the UFC vs the NHL or any other hockey league in different countries around the world i'd expect that MMA has if not the larger overall fanbase then at least the more spread out and global one. Same with boxing vs hockey. Not to mention there hasnt been a hockey player as famous as the biggest boxing and UFC stars since Gretzky. In fact hes the ONLY hockey player to ever be close to as famous as those guys.

Some of you guys go way overboard with shitting on boxing and/or MMA with all the "niche" talk. Its especially funny when negatively comparing it to stuff that may be considered more "establishment" and "respectable" by sports media but in reality is similarly if not even more niche. Like you can go to the water cooler or to a bar and go to someone "you see that golf game last night?" and people are gonna have a clue. Even something like the NFL is niche outside of America.

 

Boxing is not like UFC. It is WAY harder. You only have to watch that idiot mcgregor, he cant even take a beating for 12 rounds by a brittle-handed retired fighter who was trying to carry him as much as he could for the early rounds.

Boxing more than 2 or 3 times a year vs top oposition would literally kill the figthers. (no, old timers didnt fight top oposition all the time, they fought many many many many figthers with losing records, no hoppers).

A guy like provodnikov, fighting top notch oposition 5 times a years is as good as dead.

The other option is to watch top fighters fighting no-hoppers. No, thank you.

Boxing is better as it is. Can it be improved? sure, but not by following stupid ufc style. Imho simply removing the ABCDEFG.... world organizations and having only one world champion per weight would be enough. Only that.

 

For the fans it would be great as big fights are much more likely to happen in the UFC unlike boxing where it takes years or sometimes never happens. However fighters would have zero power and earn a fraction of what they currently do just like the UFC, those guys have very little alternative outside of small promotions like Bellator or One fc. Boxers like current UFC fighters would have no negotiating power and the promoter would keep all the money.

I believe UFC pays their fighters 13% which is crazy when you look at the risk. The Ali act pretty much makes it impossible for promoters to legally replicate it in boxing.

 

In a 12 month span Ray Robinson fought Randy Turpin twice, Bobo Olson, Rocky Graziano, and Joey Maxim. Today we would be lucky if someone fights one of those types of fights in a three year span.
I agree there were definitely some soft touches mixed in with most guys in early eras, but they were fighting so much it wasn't a big deal. Now a lot of guys make 1 appearance a year for a soft touch and brag they are the best