In honor of tonight's James Toney vs Randy Couture fight - let's take a look back at some of the historic meetings between boxers and mixed martial artists. The point of this thread is to look at boxing vs mixed martial arts from an objective point of view for technical purposes. Let's try not to argue nonsense about boxing vs MMA but rather keep the discussion on the technical advantages and disadvantages between the two. Judo Gene LeBell vs Milo Savage [yt]n9mER2BmNRA[/yt] We'll include Muhammad Ali vs Antonio Inoki for its historical significance - but there were some strange rules in this fight making for an equally strange encounter. [yt]quQazKRAZYs[/yt] Let's jump forward a few years to UFC 1 and the encounter between boxer Art Jimmerson and the man who was about the change the world by winning three of the first four UFC tournaments - Royce Graice. [yt]JPj8pXVmxv8[/yt] Believe it or not but there have even been boxers fighting ninjas! Check out UFC 4 and Melton Bowen vs ninja cop Steve Jennum. [yt]J6QhmMUGVyo[/yt] And most recently we have the fight between one time WBO champion Ray Mercer against exiled former UFC champion Tim Sylvia. [yt]cZFgOaVSoKs[/yt] I'm sure there are a few other notable examples - but nothing springs to mind at the moment.
A few kickboxers have beaten UFC champs years ago by tiring them out. I think a top boxer could do alright if they had the right skills to ground fight also. Someone like a younger Tyson could probably get good ground skills very quick and its those speed power punchers that do good in MMA usually..
I agree. They would have been devastating. Fighters like Chuck Liddell and Igor Voychanchyan set the mold for the devastating power puncher in MMA. They had strong enough wrestling to fend off any takedowns enabling them to walk down their opponents and batter them unconscious. Seeing a Mike Tyson in that sort of fighting mode would have been incredible. He might have been the greatest MMA fighter of all time.
Tyson trained in MMA would have been a monster with those quick hands able to knock you out at any time and that stocky wrestling build. I think someone like a Riddick Bowe could have never been made into a great MMA fighter...
A MAJOR issue is boxing is very popular so ALL martial arts are generally aware of what a boxer will threaten them with. On the flip side boxers don't have a ****ing clue what other martial artists will do. Generally, any martial artist knows a boxer will jab, straight, hook, uppercut etc A boxer may know that a kickboxer/muay thai guy may kick him or a wrestler or judo guy may throw him but he hasn't a clue about each technique so can't even generally defend it allowing him to employ his art. MMA popularity should see guys like Mercer and Toney have an understanding of what a martial artist/mixed martial artist COULD do, thus allowing them to employ their art.
let's also add these... Botha.. http://boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=3307&cat=boxer [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOSEw5C_nVM[/ame] Skelton http://boxrec.com/boxer_display.php?boxer_id=141021 [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAIgNhVT3Zs[/ame]
++ Great first post! Thanks for the cool vids, brings back memories! In that 2nd vid from boxingcar above (thx too btw ), is that 'choke' even legal? Looks like he just rammed his fingers in the guy's throat... That can't be legal...
i know..that' some crazy ****...it seems like it was apparently legal under pride fc rules. Not entirely certain though. On sherdog , this victory is simply listed as: Submission (Strangle Choke)
while watching these videos one theme always rings true in the battle to take the opponent out of their respective "strength" the grappler will always have the advantage. A single strike ko is hard to land especially when you are trying to not be taken to the ground. the boxers cannot over commit with strikes leaving himself open for takedowns but has to throw hard enough punchess to keep his opponent from getting too close. The grappeler on the other hand has the advantage, it is hard for his opponent to land a big punch when the wrestler is shooting in for double leg. How many times have you seen a wrestler hut badly by a punch and then loses his legs falls to the ground and instinctively gets a hold of his attackers legs and completes a takedown. the grappler can be nearly ko'd but after taking down the striker gets much needed time to rest and recover his wits. then position himself for GnP or a submission which he can repeatedly attempt because he is able to control his opponent completely on the ground. the wrestler is able to keep his opponents strength neutralized for an extended period of time while praying on his weaknesses. of course their exists strikers with good takedown defense interestingly enough many of them come from grappling backgrounds ex Chuck liddel and bj penn.
