If MMA takes more skill than Boxing, why do top Boxers make so much more than top MMA Fighters?

Question

top boxers get millions while top mma fighters get hundreds of thousands. Does boxing take more skill than MMA?

Answer 1

i dont think boxers really make that much more...i could be wrong though. look at chuck lidells salary sometime lol

mma fighters tend to fight more often too.

boxing is just the art of punching and evading. and nothing more. a boxer in a mma match gets eaten alive. but a mma fighter in a boxing ring can still hold his own because he is no stranger to boxing.

in boxing you will learn how to punch and how to move. how to breathe and a few other things.

in mma you have alot more to learn and defend against. punches, kicks, knees, elbows, clinching, ground n pound, and submissions. .

theres no comparison at all in my mind. i bet on the mma fighter every time. unless possibly its strictly a boxing match...thats the only scenario i see a boxer having an advantage (albeit a slight one)

Answer 2

Slugfests are more fun to watch than a couple of sweaty guys rolling around in a cage.  The biggest thing that hurts MMA though, is the lack of people who do it.

The most popular weight division in boxing these days are the middles and below, but mostly around the middle, reason being the heavies have become lazy slobs who never show up to the gym, and are clumsy, unskilled clods.  The sheer number of middle weight category men, means that will always be the largest pool fighters are drawn from, so no matter what twists and turns the sport may take, the standards for that weight division at least will always remain reasonably high.

Its almost as tough today to become middle weight champ, as it was in the "old days."  Only in this day and age thanks to sports science and nutrition, not to mention supplements from places like EAS and GNC, and even Joe Weider, that means that middle weight fighters, while their technique is not as polished as "old time" boxers, they are a lot faster and stronger.

However, the only way strength and speed compensate for bad form, is when your firsts are fast enough to catch bullets, and your muscles are strong enough to stop speeding trains.  In other words, exagerating a little it needs to be overwhelming.  Largely because of the higher polish and skill most middle weight boxers have, and how deeply entrenched the sport is in American culture actually, it still draws a larger audience.

Although, precisely because the most skilled fighters these days are the middle weights, and many white americans are still racist, the audience in boxing has shrinked considerably, with only people interested in the sport for the sports sake overlook race.  By raw force of numbers, hispanics dominate the middle weights, with a significant and respectable amount of blacks.  Generally thought, most hispanic fighters fight brainlessly, bull rushing opponents arms swinging until they topple them.  However on ocassion you get a surgically precise knockout artist who is dangerous, and it is those guys boxing fans like to watch.

Also, even though not likely as effective in a fight as MMA, there is a gracefulness to boxing that many of its fans just love, that is why its called "the sweet science."  Boxing draws crowds, for the same reason that bullfighting draws crowds in spain; graceful, skilled precision and movement, overcoming brute force.  Hence the popularity of fighters like Muhamad Ali, both Sugars, and recently Mosley, although arguably the third one is not as good as his predecessors and he is over the hill now.  Frank Hopkins is a good fighter, as well as his rival.

Ultimately though, it won't be long before MMA takes over.  Even though most boxers, because of the simplicity of the sport, have still taken the sport to a high degree of speed and polish, MMA fighters are rapidly catching up.  More and more, MMA is becoming in its own right a style of fighting, that is a blend of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Boxing, Muay Thai, and Catch Wrestling, with a little bit of Judo thrown in.

Those martial arts, all form MMA.

Another issue has to do with corporate deals and corporate backing.  Because boxing is backed up by the big beer companies, and beer sells well in America, with that kind of funding, its no exageration to say that any 2 bit s*****k can be turned into a star.  Basically, the combination of the fact that Boxing, like Baseball, is a "traditional" American sport, and funding from Budweiser or Coors, or whoever, means that it will always have a bigger audience.  Unless of course both those beer companies decide they don't like boxing anymore.

Is Boxing dead?  Its dead, just like Baseball should be dead, but its not dead because its a traditional American sport.  It will likely lose popularity, and it won't be long before MMA fighters start raking in the big green, specially with those rumors I heard about the WWE purchasing the rights to the UFC, although I could be wrong I don't think the deal ever fell through.

Considering the deep pockets of the WWE, one side is entertainment fighting, the other side is real, contact fighting, and with the WWE's backing, the sport could get much bigger.  It doesn't seem right that legitimate fighters skilled in martial arts get nothing but peanuts, while men just putting on a show get millions.

However, despite that, ultimately.... if the deal did fall through it was the best thing to ever happen to MMA since the Gracies.  The WWE, has deep pockets, and Vince McMan is more a media wh*re than Dana White.  McMan's media experience, combined in the fact that he knows how to promote people, means that he could make it so that the sport draws a larger audience.

Don't worry about those guys; for the less than honest among them, they'll have enough clams for their 'roids soon enough.

hope that helps.

Answer 3

It doesnt take "more" skill, just has more diverse skills to learn.  A good way to compare the skill sets is to watch an mma bout, then watch a boxing bout and compare the ability to punch.  Watch an mma bout and then an olympic wrestling match and see the difference.  Watch an mma bout and then an ADCC match.  You will see that the technicalities involved in each individual discipline are far greater in technique then in mma.  But, in boxing, they only work on their hands.  Wrestling, only on wrestling and bjj only on bjj.  In mma, they have to learn everything, therefore, more diverse skills, but not necessarily more technical, bc they do not have the time to refine each and every technique.  Secondly, not all the beatiful techniques seen in boxing, wrestling and bjj can be used in mma because they present different obstacles since the competitors can do anything (ie. bobbing and weaving leaves you open to head kicks, down block in wrestling leaves you open to getting hit, and many of the setups in bjj are much harder with a person punching you).  Boxers make more money because it is an older sport with more financially well off backers.  Two different sports that cannot really be compared.  Just appreciate each individual sport that mma is comprised of and you will see beyond all the mma vs. boxing bullsh*t.

Answer 4

good question.wait a couple more years to see.i was a big boxing fan till ufc,wec,ifc came out.

Answer 5

Boxing has been around a lot longer and a lot more people pay to watch it. Whereas the MMA is just getting started. Many people still dont know about it, or havent caught on to it yet. Although I agree with you. It is much better than boxing!!! I dont think it will be long before all of that changes. Boxing will die out and MMA will explode!!!

Answer 6

Boxing is still a much more established sport...UFC and mma in general is growing quickley, I dont even watch boxing anymore.. This is a major issue in the UFC, the fighters are demanding more money from the owners (Randy Couture, Tito Ortiz..for example)... I think the fighters are right..If the owners are making Billions of dollars, the fighters who make the sport should be compensated.

Answer 7

The infrastructure is there for boxing whereas it's not quite there for MMA. When a guy like De La Hoya fights a guy like Bernard Hopkins all the big fight venues open their doors. Mandalay Bay is a huge draw and they know how to pack em in. Also, HBO and Showtime know how to promote their fights and line up sponsors. Boxing is a known quantity with the people behind the scenes making lots of money knowing exactly what to do to pull the strings.

When a top boxer establishes himself, HBO or Showtime will immediately move in to sign him to an exclusive contract and he will makes millions in the process. I don't know a single mixed martial artist that has such a contract with HBO or Showtime.

MMA has only been popular for a couple years now. It's really in it's infantile stage, unlike boxing which has been around since the early 1900's.

One more point, the people with the most money, the 50 somethings and older who are just retiring (the baby boomer age) know boxing. They don't know MMA. They will more likely pay for something they know as opposed to something they don't know, so there's that angle as well.

Answer 8

They both take skill, but in their own sport.  I don't know why people keep comparing them like they are the same.  A boxer in an MMA fight would have a tough time...as would a MMA fighter in a boxing match.  Boxing has had time to grow and develop a huge fan base...MMA hasn't had time to build up the $$ that boxing has...give it time, it'll get there ;)

Answer 9

because sports and business are two separate things..thats your answer

Answer 10

MMA is just getting started, its still young. In ten years, I dont even think Boxing wil be pay per view anymore.

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