Replies

[Jack 1000]

What I don't understand is,

How come if a boxing match ends in say 90 seconds, people think they got ripped off. But if an MMA fight ends in 90 seconds, many people think that's amazing? I have seen some of these MMA events that are over at the drop of a hat, and so many people think that's great, even if they paid $50 for it. But for boxing, you pay $50 for a PPV that ends in 90 seconds, people think that sucks.

Personally, for boxing, I like the fighter to get some rounds in. I love knockouts but I don't want the fights to be over too quickly. I would like 3 rounds of action or more for my money in most cases. And of course, if a fight is a two-sided 12 round war, or in the earlier years of 15 rounds, what MMA purist would not love to see something like that!? Now, the MMA contests even at non-title duration are too short. Only 3 rounds for non-title fights? You just get into a fight, and its over.

The 5-round title matches are a little better. But I like the longer distance durations that boxing provides. It demonstrates the importance of endurance and stamina in conditioning. MMA guys don't have to have that long of an endurance clip because their fights are so much shorter. Longer distances, are the true measuring sticks of boxing champions. And MMA, no matter what spin you put on it, can't say that.

I'd like to hear how other people feel about this.

Jack

[AussieLad]

If MMA was a system where a fight had no rounds, and no time limit, no rules, and was allowed to go s long as it needed till a fighter got stopped or surrendered, then i can see an argument for it not being a sport. Its a fight for money, or a spectacle.

This is how it used to be.

But since then it has added rules, timed rounds, judges. I assume its governed by an athletic safety commission with a series of medical tests and drug tests prior to and after the event. It is now a sport.

The argument that you can have two guys doing vastly different things in the ring, therefore due to lack of consistency in styles is not a sport, doesnt hold water. They are operating according to their own style within a given set of rules. If they choose to, they can use the exact same style as each other, or a completely different set of tactics. But fundamentally they are within the one skillset. Look at chess. A simple set of rules that allow for a wide variety of styles and complex game plans. Just because one guy is trying to implement a closed game defence against the other guys open game attack doesnt mean they aren't playing the same game. Exactly the same as a slick boxer fighting a power slugger, and the wide variety of permutations that lie in between